Basic Design Elements and Principles:

ELEMENTS of Design
Line,
Shape,
Texture,
Color,
space,
Form
 Basic elements of design
• In order to understand and appreciate design, you must
understand design language
• The elements of design are the fundamental building
blocks of any composition.
– These pieces work together to form a unified
composition, and when utilized successfully, create a
strong, dynamic visual layout.
• The designer uses these elements as tools that control
how a message is delivered to an audience.
Elements of Design
Line
• As a point moves, its path becomes a line.
– A line has length but no breadth.
– It has position and direction.
– It forms the border of a plane.
Characteristics of line include:
– Width - thick, thin, tapering, uneven
– Length - long, short, continuous, broken
– Direction - horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curving,
perpendicular, oblique, parallel, radial, zig-zag
– Focus - sharp, blurry, fuzzy, choppy
– Feeling - sharp, jagged, graceful, smooth ...
 Lines can have many qualities:

They can be: curved or straight

Vertical horizontal diagonal

Thick or thin smooth or rough

Light or dark and continuous or broken

 Line
Everywhere you look, you see lines.

In nature you can

see lines in tree
branches:

In a curving river:

Or in a spiders web
 The manufactured world provides examples too

Lines formed by wires:

Edges of buildings:

And winding roads

Line
• Straight lines suggest
directness or clarity while
• curving lines imply gentleness
or movement.
• Vertical lines express strength •
• Horizontal lines convey
calmness and tranquility.
• Diagonal lines convey action
and energy—think of a
lightening bolt or a falling tree.
• Very thick lines appear strong
• Thin line appears weak or
delicate.
• Smooth lines imply softness
Fuzzy lines imply harder
surfaces.
• Repeated lines can create
patterns, textures and even
rhythms.
Space

• Space is the area provided for a particular purpose.

• It refers to the area that a shape or form occupies.
• It may have two dimensions (length and width) such as a floor,
or it may have three dimensions (length, width, and height),
such as a room or dwelling.
Space
types
• Space can be defined as
positive or negative.
– Positive space is the filled
space, the object(s) or
element(s) in the design.
– Negative space is the empty
space, or the open space
between design elements or
objects, such as a
background.
Space
• Designers can create the
illusion of physical space and
spatial relationships through:
– Linear Perspective
– Size & Vertical Location
– Overlapping
– Detail (Aerial or Atmospheric
Perspective)
• Objects with clear surface detail appear nearer to the viewer than fuzzy
or plain objects. Also, an illusion of space can be accomplished when
objects overlap or are placed higher on the picture plane.

Items farther away appear

less detailed or fuzzy

Objects farther away

are placed higher on
the picture plane

Overlapping gives the

illusion of space too.
 Shape
• Shape is a 2-dimensional object (it is flat).
• It has height and width but no depth.
• Any self-contained area with defined outline.
• Shapes can be created by enclosing line, or by
color and value changes which define edges.
Types of shapes
– Geometric Shapes are the shapes that can
be drawn using a ruler or compass. Create a
feeling of control or order.
– Organic Shapes are freehand drawn shapes
that are complex and normally found in
nature. Organic shapes produce a natural
feel.
Form
• A form is 3-Dimensional. It has
height, width AND depth.
• There are two types of form,
geometric (manmade) and natural
(organic form).
Texture.
• Texture refers to the surface characteristics
of a shape or object.
• The element of texture is defined as “the feel,
appearance, or consistency of a surface.”
• Texture is a surface’s tactile quality.
• Tactile refers to the perception of touch.
types
• Visual texture is a quality of the surface that
you can ‘see’, but not necessarily ‘felt’.
• Actual texture is a quality of the surface that
you can both ‘see’ and ‘feel’.
Texture may be :
• rough/smooth,
• wet/dry,
• hard/soft,
• shiny/matte (dull),
• slick/sticky,
• slippery/abrasive,
• coarse/porous ...
Color
• Color is a property of light.
– When we say an object is red, we mean that its
surface absorbs certain wavelengths of light that
we call red, we identify the object as red in color.
– If all wavelengths of light are absorbed, we
identify the color as black, if all wavelengths of
color are reflected, we see white.
• Color has 3 characteristics: hue, value and
intensity.
Color

• Show the full dimension of

perceived color relationship
– Hue: The colors of the spectrum or
color wheel
– Value: The relative lightness or
darkness of a color
– Intensity (or chroma): the relative
saturation of hue perceived in a color
Color

• Primary colors are hues from which all other colors can
be made: red, yellow, blue.
• Secondary colors are made from mixing equal parts of
the Primary colors: orange, green, violet.
• Tertiary colors are those colors between Primary and
Secondary colors: yellow-orange, red-orange, etc.
• Complementary colors are colors that are opposite
each other on the color wheel: red-green, orange-blue,
yellow-violet.
• Analogous colors are colors that are adjacent (side by
side) to each other on the color wheel.
• Monochromatic colors are variations in value of one
color by adding either white to make tints or black to
make shades
Color Temperatures

• Reds, Oranges and Yellows are hot

colors..
• Greens, Blues, and Violets are cool
colors..
– Cool colors tend to be calm and
restful. They recede into the distance
and make objects seem smaller.
Thank you!!!!