Nomography
/nəˈmɒɡ.rə.fi/
ETYMOLOGY
Greek nomos (law) + graphein (to write, draw)
COINED BY
Philbert Maurice d'Ocagne (1899)
The science of graphical alignment charts that solve complex multi-variable equations through straightedge intersections across calibrated geometric scales.
Multi-dimensional design token matrices where a change in base typography automatically recomputes baseline line-height, flow spacing, and OkLCH luminance.
“A design token is not an isolated variable; it is a coordinate on a living geometric nomogram.”
d'Ocagne, M. (1899). Traité de nomographie: Théorie des abaques, applications pratiques. Gauthier-Villars.
The Chromologium Archive (2026). “Nomography”. Lexicon of Emergent Disciplines. https://chromologium.com/lexicon/nomography