The document discusses key design elements including lines, shape, form, color, texture, depth, light, direction, mass, tone, value, space, balance, emphasis, proportion, repetition, unity, contrast, harmony, proximity, and variety. It describes how each element can be used alone or combined with other elements to achieve different effects in visual design works.

1. Lines

 Lines are one of the basic
elements. Alone or in
combination with other lines or
shapes they can aid in the
readability, appearance, and
message of a design. They:
1. Organize
2. Texture
3. Guide the eyes
4. Provide movement
5. Make a statement
6. Convey universal meaning

2. Shape (2D)

 Shape is one of the basic
elements of design.
Alone or in combination
with other shapes or lines
they can convey
universal meanings as
well as guide the eye or
organize information.
The three basic types of
shapes are geometric,
natural, and abstract.

3. Form (3D)

 Form is the three-
dimensionality of an
object. Shape is only
two-dimensional; form is
three dimensional. You
can hold a form; walk
around a form and in
some case walk inside a
form.

4. Color

 Color affects us emotionally,
with different colors evoking
different emotions
1. Hue: refers to the names of
primary colors, red green,
blue.
2. Value: lightness and darkness
of the color
3. Intensity :the purity or
saturation of the color
4. Monochromatic color: uses of
one color where only value of
the color changes.

5. Texture

 Texture is always a part of
our designs whether
intentional or not. It is the
visual or tactile surface
characteristics of a piece.
 Visual textures through the
arrangements of lines and
shapes or the use of
photographic images of
specific surfaces.

6. Depth (Perspective)

 The allusion of depth:
1. Size and vertical location- closer objects being larger and
smaller objects being smaller, also we perceive objects
that are higher on the page and smaller as being further
away.
2. Overlapping- when objects are partially obscured by
other objects in front of them.
3. Detail(aerial or atmospheric perspective)- uses color
value contrasts to show depth.
4. Linear perspective (converging lines)- all lines will
converge on a common point on the horizon called the
vanishing point.

7. Light

 When light from a single
direction hits an object is in
shadow. Light and dark
areas within an image
provide contrast that can
suggest volume. Factors
that can affect our feelings
towards an image include
the direction of the light
source, from above or
below, and the gentleness
or abruptness of the half
tones.

8. Direction (motion)

 To show direction we
use:
1. Anticipated
movement
2. Fuzzy outlines
3. Multiple images
4. Optical movement
5. Optical illusions
6. Rhythm and
movement

9. Mass (Visual Weight)

 Everything has physical mass.
The physical mass or size is
the actual dimensions of the
piece:
1. Height
2. Width
3. thickness/weight
4. Depth( of 3D objects)

10. Tone (Black and White)

 Tone can be regarded as
value both terms refer to
the various degrees of
lightness or darkness.
1. Shade: a color (hue) with
black added.
2. Tint: a color (hue) with
white added
3. Tone : a color (hue) with
grey added
4. Value: the degree of
lightness or darkness in
colors.

11. Value
refers to
 Vales
the relative
lightness or
darkness of a
certain area.
Value can be
used for
emphasis.
Variations in
values are
used to create
a focal point
for the design
of a picture.

12. Space (Positive and
Negative)

 Space is the area provided for
a particular purpose. It may
have two dimensions or three
dimensions. There are two
type of space: positive and
negative space. Positive space
refers to the space of a shape
representing the subject
matter. Negative space refers
to space around and between
the subject matter.

13. Balance

 Symmetrical: balance is
easiest to see in perfectly
centered compositions or
those with mirror images.
 Asymmetrical: design is
typically off-center or
created with an odd or
mismatched number of
different elements.
 Redial: designs the elements
radiate from or swirl around
in a circular or spiral path.

14. Emphasis

 Emphasis in design provides the focal point for the piece.
It is a way of making the element the most important
stand out in the design.

15. Proportion (Scale)

 Proportion refers to the
relative size and scale of
the various elements in a
design. The issue is the
relationship between
objects, or parts, of a
whole. This means that it
is necessary to discuss
proportion in terms of the
context or standard used
to determine proportions.

16. Repetition
(Rhythm/Pattern)

 Newsletters, magazines,
brochures, annual
reports, and book often
have many visual
elements: columns of
text, headlines, photos,
illustrations, pull-quotes,
etc. Grids allow the
designer to build page-
to-page consistency into
these documents.

17. Unity

 Unity is a way to
make objects in a
piece seem as if
they are related to
each other. There
are many ways that
this can be
achieved.
1. Proximity
2. Repetition
3. Continuation

18. Contrast

 Contrast occurs when two
elements are different. The
grater the different the grater
the contrast. The key to
working with contrast is to
make sure the different are
obvious. Four common
methods of creating contrast
are by using differences in
size, value, color, and type.

19. Harmony

 Harmony is painting is
visually satisfying effect of
combining similar, related
elements, e.g. adjacent
colors on the color wheel,
similar shapes etc.
 The principle of design
concerned with combining
similar art element to create
a pleasing image.

20. Proximity

 One of the easiest ways to
create a visual structure and
give your piece an organized
feel is to space items according
to their relation to one another.
This is called the rule of
proximity, and it simply
means that related items
should appear closer together
then items that are not related.

21. Variety

 Variety means “ to change the
character” of an element, to make it
different. Varying the elements
creates variety. Ways to vary
element include:
1. Lines-thinness, value, color,
angle, length.
2. Shape-size, color, orientation and
texture type.
3. Color- hue, value, saturation.
4. Value-darkness, lightness, high-
key, low-key, value contrast.
5. Texture-rough, smooth.