Visual Arts: Elements and Principles of Design. Elements and principles of design. The elements and principles of design are the building blocks used to create a work of art. The elements of design can be thought of as the things that make up a painting, drawing, design etc. Good or bad - all paintings will contain most of if not all, the seven elements of design. The Principles of design can be thought of as what we do to the elements of design. How we apply the Principles of design determines how successful we are in creating a work of art. note - the hyperlinks within the text of this page will open information in a new browser window.
After you have read that information the window can then be closed leaving this window open. LINE Line can be considered in two ways. SHAPE A shape is a self contained defined area of geometric or organic form. DIRECTION All lines have direction - Horizontal, Vertical or Oblique. SIZE Size is simply the relationship of the area occupied by one shape to that of another. COLOUR Also called Hue see notes on colour. Visual Design Basics. Visual design focuses on the aesthetics of a site and its related materials by strategically implementing images, colors, fonts, and other elements. A successful visual design does not take away from the content on the page or function. Instead, it enhances it by engaging users and helping to build trust and interest in the brand. Basic Elements of Visual Design The basic elements that combine to create visual designs include the following: Lines connect two points and can be used to help define shapes, make divisions, and create textures.
All lines, if they’re straight, have a length, width, and direction. Principles for Creating a Visual Design A successful visual design applies the following principles to elements noted above and effectively brings them together in a way that makes sense. Unity has to do with all elements on a page visually or conceptually appearing to belong together. Example of Pulling it all together Additional Information. The Principles of Design. The web professional's online magazine of choice. In: Columns > Design in Theory and Practice By Joshua David McClurg-Genevese Published on June 13, 2005 Starting with the Basics This column is about Web design—really, it is—though it may at times seem a bit distant and distracted. In my opinion, any good discussion about design begins with the fundamentals. Almost by definition, the primary tenets around which any field is based are universal: they can be applied to a variety of disciplines in a variety of ways.
We can group all of the basic tenets of design into two categories: principles and elements. Web design is a relatively new profession compared to other forms of design, due to the youth of our medium. How Does Web Design Fit In? I tend to define Web design as being one of many disciplines within the larger field of design (a peer to print design, industrial design, interior design, etc.). The Principles of Design There are many basic concepts that underly the field of design.
Rhythm. What Is Visual Design?