NUPUR AGRAWAL

ROLL NO - 33
B.ARCH 10TH SEM

Visual Design Elements

Five integral components used in the
creation of a design:
Line

Texture

Color

Value

Form and Shape

Line

Line is a moving dot.

Line
Types
Vertical Represents dignity, formality, stability, and
strength
Horizontal Represents calm, peace, and relaxation
Diagonal Represents action, activity, excitement, and
movement
Curved Represents freedom, the natural, having the
appearance of softness, and creates a soothing feeling
or mood

Vertical Lines

The Empire State

Building
Architect: Shreve, Lamb,
and Harmon

Brandenburg Gate
Berlin

Skyscraper
Madrid, Spain

Horizontal Lines

Community Christian Church

Kansas City, MO
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright, 1940

Diagonal Lines

Curved Lines

Sydney Opera House

Jorn Utzon

Color
Color has an immediate
and profound effect on a
design.
iStockphoto.com

Saint Basils Cathedral

Moscow

Color

Color is the hue, shade, or tone

of an object.

Color
Warm Colors
Reds, oranges, yellows

Cool Colors
Blues, purples, greens

Color

iStockphoto.com

Colors can affect how humans feel and act

Form and Shape

Form: (3D)The shape and structure of something
as distinguished from its substance or material.

Shape: (2D)The two-dimensional contour that

characterizes an object or area.

Form

Form is an area surrounded by space.

Space can be positive or negative

Texture
The surface look or feel of something
Smooth Surface Reflects more light and
therefore is a more intense color.
Rough Surface Absorbs more light and
therefore appears darker.

Texture

Texture is the visual surface

quality of an object.

Smooth Texture

iStockphoto.com

Microsoft Office clipart

Glass faade of a high

rise office building

Exterior metal faade of Disney Concert Hall

Los Angeles

Rough Texture

iStockphoto.com

Park Gruell Barcelona, Spain

Architect: Antonio Gaud

iStockphoto.com

Value
The relative lightness or darkness of a color

Methods
Shade Degree of darkness of a color
Tint A pale or faint variation of a color

Value
iStockphoto.com

Downtown buildings in Bangalore, India

Visual Design Principles

Seven principles encompass an interesting
design.
Balance
Rhythm
Emphasis
Proportion and scale
Movement
Contrast
Unity

Balance
Parts of the design are equally distributed to create
a sense of stability. Both physical and visual
balance exist.

A sense of equilibrium.
When establishing
balance consider visual
weight created by size,
color, texture and
number of objects.

TYPES OF BALANCE
SYMMETRICAL
Achieved by
placing
identical
objects on
either side of a
central point.

ASYMMETRICAL
Achieved by
placing
different
objects of
equal visual
weight on
either side of a
central point.

Balance
Symmetrical or Formal Balance
The elements within the design are identical
in relation to a centerline or axis.
iStockphoto.com

The Taj Mahal Mausoleum

Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Symmetrical Balance
Identical candle
sticks, plates, sit
on the mantle at
each side of the
wall mounted
mirror.

Balance
Asymmetrical or Informal Balance
Parts of the design are not identical but are equal
in visual weight.

Wikipedia.org

Chateau de Chaumont
Saone-et-Loire, France

Asymmetrical Balance
Creates more
interesting
arrangements.
Suggests
informality,
relaxed.

Balance
Radial Balance
Design elements radiate outward from the center.
Microsoft Office clipart
Microsoft Office clipart

Dresden Frauenkirche
Deresden, Germay

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Milan, Italy
Architect: Giuseppe Mengoni

Radial Balance
Radial Balance involves having furnishings or patterns
arranged in a circular manner.
Radiation creates a sweeping, dramatic, circular motion
in a room.

Balance

Wikipendia.org

Rhythm
Repeated use of line, shape, color, texture
or pattern
Types
Regular rhythm
Random rhythm
Gradated rhythm

Rhythm

Rhythm is a measured
movement through space.

Rhythm
Regular Rhythm
An element is repeated at the same
repetition/interval each time.
Microsoft Office clipart

Microsoft Office clipart

Cube house design

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Microsoft Office clipart

Regular Rhythm
Rhythm created
by duplicating
(repeating)
shapes, colors,
pattern, line,
texture.
Beams in the
ceiling are
repeated.
Window panes,
repeat. Stripes on
ottoman and chair

Rhythm
Random Rhythm
The beats of the
element are random
or are at irregular
intervals.

