CLASS 2

DESIGN ELEMENTS

DESIGN

BASIC DESIGN ELEMENTS

BASIC DESIGN ELEMENTS

BASIC DESIGN ELEMENTS

Nothing can exist without these ingredients?
What are they?

Basic Design Elements

Dot (point)

Plane

Line

Volume

Conceptual
Element

Shape
Tone
Color
Texture

Visual
Elements

Scale

Dimension
Direction
Gravity

Relational
Elements

BASIC DESIGN ELEMENTS

CONCEPTUAL ELEMENTS

Basic Design
Elements

Conceptual
Elements

Dot
Line
Plane
Volume

Basic Design
Elements

Conceptual
Elements

Dot
Line
Plane
Volume

Conceptual Element
are not visible.
If they are really
there, they are no
longer conceptual.

BASIC DESIGN ELEMENTS

ELEMENTS

Basic Design
Elements

Dot (Point)
Primary
focused area

The dot is the minimum unit of visual

communication.
Dot doesnt have length or breadth.
Dot has a strong visual power to attract.

It is a position in space that holds the

primary attention of the viewer.
It signals the start, an end or an area of
primary focus for the eye.

Basic Design
Elements

Line

A line is not thought of as a shape, but a

shape can appear linear.
Lines articulate shapes
It can be seen because it differs in value,
color or texture from its background.
With the proper tone or perspective, a
line can create depth.

Real Line (Visual Element):

Create objects

Imaginary Line (Conceptual Element):

Show directions, movement and emphasis in
a design

Basic Design
Elements

Line

Real Line (Visual Element):

o Contour Line
A line depicting the outer edge of a shape
or group of shapes.

o Symbolic Line
A line or combination of lines that stands
for, or reminds us of, something our realm
of knowledge.

Imaginary Line (Conceptual Element)

o Directional Line
A line or lines which direct our visual
attention in specific direction.

o Boundary Line
A line that confines our visual attention. It
may be serve to separate areas.

o Implied Line
A perceived continuation of images or
symbols that imply a line.

o Line as Value
o Line as Texture

Basic Design
Elements

Shape
Shape are made by connecting lines.
Line creates two dimensional or flat shapes.
When shapes are three dimensional, we call
them forms.

Basic Design
Elements

Natural Shape

Shape

Abstract Shape

Shapes found in nature; sometimes called

organic shape.
A recognized image that has been distorted or
simplified.

Geometric Shape
Usually man-made shapes that are precise,
exact. Triangles, squares, circles, rectangles, etc.

Nonobjective Shape
Positive Shape
An active shape or line placed in a negative or
empty space, not determined by the darkness or
the lightness of the color.

Negative Shape
The implied shape produced after two or more
positive shapes are placed on a negative
(non-active) space.

Basic Design
Elements

Color
A shape is
distinguished
from its
surroundings
because of
color

Color is described with the words hue,

value and intensity.
Hue refer to the name of the color we know.
Value (tone) tells the lightness or darkness of a hue.
Intensity refers to the brightness or dullness of a hue

Basic Design
Elements

Tone
The range of
light values

Tone (value)
is the intensity of darkness or lightness of anything
we see. Variations in tone allow us to see
complicated visual information.

Basic Design Any surface structure can be felt visually.

Elements Texture can be another way to give dimension

Texture
surface quality

to space.
Visual texture can be used to stand-in for the
sense of touch.
Texture can also be used to communicate mood.

Basic Design
Elements

Scale
The relative
size of an
element in
relation to
another

Scale is the relative size of an element in

relation to another.
Size is relative if we describe it in terms of
bigness and smallness.

Basic Design
Elements

Dimension
Dimension can be
Felt by touch and feel
Seen by two-eyed stereopticon sight
Representation of dimension in two-dimensional
space depends on illusion
Perspective
Tone

Basic Design
Elements

Direction

Direction of an element is relative to the

position of observer or other elements. It can
be felt by touch and feel, and seen by two-eyed
stereopticon sight.

Four basic directions are

Horizontal Lines
Suggest calmness and usually makes
people feel relaxed.
Vertical Lines
Suggest strength and stability.
Diagonal Lines
Suggest tension
Curved Lines
Suggest flowing movement

Basic Design
Elements

Gravity
It is not visual but psychological.
As we are pulled by the gravity of the earth,
we tend to attribute heaviness or lightness,
stability or instability to individual shapes.

BASIC DESIGN ELEMENTS

SPACE

Basic Design
Elements

Space
Canvas of a
designer

Its the area of message, the boundaries of the

viewers perception of the message.
Positive, Figure:
If it is dominant, in the foreground or in the
center of attention
Negative, Ground:
If it is in the background of the design
Crowded:
If the space seems uncomfortably occupied
Open:
If the space seems free and unrestricted