Elements & Principles of Graphic Design - 7efex · Basic Principles The elements of graphic design...
Transcript of Elements & Principles of Graphic Design - 7efex · Basic Principles The elements of graphic design...
Elements & Principles of Graphic Design
College of the Canyons
Basic Elements
In addition to the obvious elements—images
and type—graphic design elements include
lines, shapes, texture, value, size, and color.
Graphic designers for print and web pages use
some or all of these elements to generate
effective designs. The goal is usually to attract
the viewers’ attention, sometimes to motivate
them to take a specific action.
Lines
Lines are the most basic of the design elements. Lines can be straight, curved, thick, thin, solid and not- solid. They are used to connect two points, separate sections of a design or focus the user's eye on an element.
● A jagged line conveys emotion
● a line that ends in arrow forces the viewer's eye to look in a
specific direction
● A line that meanders among several elements guides the viewer
from one element to the next and on to the next.
Shapes
The basic geometric shapes are squares, circles, and triangles. They are used as boxes or borders on a design or as solid shapes for decorative purposes. Shapes are also icons, symbols, and dingbats. Shapes add interest to a design.
TextureVisual texture is created with certain graphics techniques to draw attention to an element on a page or to serve as a background on a web design. Texture increases the overall visual appearance and draws attention. Texture can be added to a type, images, and other elements.
ColorColor is an obvious element that is used to attract attention and to represent emotion and mood. Red presents strength, anger or passion, for example, while blue invokes peace and security.
ValueValue refers to how dark or light an area of the design looks. Value creates contrast and emphasis.
SizeThe size of an element in a graphic design is an indication of its importance. A large size indicates the most important information and draws the viewer's attention.
Basic Principles
The elements of graphic design combine with the
principles of alignment, balance, repetition,
proximity, contrast, and space to create effective
page compositions.
Principles of graphic design address ways in which
a graphic designer can assemble the individual
elements into a cohesive whole. Designers draw the
viewer's attention to an important element by
placing the important element in the place where
the eye naturally falls.
Balance
Most good graphic designs achieve visual balance by using symmetrical, asymmetrical or radial symmetry about a visual center.
● Symmetrical Balance: Both sides of a page layout are the same in weight,
shape, lines and other elements.
● Asymmetrical Balance: This occurs when the two sides of a design aren't the
same but they have similar elements.
● Radial Symmetry: This places elements in a circular pattern. Although it is
popular in print layouts, radial symmetry isn't seen n much on websites because
the circular placements are difficult to achieve.
Symmetrical Asymmetrical Radial
AlignmentAlignment refers to lining up the elements of a design along the top, bottom, center or
sides of the elements. The aligned elements aren't necessarily of the same type. They
are frequently aligned along the left edge of the layout. Different size photos appear
as a unit when they are aligned across the top or the bottom.
Repetition Repetition duplicates the characteristics of similar elements to contribute to design
consistency. Repetition can also create rhythm in a design. A series of bulleted points
of interest in the same color, type and size for a complete unit.
Proximity
Proximity maintains a relationship between items that go together. The elements don't
have to be positioned closely together but they should be connected visually.
ContrastContrast occurs with the juxtaposition of opposing elements—big versus small or
dark versus light, for example. Using contrast can highlight important elements of
the design. Contrast is easily achieved with color, but it can also occur with
texture, type, and graphic elements.
Space
Space is the part of a design that is left blank. It includes empty space that is
intentionally placed within the design and also margins and gutters between
other elements, which are usually referred to as passive space. Space in a design
adds emphasis to an area of the design because the eye is strongly drawn to the
part of the design that is not empty. Both positive and negative space should be
considered in the graphic design.
Bad Space
Bad Space