The difference between design and art has been an age-old discussion. Art provokes thought and emotion. Creating art starts with a blank canvas, and is often coupled with a specific point of view, opinion, or feeling.
Design is form meets function. Design, on the other hand, is a means of problem-solving through visual communication. The fundamental purpose is to communicate a message and motivate the viewer to act. One requirement for good design is that the viewer understands the objective.
Good art inspires, while good design motivates.
While art can be interpreted, good design is understood. Design is not subjective because specific elements and principles enable us to communicate messages clearly through design. Designers employ a methodical, data-driven process for a specific objective.
Each design is made up of elements; think of them as ingredients. The following design elements enable us to communicate our message:
Line
A line is a form with width and length but no depth. There are various types of lines, from straight to squiggly to curved. Lines can be used to stress a word or phrase, connect content, create patterns, and more.
Shape
Height + width = shape.
There are three basic types of shape: geometric (triangles), natural (leaves), and abstracted (icons). Odd or lesser seen shapes can be used to attract attention.
Colour
Colour is used to generate emotions, define importance, create visual interest, and more.
Texture
Texture refers to the surface of an object; the look or feel of it. Using texture in design is a great way to add depth and visual interest.
Mass
Mass is how large or small something is. Use mass to define important, create visual interest, attract attention, and more.
Space
Space is the area around or between elements in a design. It can be used to separate or group information. Give eyes rest.
Design principles are what we apply to each design element; think of it as the recipe. How we use each principle determines how successful the design is. Although there is no official number of design principles, we decided to focus on these five:
Alignment
Aligning elements allows us create order and organization. How you align elements in your design creates a distinct visual connection to other elements.
Different Types Of Alignment:
Edge
Center
Text Alignment
Centre Alignment
Left Alignment
Right Alignment
Justified Alignment
Remember: every time you stretch a font somewhere, a designer cries.
Balance
Balance can be described as the weight distributed in the design by the placement of each element. Balance adds stability and structure to a design.
Different types of balance:
Symmetrical
Asymmetrical
Contrast
Contrast is the juxtaposition of opposing elements. Contrast allows us to emphasize or highlight key elements in a design. Without it, designs can seem uninteresting and not clear about where the focus is.
Different types of contrast:
Orientation
Value/Shade
Size
Weight
Shape
Proximity
Proximity
Proximity is the process of ensuring related design elements are grouped together. Close proximity gives structure and organization to a layout by connecting related items. It provides a focal point.
Repetition
Repetition strengths a design by tying individual elements together. It helps create consistency and association with the viewer. Repetition can also create a feeling of organized movement, or a rhythm.
Recap
Consider these different graphic design elements and principles in your next composition. Design isn't subjective because it uses these specific rules to enable us to communicate messages for a specific objective.
Can you identify Key Design Elements and Principles in a logo?
In groups of 2 you will create a Google Slide presentation.
Research different company logos and find 4 logos for each design principle.
Alignment
Balance
Contrast
Proximity
Repetition
Finally choose 1 logo and break down the Elements of it.
*Put the logo on slide 7 and describe whether it uses any design elements
Line
Shape
Colour
Texture
Mass
Space
*FORMAT - 7 Slides in total - 1 TITLE, 2-6 PRINCIPLE SLIDES, 7 ELEMENTS
Submit this in Google Classroom
Element and Principles Recap
Contrast, Alignment, Repetition,Proximity
Most designers will use these in a different order, but we are in school…..
Use the CARP rules to evaluate the layout and design of web pages, title pages, information pages. All four: http://www.presentationzen.com/chapter6_spread.pdf
http://maddisondesigns.com/2009/03/the-5-basic-principles-of-design
Contrast article: http://www.sitepoint.com/principles-of-design-contrast
Proximity: http://www.sitepoint.com/principles-of-design-proximity
Alignment: http://www.printwand.com/blog/basic-alignment-principles-in-graphic-design-with-examples
Repetition: http://visscom.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/principle-of-repetition-pattern
Colour is an interesting element of graphic design because it can be applied to any other element, changing it dramatically. It can be used to make an image stand out, to show linked text on a website, and to evoke emotion.
Graphic designers should combine their experience with color with an understanding of color theory.
An extremely important aspect of Graphic Design is color. In the world of art, color is of monumental importance. Believe it or not, some people make their entire careers around color. There are actually professionals called ‘color specialists,’ that are hired to come in and consult around the concept of color for certain projects.
Having said this, you will all be getting a pretty brief introduction to some basic terminology and concepts. The purpose and the importance of this information is in the way that we speak about our work, as well as how to combine colors in a deliberate and concise manner. For example, when you are speaking about your designs, you should be able to describe your color choices as ‘less saturated, or darker values,’ rather than just lighter or darker.
In reference to combining colors, we should all be completely aware of how colors interact with each other, rather than what you just think ‘looks cool together.’ Below we have terminology paired with a graphic illustration. These resources are instrumental in your coming projects, so you need to be very familiar with it.
Hue
Colour and hue are synonymous and can be used interchangeably.
Red, yellow and blue are the primary colours.
Green, orange and violet are the secondary colours.
Tertiary colours are a mixture of two secondary colours.
Value
The lightness or darkness of a colour is called its value.
Lightened values are tints, darkened values are shades and medium value colours are described as midtones.
The perception of a colour is affected greatly by its value or saturation; in planning a colour combination, value and saturation are as important as the hue. For example, in the red family, a darkened value of burgundy gives more power than a lighter value of rose pink. A vividly saturated turquoise is more exciting than a pale grayed aqua.
Saturation
The lightness or darkness of a colour is called its value.
Lightened values are tints, darkened values are shades and medium value colours are described as midtones.
The perception of a colour is affected greatly by its value or saturation; in planning a colour combination, value and saturation are as important as the hue. For example, in the red family, a darkened value of burgundy gives more power than a lighter value of rose pink. A vividly saturated turquoise is more exciting than a pale grayed aqua.
Monochromatics
The use of one colour family in various values or intensities is called a monochromatic colour scheme.
Complementary
Complementary colours means just that—they are total opposites on the colour wheel that enhance each other when used as a pair; they “complete” each other. These colours are red & green, yellow & violet and blue & orange.
The red family will appear even more red when contrasted with green, it will make it pop out, as will orange with blue or yellow with purple. They balance each other as they are opposites, & one hue is always warm and the other will always be cool.
Analogous
Analogous colours are neighboring families on the colour wheel.
If the combination spans only one-fourht of the colour wheel, they are always harmonious as they share the same undertones, for example: blue, blue-green and green.