Principles and Elements of Design Flashcards
List the “elements of design,” the building blocks of design.
These include:
- Shape
- Form
- Line
- Colour
- Translucency
- Transparency
- Opacity
- Texture
- Tone
Principles of design are the aspects that give structure and order to the elements of design.
Ways of arranging or organising design elements.
Can you name them?
Concepts such as:
- Proportion and balance
- Symmetry and asymmetry
- Pattern
- repetition
- alternation
- Movement
- Repetition
- Rhythm
- Space
- Contrast
- Scale
Design Element - Point
A mark that may be used to indicate position and location. Point is small in relation to the whole of the design and is not necessarily circular. It can represent a point of measure or be used as decoration. It can add texture or tone. Examples of application include half tone printing, pixilation, dot rendering and map indicators.
Design Element - Line
Line represents a single dimension, length, which connects one point to another. It can be straight, curved or irregular and combined with other elements. The weight and quality of the line may vary depending on its intended use and the tool used to create it, giving it character and meaning. Digitally drawn line can be clean and precise while one drawn with a brush and ink can be loose and relaxed. Examples of application include diagrams and illustration, printmaking techniques and technical drawing.
Design Element - Shape
Shape is two-dimensional. It is the defined space contained within lines. It can be organic, geometric, abstract or symbolic and can be used in conjunction with other elements to create form or pattern. It can used to simplify complex objects for effective communication. Examples of application include logo, symbols, graphic design and stencil work.
Design Element - Form
Form is considered three-dimensional and can be illustrated or constructed. It can also be organic, geometric, abstract or symbolic. Form may be created by the joining of two or more shapes and enhanced by tone, texture and colour. Examples of application include packaging forms, interior fit outs, signage, architecture and industrial design.
Design Element - Tone
Tone may be used to describe the three-dimensional nature of form in terms of its shadows and highlights, created by a light source. It can be smooth and gradual or built by point or line (dot rendering and cross hatching), subtle or dramatic, depending on its intended use. Examples of application include drawing, and rendering and photography.
Design Element - Texture
Texture communicates a tactile aspect – it can be real or implied. It may be achieved using a combination of elements such as point and line. It may be applied in a realistic or an abstract style to create an arbitrary pattern or to stimulate the finish of a material. Texture can be conveyed through media and materials and can be combined with tone. Applications include drawing and rendering.
Design Element - Colour
Colour derives from the interplay of objects, light and the human eye/brain. Colour can communicate mood and emotion; it can be used to highlight information and establish hierarchy. It can add
interest and excitement to a visual communication. Colour may be used to specify areas, distinguish form, and help establish hierarchy. Colour application systems include RGB and CMYK and
colour guides can be sourced in Pantone libraries.
Design Element - Type
Type is the visual representation of word, number and character. It can be manipulated to have an impact on the delivery of the visual message or reinforce the meaning of a word. Sets of type
or ‘typefaces’ belong to families and can be serif, sans serif, regular, bold or italic. Type can be sourced from digital libraries, manipulated and reorganised, or hand generated. Examples
of application include logos, film credits, books and magazine production.
Design Principle - Figure-Ground
Figure and ground work together to establish the importance of visual information within a picture plane. ‘Figure’ refers to components that are more visually dominant than the ground on which they are placed. Figure may also be known as ‘positive space’ or ‘form’. Ground can be known as ‘background’, ‘negative space’ or ‘counter form’.
Design Principle - Balance
Balance refers to the arrangement of components in relation to a visual central axis. It may be ‘symmetrical’ where components are mirrored along the axis to create a centred and stable composition, or ‘asymmetrical’, where components of varying size and weight are placed off centre to create a dynamic composition.
Design Principle - Contrast
Contrast employs the use of oppposite qualities to create visual tension, separate parts and build hierarchy.
Design Principle - Cropping
An image can be modified by selecting an area of interest to emphasise, to create dominance or simply to clarify information. The use of cropping can give a dynamic feel to a composition. It can be achieved by manipulating the borders and/or scale of a design to increase hierarchy and impact. Examples of application include highlighting of detailed information or diagrams.
Design Principle - Title
Visual information can be arranged in order of importance. Attention is drawn to the most important information or focal point within a composition. Factors determining hierarchy may be the scale, contrast, colour or the positioning of the visual components. Examples of application include print media layout such as newspapers and magazines, website layouts, book covers and posters.
Design Principle - Scale
Scale refers to the relative size of the figure (visual representation) to what it represents. Its relative size and scale will determine the hierarchy of visual components within a composition. Examples of application include ratio, maps, diagrams, illustrations, technical drawings, models, mock-ups.
Design Principle - Proportion
This is the comparative relationship between the size of components or parts of components within a composition. Proportion can be evidenced, for example, in Fibonacci’s Golden ratio and the principles of Pallidio’s architecture.
Design Principle - Pattern
Pattern is the repetition or alternation of one or more components to create a visual unit. Any visual element can be used to create a pattern. Repetition can be very powerful in creating a sense of order in a composition. Alternation can create more complex
patterns than those created by repetition alone. Examples of application include architecture facades and interior decoration; textile and wallpaper design.
