Elements and Principles of Design

Elements and Principles of Design

• Fundamentals of design are essential in all visual mediums.
• Basic design elements include line, shape, form, texture, and balance.

Line

• Connects two or more points and can vary in appearance.
• Used in drawings, illustrations, textures, patterns, and backgrounds.
• Functional for organization, emphasis, or decoration.
• Qualities like weight, color, texture, and style impact design perception.

Shape

• A two-dimensional area with a recognizable boundary.
• Categories include geometric/regular and organic/free form.
• Shapes give images weight and make them recognizable.
• Used to organize content, create illustrations, or add interest.

Form

• 3D shapes create sculptures, architecture, and other three-dimensional objects.
• Depth can be implied through illustration with light, shadow, and perspective.
• Form makes realism possible in 2D design through highlights and shading.
• Simple shadows can create the illusion of layers or sense of place.

Texture

• Physical quality of a surface that gives depth and tactility to images.
• Can be part of a 3D object or implied through illustration.
• Can make objects appear smooth, rough, hard, or soft.
• Textures can be used to add interest to backgrounds.

Balance

• Equal distribution of visual weight affected by color, size, number, and negative space.
• Symmetrical designs are similar on both sides of an axis.
• Asymmetrical designs distribute weight unevenly, but maintain balance by calling attention to key elements.

Rule of Thirds

• Divides work area into a 3x3 grid.
• Focal point is placed on or near grid lines for visual balance.
• Human eye is naturally drawn to follow this pattern when scanning a design.

Putting it all Together

• Fundamentals of design are about appreciating the many small details that make up every composition.

Power of Color

• Color plays a vital role in design and everyday life.
• Draws attention, triggers emotions, and communicates without words.

Color Basics

• Primary colors: red, yellow, blue
• Secondary colors: orange, green, purple (made by mixing two primary colors)
• Color wheel: formed by mixing primary and secondary colors

A Closer Look at Color

• Hue: also another word for color
• Saturation: intensity of color (more vibrant vs. more subtle)
• Value: how dark or light a color is (ranging from black to white)

Creating Color Schemes

• Color harmony uses the color wheel to create time-tested combinations:

Monochromatic

• Uses only one color or hue with variations in saturation and value. It guarantees to match

Analogous

• Uses colors next to each other on the wheel, like reds and oranges. Create your own unique interpretation

Complementary

• Uses colors opposite each other on the wheel, like blue and orange. Add variety with lighter, darker, or desaturated tones

Split-Complementary

• Uses a color and the two colors on either side of its complement. Potentially more interesting results

Triadic

• Uses three evenly spaced colors, forming a triangle. Combinations can be striking when they include primary or secondary colors

Tetradic

• Forms a rectangle on the wheel with two complementary color pairs. It is best to let one color dominate while the others serve as an accent

Avoiding Common Mistakes

• Avoid colors that seem to vibrate when placed next to each other, Tone it down-literally

Readability and Colors

• Colors should be legible and easy on the eyes, especially when working with text
• Neutral colors like black, white, and gray can help balance design

Choosing the Right Colors

• Each color sends a message. Consider the "tone" of the project
• Bright colors have a modern vibe and desaturated colors appear more serious

Finding Inspiration

• Find ideas for color schemes in advertising, branding, and famous art + browse web resources

What is Composition?

• Layout and composition are the building blocks of design from the margins to the content

Five Basic Principles of Composition

• Proximity, white space, alignment, contrast, repetition

Proximity

• Use visual space to show relationships. Related items grouped together

White Space

• Negative space like spaces between content, lines, and margins. Helps define sections and gives content room to breathe

Alignment

• All the time, even if you don’t realize it. Trick is to be consistent

Contrast

• One item is different from another. Used to create emphasis or call attention to an item

Hierarchy

• Visual technique to help the viewer navigate work. Shows where to begin and go next using different levels of emphasis

Repetition

• Reinforce design by repeating certain elements. Be consistent and make it easier to read

Typography

• The style or appearance of text/ the art of working with text

Common types of Fonts

• Serif, Sans Serif, Display

Serif Fonts

• Have little strokes called serifs
• Classic look, traditional projects (magazines and newspapers)

Sans Serif Fonts

• Doesn’t have extra strokes
• Clean and modern + easier to read on computers.

Display Fonts

• Script, blackletter, all caps
• Best for small amounts of text (titles and headers)

Other Important Terms

• Kerning, leading, tracking, and hierarchy

Hierarchy

• Used to guide the reader's eye to whatever is most important using different levels of emphasis

Leading (rhymes with wedding)

• Space between lines of text, also known as line spacing

Tracking

• Overall space between characters, sometimes called character spacing

Kerning

• Space between specific characters

Stock Images

• Photos that are perfect when you need something specific

Stock Image Usage

• Almost every stock image has a license that states how it can be used. Make sure you understand the license

Photo Quality

• Look for high-quality images that are sharp, clear, and free of distortion. In general, bigger is better

Raster vs. Vector

• The word for this type of image is raster vs vector

Editing images

• Cropping can be used to change the size, shape, or focus of an image vs other adjustments like cosmetic edits

Photography

• Photography is the process of recording visual images by capturing light rays on a light-sensitive recording

Technical and Creative Photography

• Technical: The science of setting up the camera and the recording medium to take images in a controlled way
• Creative: The art of composing good images to capture

Learn the functions of your camera

• Specifically the manual settings, take lots of test photos

The Exposure Triangle

• Switching the camera mode dial from auto to any non-auto mode is a nice start

ISO

• ISO refers to the sensitivity of the camera. A high ISO means there's more sensitivity

Shutter Speed

• This exposure triangle concept is simply the amount of exposure time (measured in seconds) that the camera's shutter is open

Aperture

• This exposure triangle concept refers to how large or small the opening is thru the lens

How This Works

• The easiest way photographers think of how all three exposure triangle elements work together is to keep one of the three exposure triangle components constant

Photographic composition

• The term composition refers to the content of a photograph; specifically, the way everything in the photo is laid out.

Basic Composition Principles

• Rule of thirds, simplify the background, framing a scene, keep it simple, use lines, contrast, close ups, alternative viewpoints

Composition- Subject

• Make sure you know exactly what it is you are photographing, have a clearly defined subject

Edges of the Frame

• If an object is not completely in shot, make sure it will still look okay.

Composition- Angles

• Many shots can be given added impact by simple changes in the camera view. The photo on the top right has quite a nice composition, but the effect is much more dramatic when the camera is rolled to the right

Using Lines in Photographic Composition

• Have horizontal, diagonal, curved lines etc for strength to images

Types of Photography

• Aerial, Structural or architectural, candid and fashion photography etc