Graphic Design Notes

What is Graphic Design

• Design elements are the basic units of a visual image
• The principles of design govern the relationships of the elements used and organize the composition as a whole
• All imagery, art, design, and photography are alike, comprised of elements that can be broken down and analyzed

Design Elements

• Space 
  • Exists in 2 or 3 dimensions
  • Can refer to positive or negative space
  • foreground, midground, and background
• Line
  • Can vary in thickness, texture, and direction
• Color
  • Various pallets
• Texture
  • Implied and real
• Shape
  • Organic and inorganic
  • Geometric, natural, and abstract
• Value
  • Light and dark
  • Used to give depth
• Balance
  • Work must have a balanced “weight”
  • Not necessarily symmetrical

Design Principles

• Unity
  • Creates a sense of order
• Variety
  • Repetition with slight differences
• Repetition
  • Repeated elements
• Harmony
  • Use of elements to balanced, good feeling
• Proximity
  • Can create a sense of unity or a lack of unity
• Proportion
  • How we perceive threat/emphasis
• Functionality
  • Must have a purpose
• Emphasis
  • Creates focus and conveys purpose