The Elements and Principles of Design
DESIGN THEORY
With some minor alterations according to the design discipline to which we are referring to, we can make a global reference to the elements and principles of design. We will divide this article into its two main categories: Elements and Principles and briefly discuss its components; and then we will see some examples on how these elements and principles of design can be combined.
Elements
The elements of design, are the building blocks used by the designers to create the designs. They are the parts, the components that can be isolated and defined in any visual design, they are the structure of the work, the objects to be arranged and used as part of any composition. Although without referring to a specific design (editorial, web, etc.) we can say that the general Design Elements are composed by:
Point
A point is the smallest and most basic element of design and it can be used alone or as a unit in a group (forming a line or a shape). It has position, but no extension, it is a single mark in a space with a precise and limited location and it provides a powerful relation between positive and negative space.
Line
If we place many points one next to the other we obtain a line, which can have length and direction, but no depth. Lines, besides to be used to create a shape, can be used to create perspective and dominant directional lines (which create a sense of continuance in a composition). Also, they can be grouped to create a sense of value, density or texture.
Shape
Shape is an element defined by its perimeter, a closed contour. It is the area that is contained within implied line and it has have two dimensions: height and width. A shape can be geometric (triangle, square, circle, etc.), realistic (animal, human, etc.) or abstract (icons, stylizations, etc.).
Form
The Form is derived from the combination of point, line and shape. A form describe volume, the 3D aspect of an object that take up space and it can be viewed from any angle (a cube, a sphere, etc.), it has width, height and depth.
Color
The color is the response of the eye to differing wavelengths of radiation within the visible spectrum. Colors are used to generate emotions, define hierarchy, create interest, etc. There are many different kinds of color systems and theories but we will focus on the 3 properties: Hue, Value and Saturation.
- Hue: is the color name.
- Value: it refers to the lightness or darkness, to how close to black or white the Hue is.
- Saturation: It refers to the intensity of a hue, the less gray a color has in it, the more Chroma it has.
Value
Is defined as the relative lightness or darkness, which suggests the depth or volume of a particular object or area, it is the degree of light and dark in a design, the contrast between black and white and all the tones in between.
Texture
Texture is the surface quality (simulated and/or actual) that can be seen and felt, can be rough or smooth, soft or hard, etc. It exists as a surface we can feel, but also as a surface we can see and imagine the sensation we might have if we touch it, is both a tactile and a visual phenomenon.
Space
Is the area between and around objects (negative space) but it also refers to variations in the perspective and proportions of objects, lines or shapes and it is used for the comparative relation between different objects or areas. The real space is three dimensional, but in Design when we create the feeling of depth we call it space.
