Isometric view in graphic design

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In graphic design we continually apply mathematical calculations to achieve that visual harmony in projects, whether for the visual development of a brand, the creation of an iconography or an advertising piece.

A mathematical term that we use more and more in graphic design is isometric view, which allows us to position any object created following the grid in any position within it, keeping the view unaltered.

What is isometric view?

Isometric view is a visual representation of a three-dimensional object that is reduced in two dimensions, in which the three main orthogonal axes, when projected, form angles of 120°, and the dimensions parallel to these axes are measured on the same scale. Visually it is easier to understand so I attach an image taken from Wikipedia.

In which projects can the isometric view be applied?

In industrial design

In industrial design, a part is represented from different points of view, perpendicular to the natural coordinate axes. A mechanically moving part generally has shapes with axes of symmetry or flat faces.

In the following image you can see a part built using isometric view. You can see more examples like this in the blog autocad for everyone.

In architecture

The use of isometric projection is useful for easily visualising relatively small sets of buildings, producing images reminiscent of oblique photographs taken from a bird’s eye view.

Section drawings are also common, which give a much better idea of the volume distribution of the rooms in a house than a simple floor plan.

In videogames

For many years the isometric view has been used in the videogame industry, or rather, in the usual jargon, the ‘3/4 view’, as this technique considerably reduces the technical requirements.

There have always been tangible benefits to using this style of games, such as the use of less memory, which made them viable for so many years despite the competition in graphics.

The first games to use the isometric view came out in the early 1980s. From the end of the 2000s onwards, isometric games became less popular due to the great development of graphics and new game genres, but since 2013 they have regained relevance in part due to studios that have used crowfunding tools such as Kickstarter.

In visual branding

It is not very common to see the isometric view applied in this type of project, but if required it is possible to use this type of view for the construction of the isotype or all the iconography as well as being able to see it applied in all types of advertising panels.

Where can I learn more about this technique?

Searching around internet you will find more detailed information and explanatory videos on how to use this view in your designs using programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator and even 3D software.

Here are a couple of examples: one for the creation of isometric characters that we can then use for video games, motion graphics or in the creation of advertising pieces. And another one using Adobe Illustrator for the creation of the grid or grid that we will later use for different projects, from the creation of isotypes or the iconography of a brand image.

Photoshop isometric view course

There are also courses where you can improve your skills in the use of this view. Some time ago I accessed a very interesting course on isometric view in photoshop applied to photo retouching and composition, called Iso-painting.

Podéis acceder al curso a través de la plataforma Crehana. Un curso muy completo de Rubén Valle, con casi 6 horas y media de clases en formato video.

You can access the course through the Crehana platform. A very complete course by Rubén Valle, with almost 6 and a half hours of classes in video format.

Go to the course

Categoría/s: Graphic design