The Elements of Design

Line

Line is the element of length as a mark connecting any two points. Lines can organize, direct, separate, be expressive, suggest an emotion, or create rhythm. They can join elements or divide them.

Shape

The external outline of a form or anything that has height and width. An example would be the three basic shapes: the circle, the square, the triangle, considered to be the fundamental shapes of design.

Texture

The look and feel of a surface. In two dimensional form, texture is essentially visual and adds richness and dimension to the work. Texture can also refer to pattern, which is visual texture.

Value

The relative lightness or darkness of an object. Value adds dimension by creating the illusion of depth in design.

Color

Color creates a mood within the piece and tells a story about the brand. Every color says something different, and combinations can alter that impression further.

Plane

Three dimensional form that has length and width but with minimal thickness.

Volume

An enclosed area of three dimensional space.

Mass

Solid three dimensional form.

Space

Distance between shapes and forms, but it is best understood in designs as white space or negative space, terms used to refer to the empty but often active areas that are void of visual elements.

Light

Can enhance or obscure, affect emotions, entice us to enter, create mystery, can even be the sculptural medium

Time/Motion

Any word or image that moves functions both spatially and temporally. Can be implied as well as literal.

The Principles of Design

Unity/variety

When all design elements relate to one another and project a sense of completeness. A viewer will always seek unity in a message. Without it, the viewer will lose interest. Designers use ideas drawn from Gestalt theory to help their designs.

Balance

When all the design elements are equally distributed through the design. There are essentially two types of balance: symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical elements are arranged equally on both sides of a composition to suggest a stable or static motion. Asymmetrical elements create a deliberate imbalance to suggest variety or dynamical movement.

Scale/Proportion

Scale is the comparative size of an element of art or object in relation to other objects and expectations about what is normal. Proportion is the relationship of the size of parts to each other and to the whole artifact or image.

Rhythm

Pattern created by repeating elements. Rhythm denotes the movement in the way that elements direct our gaze to scan the message for understanding or information. The term sequence is used to refer to the viewing order of the elements and to determine the order of multipage publications such as a magazine or book.

Emphasis

Indication of the most important element on the page based on the message. It’s the element that stands out and gets noticed first. The most emphasized visual element in design is called a focal point because it attracts the view

Line Inventory One

For my first line inventory, I did my best to explore all of the materials at my disposal. I wanted to know what it would feel like to make marks with a variety of materials, from charcoal to india ink. I explored different methods of mark making and got an idea of what kind of lines are visually pleasing and I enjoy making (which would be crucial for the scale of and time spent on the final step of this project).

Line Inventory Two

I was then given the instructions to “make it better.” After spending so much time on my first line inventory, I was a little distressed that i would have to do it all again, but also eager to learn from my first experience with the project. I chose the best lines from my first inventory and also gathered ideas from my classmates. I made an extra effort to perfect my craft for this second iteration on my line inventory and spent extra time cutting out each square and placing them on an orange substrate for a clean and professional look.

Observation

I’m used to sketching surfaces, rather than lines. I focus on the blocks of light and dark on an object, rather than the lines that make them up. This was a very interesting exercise for me and it got me thinking a lot about the way that line can suggest form and movement, even if it isn’t visually there on the subject.

Sculptural Expression

I don’t usually work with three dimensional art, so this was really fun. I tried to draw lines in a physical space with the wire I was using. I created a frame and then tried to capture the movement of fabric with the wire that I attached between the frames.

Expression

I made an intentional decision when starting this piece to concentrate the weight of my piece on the edges of the paper. I was able to create an intense focus on the white of the majority of the paper with an intricate framing of different line patterns. I was able to create a movement reminiscent of waves in water with the orientation of all the different lines. I’m very pleased with he outcome of this projects and was able to develop a stronger understanding of line through each step of this process.

I was extremely intrigued by Nelson’s views of design as ornamentation on functionality, rather than a substitution for it. As a graphic designer, I’ve thought of design as “more practical” than fine art. Graphic design is often describes as functional art. However, Nelson is making the case that functionality does not dictate whether or not something has been design well. Rather, a good design adds to the base functionality in ways that more functional, but poorly designed products are unable to. When describing my field of study to people outside of the world of visual arts, I often use the phrase “I make things pretty.” Nelson seems to agree with this notion that design is about aesthetics, rather than operational value.