THE ELEMENTS &
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
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THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
The fundamental items that make up a composition.These
are forms and figures that are used to articulate space.
COMPOSITION
the artistic arrangement of the parts of a picture
POINT, LINE & PLANE
SHAPE
VALUE
TEXTURE
COLOR
POINT
LINE
LINE
is the path of a moving point.
OBLIQUE LINES
diagonal lines, neither vertical
or horizontal, create dynamism
and movement in a composition.
DOG
PLANE
The path of a moving line or a flat surface extending in
height and width.
• Can be flat or skewed, or recede into space.
SHAPE
A plane with edges
A shape can be organic or geometric.
ORGANIC
curvy or freeform, corresponding with
shapes in nature
GEOMETRIC
an angular or hard edged shape with
regular mathemetical measurements
on all sides
VALUE
• The relative lightness or darkness of an object.
• Differences in value can make an object more
visible/readable or less.
• Value can indicate importance or emphasis.
• Your eye goes to darker objects on a light surface.
TEXTURE
Texture is defined as the surface characteristics
of a material that can be experienced through
the sense of touch or the illusion of touch.
ACTUAL TEXTURE
when the surface of an object is actually raised.
i.e. the leather texture of a book jacket
IMPLIED TEXTURE
when visual elements are used to suggest the
illusion of texture (this is more frequently used in
digital design)
VIRTUAL TEXTURE
includes photographs of real textures. The sur-
face is not actually raised, but is a realistic rep-
resentation of a raised surface.
IMPLIED TEXTURE
COLOR
PRIMARY COLORS: blue, red, yellow
SECONDARY COLORS: created by mixing any two primary
colors– Primary Colors: blue, red, yellow
SECONDARY COLORS: created by mixing any two primary
colors– orange, green, and purple
TERTIARY COLORS: created by mixing a secondary color
and a primary color i.e. red + orange = red orange
In digital design we talk about two types of digital color:
RGB
CMYK
COLOR WHEEL
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THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
BALANCE
SCALE
EMPHASIS
HIERARCHY
RHYTHM
MOVEMENT
UNITY
THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
Principles for organizing the elements of design.
BALANCE
Visual balance is the state of objects in a
composition having equilibrium. It occurs when
the weight of one or more things is distributed
evenly or proportionately in space.
SYMMETRY
When a composition has the same weight of
elements on either side of a central axis. A
symmetrical composition will feel stable. Each
side is a mirror image or close to a mirror image.
If you folded a piece of paper in half, each half
would be similar.
BALANCE: SYMMETRY
Damien HirstDamien Hirst
Damien Hirst
Giotto, Cruxifiction, 1305
Jasper Johns
BALANCE: ASSYMETRY
When the two sides of a composition have different
weights but still maintain a sense of equilibrium. For
instance a small item on one side of the composition
may be balanced by a larger one on the other side.
However the composition still maintains a feeling
that one side has more weight than the other.
BALANCE:
ASYMMETRY
Kurt Schwitters, German painter
and designer, 1887-1948
Van Gogh, Starry Night
Edvard Munch, The Scream
BALANCE: RADIAL
Damien Hirst
SCALE
The size of an object,
particulary in relationship to
the composition or to other
elements on the page.
Emphasis and balance can
be acheived through by
experimenting with scale.
EMPHASIS
Also known as focal point. When one item draws your
attention more than others through the use of scale,
color, or balance.
MOVEMENT
The visual properties of a compositional
element that provide the illusion of movement.
• Items that are skewed or distorted can
suggest movement.
• The placement or repetition of items on a
page can also suggest movement.
MOVEMENT
MOVEMENT
Nude Descending a Staircase
by Marcel Duchamp
Gives the illusion of move-
ment through the repeated
figures and lines.
RHTHYM
A type of visual or actual movement in an artwork. It
is created by repeating visual elements in a regular
beat or order. Rhythms can be described as regular,
alternating, flowing, progressive, or jazzy.
A regular rhythm is a one-beat repetition – such as
one the same shape being repeated over and over
again. An alternating rhythm repeats a set of visual
elements, for example, a circle, a triangle, a circle, a
triangle, and so on.
Robert Delauney, French painter, 1885-1941
RHYTHM: PATTERN
Pattern is a type of rhythm.
This textile design by
Annie Albers creates a
rhythm through the
intricate repetition of shapes
and lines.
UNITY
Unity is the overall harmony
of a composition. Unity is
acheived when all elements of a
composition seem related and as
though they work together as a
team or when particular elements
are repeated throuought a work to
make it feel unified. The Scream
by Edvard Munch feels unified
because of the repetition of wavy,
organic lines.

