Elements and Principles

Design is all around us, from the advertisements we see to the magazines we read, and it plays a crucial role in how we communicate ideas effectively. When creating desktop publishing (DTP) items, such as posters, brochures, or digital graphics, understanding the elements and principles of design is essential. The elements, like line, colour, and shape, serve as the basic building blocks, while the principles, such as unity, dominance, and alignment, help organise and arrange these elements to capture attention and convey a clear message. By learning how to apply these tools effectively, you can create designs that are not only visually appealing but also purposeful and professional.

Content

Line

Shape

Design Elements

Design elements are generally considered visible graphic items on a DTP document. For example, the rectangular shape that encompasses a piece of text.
The SQA describes design elements as ‘individual and tangible graphic items that are visible”.

Line

A line is a mark that connects two points. Lines can be straight, curved, thick, or thin. Lines are used to guide the viewer's eye, separate sections, emphasise aspects, or create patterns. For example, lines in a poster can lead the eye to the main message.

Exam Techniques:

Highlight/Underline - Lines may be used to underline a text to emphasise it
Structure - Lines may be used to create structure in a design by separating items, for example, columns of text.
Movement - Wavy or horizontal lines may be used to encourage the reader to look across the page or to a specific area of the design
Contrast - Different lines, such as straight and wavy or thick and thin, can be used to create contrast and visual interest
Unity - Repetition of lines throughout a design can create unity.

Shape

Shapes are flat, enclosed areas such as circles, squares, or triangles. They can be simple or complex and are used to organise information or draw attention. For example, a circular logo might stand out more than a square one. Rectangular shapes create a more formal and sleek appearance, whereas circular or elliptical shapes can convey a sense of movement.

Exam Techniques:

Visual Interest - Shapes may be used to make a design more interesting to look at or to link to the theme
Copped Images - Images may be cropped to shape
Contrast - Various shapes can be combined, such as circles and rectangles, to produce contrast in a design
Unity - Shapes may be repeated throughout a design to create unity and enhance cohesiveness.

Depth

Depth enhances a design's three-dimensional quality, introducing realism or interest. Overlapping elements or incorporating shadows in a design can create the illusion of proximity for some parts while pushing others farther away.

Exam Techniques:

Layering - Layering elements ontop one another creates depth, giving the impression that items are stacked and moving towards you
Drop Shadow - Using a shadow creates the illusion that the product is resting on a surface, thereby making the element stand out
Scale - Scaling objects can make elements appear near or far, creating depth within a publication.

Design Principles

Design principles do not necessarily have to be visible on a desktop-published piece. These guide the arrangement of elements to create a visually appealing and functional design.
The SQA defines design principles as ‘effects created by the arrangement, placement or organisation of the collective work’.

Alignment

Alignment ensures everything lines up neatly. It also creates a clean, organised look by ensuring text and images are placed in relation to each other. Alignment helps improve the structure of the layout, making the page feel organised and easy to follow. You must align at least two aspects of the layout.

Exam Techniques:

Formal layout - Aligning headings with columns of text and/or aligning columns with images can create a well-organised layout and assist the reader in navigating the information on the page
Informal layout - Aligning elements informally can enhance visual interest and give the publication a modern appearance.

Contrast

Contrast is the difference between elements, like light and dark or big and small. It helps important information stand out, such as making a heading bold to grab attention.

Exam Techniques:

Colour - Using contrasting colours (those opposite each other on the colour wheel), dark versus light colours can create visual impact and highlight certain elements effectively
Typeface - Using Sans Serif and Serif in a single document can create contrast. The designer may also use italics versus standard text or capitalise a word
Line - Curved/wavy lines can be combined with straight lines, while vertical and horizontal lines may be used to create contrast
Shapes - Circular shapes will contrast with rectangular ones; cropped images can contrast with columns of text, and 2D drawings can contrast with 3D ones.

Dominance

Dominance makes one part of the design stand out as the most important. It could be a large image or text. The element must be bigger than everything else. The dominant part of the page will attract the reader's attention.

Exam Techniques:

Focal Point - By enlarging the primary aspect of the document compared to the rest, this creates a focal point that will draw the reader's attention
Grouping - Arranging other items on the page enhances the importance of the main element.

Unity

Unity makes sure all the parts of a design look like they belong together. Using the same colours, fonts, or styles creates a sense of harmony. This makes the publication easy to understand and follow. It also improves the appearance of the layout.

Exam Techniques:

Repetition - By repeating the same colours, fonts, line types, shapes, etc., you create a connection that makes the document appear cohesive
Proximity - By using text wrap or arranging certain elements in close proximity, you can achieve a sense of physical unity

Examples

The designer has aligned the items, numbers, and descriptions, giving the menu an organised appearance. They have used decorative lines to emphasise the heading, allowing it to stand out. The designer chose a playful font for the headings while using a serif font for the content, which creates contrast and highlights the headings.

The colour picker tool has been used on the bottle to copy the green colour across the poster, creating unity and ensuring a cohesive appearance. The same typeface has been employed throughout to create unity. However, they have applied a bold font to emphasise specific areas, such as the website.

The blender has been made the largest item on the page, creating dominance which captures the reader's attention. They have used text along a path to create visual interest. The shape has been used to emphasise the price.

The product name is aligned with the text below it to create an easy-to-follow layout. A line underlines 'New Product', drawing attention to it. A drop shadow on the guitar adds depth and makes it stand out against the background.

Red is used for the shape at the bottom and the word 'camp', as it contrasts with the blue, making those elements stand out. A line separates the heading from the list of workshops, resulting in a layout that is easier to understand. Both dotted and solid lines are used throughout the poster to create unity, making it cohesive. The website and telephone number are aligned with each other to enhance organisation and ease of navigation.

The orange and yellow colours are used to contrast with the blue. The price is shown in pink to contrast against the blue, making it catch the reader's attention. The circular shapes overlap each other, creating depth. Circular shapes connect to the theme of a car wash, resembling bubbles.

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