THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

The elements of Visual Design / Visual Art provide describe fundamental ideas about the practice of good visual design. These concepts can be utilized and explored when designing a space.

The best designers sometimes disregard the principles of design. When they do so, however, there is usually some compensating merit attained at the cost of the violation. Unless you are certain of doing as well, it is best to abide by the principles.[1]
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Colour

  • Color can play a large role in the elements of design[3] with the color wheel being used as a tool, and color theory providing a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual impacts of specific color combination.
Uses
  • Color can aid organization so develop a color strategy and stay consistent with those colors.[3]
  • It can give emphasis to create a hierarchy to the piece of art.
  • It is also important to note that color choices in design change meaning within cultural contexts. For example, white is associated with purity in some cultures while it is associated with death in others.
Attributes
Resources
http://www.resene.com.au/homeown/use_colr/colour_personality.htm
http://freshome.com/room-color-and-how-it-affects-your-mood/
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​Shape

A shape is defined as a two or more dimensional area that stands out from the space next to or around it due to a defined or implied boundary, or because of differences of value, color, or texture.[4] All objects are composed of shapes and all other 'Elements of Design' are shapes in some way.[5]
Categories
  • Mechanical Shapes or Geometric Shapes are the shapes that can be drawn using a ruler or compass. Mechanical shapes, whether simple or complex, produce a feeling of control or order.[5]
  • Organic Shapes are freehand drawn shapes that are complex and normally found in nature. Organic shapes produce a natural feel.[5]

Texture

Meaning the way a surface feels or is perceived to feel. Texture can be added to attract or repel interest to an element, depending on the pleasantness of the texture.[5]
Types of texture
  • Tactile texture is the actual three-dimension feel of a surface that can be touched. Painter can use impasto to build peaks and create texture.[5]
  • Visual texture is the illusion of the surfaces peaks and valleys, like the tree pictured. Any texture shown in a photo is a visual texture, meaning the paper is smooth no matter how rough the image perceives it to be.[5]
Most textures have a natural touch but still seem to repeat a motif in some way. Regularly repeating a motif will result in a texture appearing as a pattern.[5]
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=textures&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiol6qW85nLAhWHnJQKHeWWCWgQ_AUIBygB&biw=1366&bih=631#imgrc=_

Space

In design, space is concerned with the area deep within the moment of designated design, the design will take place on. For a two-dimensional design, space concerns creating the illusion of a third dimension on a flat surface:[5]
  • Overlap is the effect where objects appear to be on top of each other. This illusion makes the top element look closer to the observer. There is no way to determine the depth of the space, only the order of closeness.
  • Shading adds gradation marks to make an object of a two-dimensional surface seem three-dimensional.
  • Highlight, Transitional Light, Core of the Shadow, Reflected Light, and Cast Shadow give an object a three-dimensional look.[5]
  • Linear Perspective is the concept relating to how an object seems smaller the farther away it gets.
  • Atmospheric Perspective is based on how air acts as a filter to change the appearance of distance objects.

Form

Form may be described as any three-dimensional object. Form can be measured, from top to bottom (height), side to side (width), and from back to front (depth). Form is also defined by light and dark. It can be defined by the presence of shadows on surfaces or faces of an object. There are two types of form, geometric (man-made) and natural (organic form). Form may be created by the combining of two or more shapes. It may be enhanced by tone, texture and color. It can be illustrated or constructed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_elements_and_principles