What are the Basic Elements of Design?
Ever checked out a design and tried to figure out how it was made? How it formed up from a mere idea to a grand project? Every piece of art ever created, whether through graphic design, photography, painting, or even sculpting, contains one or more of seven elements. They are the basic building blocks of design and art.
7 Basic Elements of Design
It doesn’t matter whether you’re designing a sales page, logo, or graphic for a new website, these basic elements of design apply to any types of design. So what exactly are these elements and how are they used to bring some of the best creative concepts to life.
1. Line
The simplest element of design, lines come in different forms, horizontal or vertical, straight or curved, thick, or thin. And as you’d expect, it is usually the connection between points. Lines perform several functions in graphic design, from creating patterns to stressing words and linking content.
2. Shape
Shapes are not just for pre-schoolers. They are simply anything that defined by boundaries. Actually, all objects are made up of other shapes. They can be geometric (like a square, circle, or triangle) or abstract (icons, stylizations, and graphic representations.) and are used to create visually pleasing designs. They also help other elements of design stand out.
3. Space
Similar to shape and a crucial part of any good graphic design, space is exactly what it sounds like – the areas around the other elements in a design. It is used to separate or piece information together. Useful in manipulating what people see or read first and also to highlight, and project important information.
4. Value
Value is related to color, and as such, it is how light or dark a color is. Value is the go-to for the creation of contrast, brightness, and saturation. In this case, the darkest value is black, and the lightest is white. The difference between them is known as contrast. Value is so important that it can change the mood and certain forms of artwork.
5. Size
Size is used to relay grandness and prominence; with it, you can easily generate contrast and draw attention to detail. In other words, the importance of any area in your design may be showcased by the size applied to such an area. For example, a headline written in large prints across a design is going to be seen first and tagged as the most prominent part of the design.
6. Texture
Texture refers to an object’s surface. Applying texture in graphic design either graphically in the form of pattern or through the choice of printable surface provides extra depth that pricks visual interest. It is an element of design that plays to our sense of touch and evokes some responses that other elements can’t – making it seem real.
7. Color
Color, the favorite design element for a lot of designers, is best used to generate emotions, specify importance, and create visual interest. Although the chaste of a black and white design can be aesthetic, a great design ornamented with an amazing color palette can make all the difference in visually pleasing and engaging the audience.
Design essentially can be compared to cooking. Delicious delicacies are usually a product of a list of ingredients combined together in certain amounts to produce a unique recipe. In the same vein, the designer uses these elements and combines them in different ways to create outstanding works of art.
