Sixth graders have been studying the Japanese design concept of notan, which is loosely translated as “light-dark harmony.” In notan, designers are concerned with the interactions between positive and negative space and achieving an overall feeling of harmony within an image. Starting with a black rectangle, the students used Adobe Illustrator to cut out pieces and then place them outside the shape as if they had exploded from the middle. The designs had to be harmonious and individual shapes within the image had to be symmetrical. What a fun graphic design concept to explore on the computers!