Study Notes Flashcards
ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
Space, Line, Shape, Color, Texture, Light, Pattern
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
Balance, Rhythm, Emphasis, Proportion and Scale, Harmony
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SPACE
Positive space involves the objects like furniture, fittings, artwork, and accessories that help meet the design goal
Negative space is the empty or open space around objects. You can think of it as the breathing space of the room.
LINE
Lines define a space, and create a sense of direction and feeling of a design.
Vertical lines
Can make rooms seem taller, wide spaces seem narrower, suggest a feeling of strength, dignity and height. They draw the eye upwards, creating a more formal atmosphere. Additionally, vertical lines extend away from our visual plane.
Horizontal lines
They widen narrow spaces, bring the eye-level down, create a sense of intimacy and are very contemporary. Lines applied horizontally often evoke feelings of stability, grounding, emphasis and direction. So, although horizontal lines tend to create length and lower the ceiling in the space, they can also be applied to direct the viewer to a particular focal point.
Diagonal lines
Suggest a feeling of movement, direction and freedom. Too many diagonals may create a feeling of unrest and imbalance; however, they can really bring life to a space! They can direct the eye upwards or downwards, and add volume to a space, making it feel larger than it is.
Curved lines
have a softening, graceful effect and suggest movement and rhythm. If you are looking to make a space flow, curved lines are a great way to do it. They are also very voluminous, taking up space within an interior. They also give a human quality to interiors; they can be easy on the eyes and pleasing to view. A series of curved lines, such as an arcade (a procession of arches), gives a rhythmic cadence to an interior, suggesting graceful movement.
SHAPE
Shapes are created by connecting lines to enclose a space within a structure. Diagrammatically, they come in two forms:
■ Two-dimensional - shapes have height and width but no depth;
■ Three-dimensional - with mass or volume (or perceived as such) with height, width
and depth for the appearance of depth;
Curvilinear shapes
Are made of curves and rounded forms.
Rectilinear shapes
Are created from straight edges and angular corners.
Geometric shapes
Add the discipline of mathematics for circles, squares, triangles and rectangles with straight edges and consistent curves, making them crisp and precise.
Natural or organic shapes
Are found in nature, such as rose flowers, tree branches or bamboo leaves.
Abstract or stylised shapes
Are natural shapes that have been altered or simplified to reflect the essence, rather than the actual representation, of an object.
The golden rule
Regardless of the design style, shapes should be selected because they are visually pleasing, and suited to the interior in accordance with the client brief.
COLOR
If you build your design by evaluating and planning all the elements and principles of design, then your color choices will flow from that and make more sense.
TEXTURE
Observe how textures and finishes relate to each other and what they say to you about the level of formality or informality, style, balance, scale, pattern and design period.
LIGHT
Light is an element that encompasses two separate aspects of design. As the designer, you usually have both natural and artificial light to consider and manipulate.
NATURAL LIGHT
Assess how much natural light is in a space. What is the orientation of the walls with windows? Does the space have north, south, east or western light? Does the space have any light at all?
ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Light can create the illusion of color, texture, movement and pattern. It is also essential for specific tasks, safety and security.
PATTERN
Pattern relates to a visual perception and depending on the scale of the pattern it is often called ‘visual texture’. The role that pattern plays in a design is to add interest, create contrast and bring together multiple elements like color, line and shape.
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
As discussed, elements are the ‘building blocks’ of a space when you assess it, and principles are the ‘tools’ used by an interior designer, which are applied to the space as ideas are developed.
BALANCE
For designers to achieve balance in design, they need to arrange positive and negative elements so that they do not compete with each other.
SYMMETRICAL BALANCE
Using symmetry in an interior is the idea of having a mirror image, and it’s a great tool to create visual pairs.
Keep in mind that if a room has too much symmetry, it can feel very flat and predictable.
ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE
The focal points in the design or the different elements in it, are not as evenly balanced as with symmetrical balance.
That said, even though one side of the design or image will be visually heavier than the other, there is still a strong sense of balance and appeal that can be created with asymmetrical design.
RADIAL BALANCE
Radial is a visual balance based on a circle with its design extending from the center.
RHYTHM
Rhythm can be described as a pattern that provides visual movement that invites your eye to move across the space in a pleasing, choreographed way.
Repetition
Repetition is the simplest way to attain rhythm, and can be achieved by repeating any of the
elements of design – line, color, texture, pattern and light.
Alternation
Is used to create rhythm by alternating two or more elements in a regular pattern.
Progression
Can create rhythm with the graduation of objects from small to large or low to high. For example, gradients of colour, candlesticks ascending in height, a set of nesting tables or a three piece animal sculpture ascending in size.
EMPHASIS
Emphasis in a room refers to the focus point that creates the center of attention. It should be the focus to which your eye is attracted. A space or room can have a built-in focal point or a created one.
PROPORTION AND SCALE
Proportion refers to a general relationship in size between objects or between parts within an object. Scale is relative and compares an item or space to something of a known size, which could be a measure or another object. Human scale is a common reference you will find in spaces.
GOLDEN RATIO – 1:618
Without dwelling too much on mathematics, the number is roughly 1.618 with a ratio of roughly 60/40.
THE 60/30/10 RULE
The rule states that for the most balanced, appealing look, you should choose a three-color palette for decorating a room, and use it as follows:
■ Decorate 60% of the room with the dominant color
■ Decorate 30% of the room with the secondary color
■ Use the remaining color as an accent in 10% of the space
HARMONY
Harmony is the combination of similar parts or elements used in the design. The more similarities used, the more the composition is said to be harmonious. The common element of shape ■ The common element of color ■ The common element of texture ■ A common size ■ Similar materials ■ Similar detail characteristics ■ A common decorative style
