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Chapter 3Design Elements and Design principles

Design elements:

Colour Form Line Point Shape Texture Tone Type

Design principles:

Balance Contrast Cropping Hierarchy Figure-ground Pattern Proportion Scale

Need an awareness of the emotional power of design elements

Colour

Powerful design element, most dominant and influential of all the design elements Holds extraordinary communicative power Attracts us, warns us, calms and soothes us Stimulates our emotions and senses Can elicit strong subconscious responses from the audience (influential and

persuasive effect)

Can be symbolic, e.g. red means stop, green means go in traffic When the use of colour challenges out understanding of its meaning, the message

can be confusing

To fully utilise the symbolic and communicative power of colour, designers need tounderstand its significance in many contexts, e.g. cultural when designing for a

specific audience or market (Need an awareness of cultural sensitivities of colour)

The choice of colour can be influenced by many factors, e.g. cultural Can influence our moods and behaviour Three primary colourscannot be mixed or formed by any combination of other

colours (red, blue and yellow)

Secondary colourscolours created through mixing primary colours (green, orange,purple)

Tertiary colourscolours derived from mixing secondary colours with tertiarycolours

Hues of coloursmodified through the addition of black or white

Harmonious/analogous colourscolours that appear side by side on the colourwheel

Often used to create subtle variations in a composition Contrasting/complementary colourscolours that are opposite and separated by

colours on the colour wheel

They colours often used together to create contrast. They can often createdeliberate tension in a composition which might be required to emphasise or create

a sense of dynamic visual force

Colours that are direct opposites on the colour wheel are used together to createthe strongest contrast and draw the readers attention to key information within the

composition

Colours can be described as either warm or cool (use of warm or cool colours candescribe the feel of the subject)

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Other describing words: bold, eye-catching, vibrant, dominant, dynamic, calming,emotive, subtle, subdued

Colours can be used in interior design to stimulate or sedate (pink can have acalming effect)

Vibrant colours such as yellow and green in classrooms are designed to stimulatelearning and creativity

Colour production: screen colour and print colour use different systems and tointerchange from one form to another can cause colour change

Form

Generally refers to objects that are three-dimensional in nature Often depicted visually through the application of other elements such as shape and

line

Form can be rendered to enhances its three-dimensional qualities The addition of shadows and highlights can help us identify the true form of an

object

Forms are infinitely variedrange from the geometric and constructed to theorganic forms of the natural world

The representations of these forms are similarly varied - can range form theprecision of an isometric engineering drawing to a loose and flowing charcoal life

drawing

Many variables impact on the design of new forms, e.g. ergonomics, theenvironment, structural constraints and fashion/trends

Designers who work with the constructed environment are especially aware of theversatility of form

Deceptively simple, functional objects such have chairs have evolved over the pastcentury into a product that has challenged our ideas (and perceptions) about form

Ergonomicsthe study of human factors in design, including the functions,limitations and needs of the human body in relation to product design

In product design, designers often work with ergonomists to take into account thephysical, organisational and psychological effects on the user

The phrase form follows function suggests that the pure functionality of a designproduct is more important than aesthetic considerations

Form can be used to define space, to create contrast or as a model or prototype Form can beo Three-dimensionalo Organico Geometrico Dominanto Subtleo Tactileo Solido Fluid

o Gracefulo Irregularo Texturedo Naturalo Manufacturedo Modelledo Sculpted

Line