ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

Elements of Design!

The tools of design

Hands on - can be manipulated

1. Space

2. Form & Shape

3. Line

4. Texture

5. Pattern & Color

Space

The three dimensional expanse that a designer is

working with

*2 Kinds of Space!

Positive Space – the actual object takes up space

Negative Space – the space around an object

Space

*To help a small area feel spacious

If you hang a mirror in a

room it can help make a

room appear larger!

To help a small area feel spacious

Allow as much floor to

show as possible

Place large pieces of

furniture near walls

Furniture should be up

off the floor and not

bulky

To make a large area feel intimate

Place furniture

perpendicular to

walls

Group furniture

according to areas

of activity

Use large furniture

that sits directly on

the floor

Space

Space

*Shape

Two dimensional (2-D)

Made by connecting

lines

Circles, squares,

rectangles, triangles,

ovals, diamonds....

*Form

Three dimensional (3-D)

Encloses space

Spheres, cylinders,

cones, cubes, pyramids....

Difference between Shape

and form

Rectilinear Forms

Angular Forms

Circular Forms

Line

Long and narrow

Connects two points

Leads the eye from one

point to another

horizontal

curved

v

e

r

t

i

c

a

l

diagonal

Vertical Line

Communicates

strength and

formality

Creates feelings

of aspiration and

ascension

Horizontal Line

Calmness

Relaxing

Informal

Diagonal Line

Excitement

Active

Suggests movement

Curved Line

soft

feminine

Texture

The surface quality of an object or item

Tactile

How the object feels to the touch

Can feel the variation in the surface

Visual

An illusion - how the object appears to feel

Applied using line, color, & shading

Texture

VS.

Texture - Smooth

Make colors appear

lighter and brighter

Generally considered

more formal

Texture - Shiny

Reflective

Has more intense color

Texture - Rough

Make color look darker

and less intense

Generally less formal

Texture

Pattern

Repetition of line, shape,

form, texture and/or

color

Reflects the mood of the

elements used

Can be formal, informal,

calm, playful.....

Evaluating Pattern

The placement of emphasis

The character of the pattern

The color scheme

The scale of the pattern

Color

Reflected light

Most important element

Creates the most impact

We’ll cover this in depth

later in the semester!

Using the Elements of Design can make

things appear different than they really

are!

*Can you see things from a different

view?

If you take a look at the following picture , let me tell you ... it is not animated. Your eyes are

making it move. To test this, stare at one spot for a couple seconds and everything will stop

moving. Or look at the black center of each circle and it will stop moving. But move your eyes to

the next black center and the previous will move after you take your eyes away from it.... Weird

Are the purple lines straight or bent?

Which circle in the middle is bigger?

Do you see gray areas in between the squares?

Now where did they come from?

Just as an Optical Illusion can make things appear

different than they really are, so can using the

principles and elements of design.