Design Elements

Design elements and principles describe fundamental ideas about the practice of good visual design. The elements form the vocabulary of the design, while the principles constitute the broader structural aspects of its composition.

The elements of design play an important role in the creation and success of a piece of art, whether it’s for outdoor, indoor, digital or print medium. These elements are: space, line, colour, shape, texture, form, value.

Space may have two dimensions or in other words flat (length and width), such as a floor. There are two types of space: positive and negative space. Positive space refers to the space of a shape representing the subject matter. Negative space refers to the open space around the subject matter.

Shape is an area enclosed by lines. Shapes are two-dimensional or in other words flat.

Shapes in house decor and interior design can be used to add interest, style, theme to a design like a door. Shape in interior design depends on the function of the object like a kitchen cabinet door. Natural shapes forming patterns on wood or stone may help increase visual appeal in interior design. In a landscape, natural shapes, such as trees contrast with geometric such as houses.

Line is a mark on a surface that describes a shape or outline. It can create texture and can be thick and thin. Line is the basic element of art that refers to the continuous movement of a point along a surface, such as a pencil or brush. Every line has length, thickness, and direction. There are curve, horizontal, vertical, diagonal, zig-zag, wavy, parallel, dash, and dotted lines.

Colour is the most expressive element of art and is seen by the way light reflects off a surface. Colour can be mixed from red, yellow, and blue, can be combined to make new colours, can be mixed for intensity and value, can express moods and feelings, can be warm or cool, can give the illusion of distance.

Colour, and particularly contrasting colour is also used to draw attention to a particular part of the image.

There are primary colours, secondary colours, and tertiary colours.

Primary colours consist of red, blue, and yellow. Secondary – of orange, purple, and green. Secondary colour is made by mixing two primary colours on either sides of the colour wheel. Tertiary colours consist of red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, yellow-orange, and yellow-green. Tertiary colours are made by mixing a primary and secondary colour. Complimentary colours are colours that are opposite to each other on the colour wheel. They are used to create contrast.

Warm colours are a group of colours that remind us of warm places and things. Such are red, yellow, and orange. For example fire, sun and fireworks. Cool colours are group of colours that remind us of cool places and things such as purple, green and blue: ice, cool sky blue, and the sea.

Texture can be real or simulated, can form a surface, can be natural or man-made, can be affected by lighting conditions.

Form is any three dimensional object. Form can be measured, from top to bottom (height) side to side (width), and from back to front (depth). There are two types of forms, geometric and natural. Form may be created by combining of two or more shapes.

Value is an element of art that refers to the relationship between light and dark on a surface or object. It gives objects depth and perception. Value is also referred to as tone.

These elements are used to create the principles of design.

ІV Answer the questions:

1. What elements of design do you know?

2. Why is colour the most expressive element of graphic design?

3. What is the role of shape?

4. What can line create?

5. What do we use to draw attention to a particular part of the image?

6. What are primary colours?

7. What colours are called secondary colours?

8. How do you create contrast?

9. What gives the objects depth and perception?

V Complete the sentences with the words from the text:

1. Natural... forming patterns on wood or stone may help increase visual appeal in interior design.

2. There are curve, horizontal, vertical,...,...,...,...,..., and dotted lines.

3. There are primary colours,... colours, and... colours.

4. Form is any three... object.

5.... is also referred to as tone.

VI Find English equivalents to the words:

описувати, довжина, форма, поверхня, створювати, змішувати, відображати, теплий, прохолодний, відстань.

VII Make up the sentences with the terms:

element of design, space, shape, line, colour, value, texture.

VIII Give definitions to the words:

line, texture, form, shape, colour, contrast.

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