Counterforms: Practices, Theories, and Methods

A public seminar series that explores the complexities of design across its various modalities, from practice and activism to discipline and ways of knowing, and beyond.

September 25, 2024
Dr. Katherine Gillieson

October 9, 2024
Dr. Bonne Zabolotney


The term counterform is typically associated with negative space in design and typography, but it can also be metaphorically extended to describe the exploration of new thinking. In this broader sense, counterforms represent the spaces and ideas that challenge and redefine existing concepts and norms, much like how negative spaces in design define and shape positive elements.

By exploring counterforms, one engages with the gaps, contradictions, and oppositional ideas that provoke new perspectives and innovative approaches. This emphasizes the importance of considering what is not immediately apparent or conventional, thereby sparking imagination and intellectual growth.

In this context, counterforms symbolize the underlying structures and voids within existing paradigms, encouraging a deeper examination of what lies beyond the obvious and prompting a rethinking of established beliefs and practices.