Design Principals and Elements Notes [10/11/13]

Design
The Principals and Elements

"People ignore design that ignores people."
- Frank Chimero

Design is all about putting things together that looks good.

• Design elements are the basic units of a visual image.
• The principle of design govern the relationships of the elements used and organize the composition as a whole.
• All imagery, art, and photography alike, are comprised of elements that can be broken down and analyzed. This goes for web design as well.

Design Elements:

• Space
• Line
• Color
• Shape
• Texture
• Value

• Space can exist in either two or three dimensions. It can referred to as positive or negative space. It can also refer to foreground, mid, or background elements.
• Line are frequently found in hand-drawn artwork, and may or may not be uniform. You can convey the idea that there are lines where other design elements are being used.
• Color is incredibly important, it can be used to lead the eye in different directions, hide objects, change mood.
• Shapes are what help us identify objects. They can be geometric or organic, and they convey a lot of information.
• Texture plays a very interesting role, it can be implied or projected to give you an illusion that there is actual texture in the design. It can pique a lot of interest.
• Value helps convey the illusion of depth by using shading, which creates a difference between light and dark areas. Solely based on "tonal values".

Design Principals:

• Unity
• Variety
• Repetition
• Harmony
• Proximity
• Proportion
• Functionality

• Unity creates a sense of order, consistency, size and shape. It also has a lot to do with proximity, as you can display a lack of unity.
• Variety comes into play when using many different design elements to create differences between each individual object.
• Repetition is used all of the time, whether it be in objects or color.
• Harmony is found in designing something that makes something seem like it works together, yet there are many unique parts that keep it apart from generic design.
• Proximity is heavily based on how far your eye must move to get the information it needs. Smooth design might come in the shape of curves or organized grids. Simplicity is key, and space will help convey the effect of proximity.
• Proportion (Scale) are about how objects compare to each other in terms of size.
• Functionality is the most important principal. Are you creating a certain design because it looks good, or are you aiming for it to serve its purpose? You need to entertain, communicate, and inform people to keep them interested.