5 Powerful Design Elements

5 POWERFUL DESIGN ELEMENTS

Proportion & Scale

PROPORTION & SCALE

Proportion & scale allow the

viewer to visually relate to a
model on an intuitive level

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Relatively sized objects in a

scene give you a general
sense of scale & proportion

EXAMPLE

A human next to a truck will

immediately tell you how big
the truck truly is

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 5 POWERFUL DESIGN ELEMENTS

BLOCKOUTS
BLOCKOUTS

Blockouts allow you to

define a general form which
can later be built upon

HOW DO I USE THEM?

You can start with a simple

shape to define the form, and
consistently build upon that
form to add more detail

EXAMPLE

In the robots to the right, we

start with a very simple body
blockout, and slowly add
detail to the model in stages

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 5 POWERFUL DESIGN ELEMENTS

30/70
THE 30/70 PRINCIPLE

In simple terms:
- 30% detail
- 70% negative space

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Use empty space as a path

that leads to and from one
area of interest to another

EXAMPLE

This method applies to

placement of details,
texturing, colors, and general
composition

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 5 POWERFUL DESIGN ELEMENTS

ECHOING
ECHOING

Detailing echoing creates

a consistent visual
aesthetic in your model

HOW DO I USE IT?

You can look for a powerful,

dominant shape or detail in
your model and reuse that
shape in an altered state

EXAMPLE
Angle Echoing
You could maintain 45-degree
angled lines across your
model, as shown in the image
to the right

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 5 POWERFUL DESIGN ELEMENTS

Colors
COLORS

Colors can help emphasize

the 30/70 rule. They can
also provide a nice contrast
between elements

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Colors can be used as visual

anchors (especially warm
colors). Use them with caution.

EXAMPLE

In the example to the right, the

dark tones define empty
space and the lighter areas
bring out areas of visual
interest to the viewer

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 5 POWERFUL DESIGN ELEMENTS

Thank You
We appreciate your support! If you would like
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check out our Design Course.

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