Mathematics and Design
When thinking about combining design and mathematics, I automatically think about proportions and why things are designed the way they are. A door frame is usually 80 inches tall, and that’s not just because it’s somebody’s favorite number. They make doors that tall, or put windows at certain heights, or ceilings so tall because they take the average human body into their thinking. Realizing that an average man is about 6 feet tall they are obviously going to give them more headroom. Things like this are specialized for certain customers, but normally the architect designs for what a normal customer would like. If you make a ceiling to small, the residents are going to feel claustrophobic. It does not stop at architects however, as all designers take proportion into account. Sculptors think about how a human would look and create their art off of that. Clothing designers think about what fit is going to look best on their client. All of this measurement and planning brings mathematics into their head. People have known about this forever. Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci and the ones below by Adolphe Armand Braun are perfect examples of how people think in terms of the human body.
www.artlex.com/ArtLex/Pr.html