Elements & Principles of Design

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    THE ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLESOF DESIGN //////////////////////////////////////////// ////////////////////////////////////////////
  • 2.
    THE ELEMENTS OFDESIGN The fundamental items that make up a composition.These are forms and figures that are used to articulate space. COMPOSITION the artistic arrangement of the parts of a picture POINT, LINE & PLANE SHAPE VALUE TEXTURE COLOR
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    LINE LINE is the pathof a moving point. OBLIQUE LINES diagonal lines, neither vertical or horizontal, create dynamism and movement in a composition. DOG
  • 5.
    PLANE The path ofa moving line or a flat surface extending in height and width. • Can be flat or skewed, or recede into space.
  • 6.
    SHAPE A plane withedges A shape can be organic or geometric. ORGANIC curvy or freeform, corresponding with shapes in nature GEOMETRIC an angular or hard edged shape with regular mathemetical measurements on all sides
  • 7.
    VALUE • The relativelightness or darkness of an object. • Differences in value can make an object more visible/readable or less. • Value can indicate importance or emphasis. • Your eye goes to darker objects on a light surface.
  • 8.
    TEXTURE Texture is definedas the surface characteristics of a material that can be experienced through the sense of touch or the illusion of touch. ACTUAL TEXTURE when the surface of an object is actually raised. i.e. the leather texture of a book jacket IMPLIED TEXTURE when visual elements are used to suggest the illusion of texture (this is more frequently used in digital design) VIRTUAL TEXTURE includes photographs of real textures. The sur- face is not actually raised, but is a realistic rep- resentation of a raised surface.
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    COLOR PRIMARY COLORS: blue,red, yellow SECONDARY COLORS: created by mixing any two primary colors– Primary Colors: blue, red, yellow SECONDARY COLORS: created by mixing any two primary colors– orange, green, and purple TERTIARY COLORS: created by mixing a secondary color and a primary color i.e. red + orange = red orange In digital design we talk about two types of digital color: RGB CMYK
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    THE PRINCIPLES OFDESIGN BALANCE SCALE EMPHASIS HIERARCHY RHYTHM MOVEMENT UNITY THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN Principles for organizing the elements of design.
  • 13.
    BALANCE Visual balance isthe state of objects in a composition having equilibrium. It occurs when the weight of one or more things is distributed evenly or proportionately in space.
  • 14.
    SYMMETRY When a compositionhas the same weight of elements on either side of a central axis. A symmetrical composition will feel stable. Each side is a mirror image or close to a mirror image. If you folded a piece of paper in half, each half would be similar.
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  • 20.
    BALANCE: ASSYMETRY When thetwo sides of a composition have different weights but still maintain a sense of equilibrium. For instance a small item on one side of the composition may be balanced by a larger one on the other side. However the composition still maintains a feeling that one side has more weight than the other.
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    Kurt Schwitters, Germanpainter and designer, 1887-1948
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  • 27.
    SCALE The size ofan object, particulary in relationship to the composition or to other elements on the page. Emphasis and balance can be acheived through by experimenting with scale.
  • 28.
    EMPHASIS Also known asfocal point. When one item draws your attention more than others through the use of scale, color, or balance.
  • 29.
    MOVEMENT The visual propertiesof a compositional element that provide the illusion of movement. • Items that are skewed or distorted can suggest movement. • The placement or repetition of items on a page can also suggest movement.
  • 30.
  • 31.
    MOVEMENT Nude Descending aStaircase by Marcel Duchamp Gives the illusion of move- ment through the repeated figures and lines.
  • 32.
    RHTHYM A type ofvisual or actual movement in an artwork. It is created by repeating visual elements in a regular beat or order. Rhythms can be described as regular, alternating, flowing, progressive, or jazzy. A regular rhythm is a one-beat repetition – such as one the same shape being repeated over and over again. An alternating rhythm repeats a set of visual elements, for example, a circle, a triangle, a circle, a triangle, and so on.
  • 33.
    Robert Delauney, Frenchpainter, 1885-1941
  • 34.
    RHYTHM: PATTERN Pattern isa type of rhythm. This textile design by Annie Albers creates a rhythm through the intricate repetition of shapes and lines.
  • 35.
    UNITY Unity is theoverall harmony of a composition. Unity is acheived when all elements of a composition seem related and as though they work together as a team or when particular elements are repeated throuought a work to make it feel unified. The Scream by Edvard Munch feels unified because of the repetition of wavy, organic lines.