Rhythm
Gradated Rhythm
The repeated element is identical with the
exception of one detail increasing or
decreasing gradually with each repetition.
Microsoft Office clipart

Left: Stack of rocks used

as focal point in
landscaping

Right: The Chinese Tower

English Gardens
Munich, Germany
www.wikimedia.org

Microsoft Office clipart

Gradated Rhythm
Rhythm created
by a gradual
change in size or
color.
Paint on wall
changes gradually
in value.

Wikipedia.org

Emphasis
The feature in a design that
attracts ones eye the
focal point
Emphasis can be
achieved through size,
placement, shape, color,
and/or use of lines

Ceiling mosaic in Park Gruell

Microsoft Office clipart

Microsoft Office clipart

Mosque - Egypt

EMPHASIS
The center or
focus of attention
and interest
within a design
The feature that
commands
attention and
makes a design
visually
interesting.

Emphasis
Architectural
features such as
fireplaces or
decorative
windows are often
used as focal
points.
Works of art and
decorative
accessories are
often emphasized

WAYS TO CREATE
EMPHASIS
Arrangement of
furniture around a
focal point.
Use of color,
texture, or
pattern.
Placement of
accessories.
Use of lighting.

Guidelines for Creating

Emphasis
The point of
emphasis should
command
attention, but not
dominate the
overall design.
Other features
within the room
should not
compete for the

SCALE & PROPORTION

Scale relates to the size of a design in relation to the height and width of
the area in which it is placed.
Proportion relates to the parts of the object and how one part relates to
another.

SCALE
Relates to the actual and
relative size and visual
weight of the design and its
components.
Furniture and accessories
must be in scale to the room

PROPORTION
The creative use of color,
texture, pattern, and
furniture arrangement
can create illusions of
properly proportioned
space.

SCALE & PROPORTION

Too Big, Too Small, Just
Right

This chairs
massive
scale
diminishes
everything
around it.

Too Small.
The
chairs
light
palate
accentua
tes its
skinny
scale.

Just Right.
This club
chair
matches
the scale
of the
sofa.

Movement
Flow or feeling of action

Microsoft Office clipart

Microsoft Office clipart

Movement

Movement is the relocation of an

object in space over time.

Contrast
Noticeably different

Can be created with

Color
Proportion and scale
Shape
Texture
Etc.

iStockphoto.com

Unity
Unity is achieved by the consistent use of lines,
color, material, and/or texture within a design.

iStockphoto.com

iStockphoto.com

UNITY
Unity occurs when
all the parts of a
home or room are
related by one
idea.
A unified design
has consistency
of style

Unity
iStockphoto.com

iStockphoto.com

Microsoft Office clipart

Image Resources
Microsoft, Inc. (2008). Clip art. Retrieved January 7, 2009, from
http://office. microsoft.com/en-us/clipart/default.aspx
Wikipedia. Retrieved January 7, 2009, from
http://en.wikipedia.org
iStockphoto. Retrieved January 7, 2009 from
http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php
Rhythm: Zero One, Spiral Staircase July 2, 2007 via Flickr,
Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike License.
Balance: Terence T.S. Tam, Space Needle and Pacific Science
Center October 6, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons
Attribution, Noncommercial, Share Alike License

Movement: Ed Schipul, Orange Line @ eTech 2007 March 28,

Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution, Share Alike License.

2007 via

Color: Nasplayer, Rainbow Colored Milk Drop Splash (Explore 108)

June 11, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons
Attribution, No Derivative
Works License.
Texture: Lucy Nieto, Tapete de Plstico 2007 November 24,
2007 via
Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution,
Noncommercial, Share Alike License
Proportion: Alper uun, Disproportion July 4, 2007 via Flickr,
Commons Attribution, Noncommercial License.

Creative

References
The Empire State Building Official Internet Site (n . d.).
Retrieved January 7, 2009, from http://www.esbnyc.com/
Great Buildings. (2009). Retrieved January 7, 2009, from
www.greatbuildings.com.
Heart Castle Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument.
(2009). Retrieved January 7, 2009, from
www.hearstcastle.org
Jirousek, C. (1995). Elements of Design. In Art, Design, and Visual
Thinking. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from
http://www.char.txa.cornell.edu.