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Basics of Design
The four main things to consider when designing are...
Proximity - The property of being close together.
Alignment - Arrangement or position in a straight
line or in parallel lines.
Repetition - The act or process or an instance of
repeating or being repeated.
Contrast- To set in opposition in order to show or
emphasize differences. Use with Size, Weight, Structure, Form, Direction,
Color.
Process
Start with your focal point.
Group your information.
Create & maintain strong alignment.
Create a repetition.
Have strong contrasts or concordance (agreement).
Principles of Design
The principles of design are applicable to all design disciplines
including - but not exclusive to - architecture, art, graphics, fashion,
industrial design, and web design. The principles of design are tools
used to format the elements of design (listed below).
Balance - The elements of design converge to create a design
or arrangement of parts that appear to be a whole with equilibrium.
Contrast - The "automatic principle." Whenever
an element is placed within a format, contrast is created in the various
elements. Can be emphasized with contrast in size, shape, color, texture,
Offers variety within a visual format.
Direction - Utilizing movement to create the visual illusion
of displacement.
Economy - An principle operating on the "slim."
Especially important when dealing with clients, where their product
or service is more important than the elaboration of design elements.
Can
also be considered "precise," or "simplistic."
Or, it can be considered great design.
Emphasis - Also known as dominance. This condition exists
when an element or elements within a visual format contain a hierarchy
of visual importance.
Proportion - A two- or three-dimensional element defined
by other elements of design.
Rhythm - A recurrence or repetition of one or more elements
within a visual format, creating harmony.
Unity - "Oneness" and "Harmony." The
condition of completeness with the use of all visual elements within
a format.
Elements of Design
The elements of design create every object around us. Nothing can
exist without these ingredients. The discipline of learning the power
of these elements and formatting them within the principles of design
is the responsibility of the designer.
Color - typically known as hue. This word represents a specific
color or light wavelength found in the color spectrum, ranging circularly
from red to yellow, green, blue and back to red.
Line - is a line just a series of points? Or is it the best
way to get from point "A" to point "B"? As a geometric
conception, a line is a point in motion, with only one dimension -
length. Line
has both a position and a direction in space. The variables of line
are: size, shape, position, direction, number, interval and density.
Points create lines, lines create shapes or planes and
volume.
Mass - Here, mass is interchangeable with volume. A mass
is a solid body or a grouping of visual elements (line, color, texture,
etc.) that compose a solid form. Volume is a
three-dimensional form comprising length, width, and depth. Three-dimensional
forms contain points (vertices), lines (edges), and planes (surfaces).
A mass is the two-dimensional
appearance of a three-dimensional form.
Movement - Also known as motion. This element portrays the
act or process of changing place or direction, orientation, and/or
position through the visual illustration of starting or stopping
points, blurring of action, etc. This is not animation, although animation
is an end product of movement, as well as other elements of design.
Space - A two- or three-dimensional element defined by other
elements of design.
Texture - A technique used in two-dimensional design to replicate
three-dimensional surfaces through various drawing and media techniques.
On three-dimensional surfaces, it is experienced by touch or by visual
experience.
Type - Also known as typography, and it is considered an
element in graphic design. Although it consists of elements of design,
it is - in itself - often an element in the form of visual communication.
Value - Another word for the lightness or darkness of an
area. Brightness measured in relationship to a graded scale from white
to black.
Writing Exercise
Write about your favorite site. What do you like about it? Is it the
functions of the site, what it does? Or is it the design of the site,
the pictures, the colors? Or is it both?
Sites for our review.
Additional resources
Webmonkey
Design Basics
Color Basics
from Webwhirlers
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