GDS Chapter 2 Flashcards
What are the formal elements of design?
Line, shape, and figure/ground relationship.
What is a point?
A single pixel of light.
What is a line?
An elongated point or the path of a moving point.
What is a linear style?
When line is the predominant element used to unify a composition or describe shapes or forms in a design.
What is a shape?
The general outline of something; a closed, configured area on a two-dimensional surface.
What three basic shapes are all other shapes derived from?
Circle, square, and triangle.
What is a nonrepresentational shape?
An invented shape not literally representing a person, place, or thing.
What is an abstract shape?
A rearrangement, alteration, or distortion of the representation of natural appearance used for stylistic distinction or communication purposes.
What is a representational shape?
A shape recognizable in nature. A figurative shape.
Explain figure/ground.
Positive/negative space; the relationship of shapes to background on a two-dimensional surface.
Why is the figure/ground relationship important?
A designer must always consider the ground as an integral part of the composition, otherwise the ground will be reduced to deadspace.
What is equivocal space?
An equal and interchangeable distribution of figure and ground; ambiguous figure/ground.
What are typographic shapes?
Letterforms, numerals, and punctuation that symbolize the sounds of language.
These are the figure while the counters, or the open spaces, are the ground.
What is texture?
The tactile quality of a surface or the simulation or representation of such a surface quality.
What is a tactile texture?
Texture that has actual tactile quality, such as embossing, debossing, stamping, engraving, and letterpress.
What are visual textures?
Illusions of real textures.
What is pattern?
A systematic repetition of a unit or element with obvious directional movement within a given area.
What is balance?
The equilibrium created by an even distribution of weight among all the elements of a composition, used to stabilize a composition.
Explain emphasis.
Emphasis is created through visual hierarchy and used to direct communication. It relies on the principle of unity.
What is rhythm?
A visual pulse that flows from one graphic to another.
What is HAUS?
Hierarchy, alignment, unity, and space.
Explain hierarchy.
Hierarchy uses placement and alignment of graphic elements as well as the space in-between to facilitate the visual hierarchy and direct how people’s eyes will scan the composition.
Employ contrast.
What are the ABC’s of visual heirarchy?
A. Where do you want the viewer to look first?
B. Where do you want the viewer to look second?
C. Where do you want the viewer to look third?
Explain alignment.
Alignment is how edges line up or elements orient, how you arrange graphic elements into configurations to build structural visual connections.
