Visual design is about creating and making the general 

aesthetics  of a product consistent.

Architecture Design is the process and the product of planning, designing, constructing and devising
buildings and other physical structures for public good.

Good Architectural Designs tend to be identified as timeless artifacts, durable and reliable by the
population and they shall be equally easier to maintain. 

Why you should understand the core design elements

A well-rounded designer has a solid fundamental understanding of which elements to use and when.
It also gives you the ability to evaluate and deconstruct other designs; looking at a design from its
basic, raw elements can help you understand why a designer made certain decisions in their work.

Design elements have an impact on how a piece of work is perceived, executed, and used—and are
present in design regardless of skill, taste, or style.

“In order to understand the aesthetic in its ultimate and approved forms, one must begin with it in the
raw; in the events and scenes that hold the eye and ear.” John Dewey

Elements of Design

The elements of design create every object around us. Nothing can exist without these ingredients.
The discipline of learning the power of these elements and formatting them within the principles of
design is the responsibility of the designer.

Color - typically known as hue. This word represents a specific color or light wavelength found in the
color spectrum, ranging circularly from red to yellow, green, blue and back to red.

Line - is a line just a series of points? Or is it the best way to get from point "A" to point "B"? As a
geometric conception, a line is a point in motion, with only one dimension - length. Line has both a
position and a direction in space. The variables of line are: size, shape, position, direction, number,
interval and density. Points create lines, lines create shapes or planes and volume.

Mass - Here, mass is interchangeable with volume. A mass is a solid body or a grouping of visual
elements (line, color, texture, etc.) that compose a solid form. Volume is a three-dimensional form
comprising length, width, and depth. Three-dimensional forms contain points (vertices), lines (edges),
and planes (surfaces). A mass is the two-dimensional appearance of a three-dimensional form.

Movement - Also known as motion. This element portrays the act or process of changing place or
direction, orientation, and/or position through the visual illustration of starting or stopping points,
blurring of action, etc. This is not animation, although animation is an end product of movement, as well
as other elements of design.

Space - A two- or three-dimensional element defined by other elements of design.

Texture - A technique used in two-dimensional design to replicate three-dimensional surfaces through

various drawing and media techniques. On three-dimensional surfaces, it is experienced by touch or by
visual experience.

Type - Also known as typography, and it is considered an element in graphic design. Although it consists
of elements of design, it is - in itself - often an element in the form of visual communication.

Value - Another word for the lightness or darkness of an area. Brightness measured in relationship to a
graded scale from white to black.

Light value vs. dark value: value describes lightness and darkness.

A design with a high contrast of values (i.e., one which makes use of light and dark values) creates a
sense of clarity, while a design with similar values creates a sense of subtlety. We can also use value to
simulate volume in 2D, for instance, by using lighter values where the light hits the object and darker
values for shadows.

shape

All objects are composed of shapes, and all elements of design are shapes in some way. Shapes can
live in a form. An example would be a button on a website: It’s a shape that’s living inside the
computer (which is the form).

A shape is a two- or three-dimensional object that stands out from the space next to it because of a
defined or implied boundary. A shape can live in different areas in space, and have other elements like
line, color, texture, or movement. Like forms, shapes come in two different types: geometric and
organic.

Geometric shapes can be drawn using a ruler, compass, or digital instrument. They feel very precise,
like an architecture rendering. They’re created in CAD or by hand, and are controlled and orderly.
Organic shapes are found in nature or drawn by hand. They’re the opposite of geometric, and often
feel natural or smooth. That’s not to say that because they’re natural, they’re less complex. Think of
the grain on a stump of wood: It’s complex, but not geometrically precise.

With the advent of computer-aided design, the definition of “hand drawn” has blurred. But as long as
they’re performed free hand, organic shapes can be created with a mouse, digital pen, or tablet.

line

Often the starting point for all artistic expression, the line is one of the most essential elements of
design. It always has more length than thickness, and can be unbroken, broken, or implied. A line can
be vertical, diagonal, horizontal, and even curved. It can be any width, size, shape, position, direction,
interval, or density.

Points create lines and lines create shapes. A line can have other elements like color, texture, and
movement applied to it. Though basic in appearance, lines can control the viewer’s thoughts and
emotions, and lead a viewer’s eye through space.

In digital design, the line is commonly used to contain or break areas apart visually. For example, a
navigation bar could have a line to divide itself from the content.

Texture is the way a surface feels, or the way it’s perceived to feel. It has the power to attract or
detract a viewer’s eyes, and can be applied to lines, shapes, and forms.

There are two types of texture: tactile and visual. Tactile textures are three-dimensional and can be
touched. The easiest example is tree bark. When you touch bark, you can feel all the bumps and
ridges, the roughness and smoothness. A photo of the same bark would be a visual texture. You can
see it, not feel it.

In digital design, there are currently no touch screens that emulate tactile textures—yet. So we stick
to visual textures.

Color is one of the hardest elements to harness, and probably one of the most challenging to
understand. The basics, however, are relatively easy.
Color can help the organization of a design, and give emphasis to specific areas or actions. Like other
elements, it has a few different properties: hue, saturation, and lightness. Unlike other elements, it
does not always have to be used. A design can have the absence of color (yes, black and white are still
colors, but you get the point). Color can be used sparingly or in a rainbow of hues, but tends to work
best when there’s both a dominant color and a supporting color.

Hue typically references a wavelength of light in the color spectrum, which is blended from the
primary colors of red, green, and blue (commonly referred to as RGB). A specific hue can have a
vibrant or dull saturation. Cyan, baby blue, navy blue, and royal blue are blue hues that are more or
less intense. A color can also be on the light or dark end of the spectrum.

It’s important to note that while color is global, different cultures have different connotations for
colors. For example, in some cultures, white is associated with purity; in others, it’s associated with
death.

Every shape or form has a place in space. As an element of design, space refers to the area around,
above, below, or behind an object.

Objects in space can occur in both two and three dimensions. In a two-dimensional setting, space is
about creating the illusion of a third dimension on a flat surface. Shadows, shading, overlap, and sizing
can help define an object’s place in space. For example, a button could have a shadow that makes it
feel like it’s closer to the user.

Space, like color, is an element that does not have to be used. But when it is, it’s a powerful way to
add emphasis.

A proposed seventh element in the age of digital design is movement.

In classical or more static design methods, movement can be implied, but objects cannot move.
Movement can be applied to lines, shapes, forms, and textures, and can even move objects in space.
This is particularly useful because it allows your forms or shapes to take on a personality or tell a
story. An example in a static medium is a cartoon where an artist has created the perception of
movement with action lines or blurred areas. Movement can also be applied to physical experiences
where users interact with their space.
Movement has grown popular in apps and interfaces because it allows designers to create a timeline
or sequence of events to mask transitions or loading screens. If a user taps on a button, the button
can animate off the canvas and the next page can slide into view. This allows the designer to keep a
user engaged through animations and/or give them feedback when they’ve interacted with a specific
part of the interface.