There are some fundamental components in every visual design that influence what you see. These can be shape, color, space, form, line, value, and texture.
A graphic designer uses these elements to set the tone of his design, guide the viewer’s gaze, and elicit particular feelings.
Have a look at this introductory guide that every beginner graphic designer must know before starting his designing journey!
The Basic Components of Design
There are numerous graphic design elements to consider while creating any visual art, including logos, websites, interiors, and advertisements. The fundamental components include:
Color
The color used in a design has a big impact on the feeling it conveys. When light strikes an item and reflects back to our eyes, we see color. Color is a tool used by designers and artists to represent subjects.
Color is also like an instrument used by designers to convey perspective, draw attention to depth and light, and set a mood. They use the color wheel and basic color theory to help them mix colors to make perfect color schemes.
Line
Something that divides two points in space is called a line. It may be diagonal, horizontal, or vertical. It facilitates drawing the viewer’s focus to particular elements of the design. There are no limits on the width or thickness of a line. It can be broken, continuous, or just barely there.
You can use different kinds of lines, like curved or colored ones, based on what you need for your design.
Lines can be used to represent movement and emotion in addition to serving as element separators. This helps to bring your design together and gives it a polished, expert appearance.
Value
Value in design refers to how light or dark a color is. Gradients are frequently used to illustrate this, as they display many tones of the same hue ranging from light to dark.
Artists can give items additional depth and a three-dimensional appearance by utilizing a variety of values in their creations.
Space
Making effective use of space aids in getting the desired impression from visitors of your design. But for this, you should understand the difference between positive and negative space.
White space, also known as negative space, is the empty area that surrounds or separates the major components of a design. Positive space is the space where your primary subject or other significant components are positioned.
It is crucial for a graphic designer to make effective use of available space since an overly packed design may be difficult for viewers to focus on and may even seem overpowering.
Shape
A two-dimensional, flat area with an outline is called a shape. Graphic designers can use lines, colors, values, and shadows to give a shape a three-dimensional appearance.
Shapes come in three types: geometric, organic, and abstract. Geometric shapes have straight, sharp edges; organic shapes are found in nature; and abstract shapes are like real things but aren’t exact copies.
Form
Form is the spatial arrangement of a shape or thing. Even if the object is three-dimensional, designers can create the appearance of form on flat surfaces by utilizing light, shadow, contours, and negative space.
They also think about how the environment can change the shape of an item, making it look three-dimensional even though it is flat.
Texture
Texture in design refers to an object’s appearance or feel. Tactile texture is what you can feel, like surfaces that are rough, smooth, or bumpy.
Conversely, visual texture describes how texture appears in a design. It enriches the overall experience by giving the visual more depth and appeal.
The Distinction Between Design Elements and Principles
The fundamental components of every composition are known as the elements of design, and they can be shape, color, and space.
The design principles, on the other hand, tell us how to use these elements.
They address concepts like movement, proportion, pattern, emphasis, symmetry, and asymmetry. The principles are essentially the guidelines and methods for placing the components in a way that results in an eye-catching design.
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