Design Principle - Task 1: Exploration
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03. 02. 2025 - 17. 02. 2025 / Week 1 - 3
Aw Wen Chia / 0368828
Design Principle / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Design Principle / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
MODULE INFORMATION:
LECTURE:
ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
Visual Communication: Utilising design to convey purposeful
messages to target audiences. Such designs need to be well thought out,
therefore applications of elements and principles of design should be
learnt.
ELEMENT OF DESIGN:
Individual "building blocks"
Point
- A point or dot
- Used as a mark to form a line
- A point are the start of figures, shapes and forms
- Lines can be active, static, aggressive, passive, sensual or mechanical
- Lines indicate direction, boundaries of shapes and space, it implies volume or solid masses, and suggest motion or emotion.
- Lines can depict qualities of light, shadow and form patterns and texture.
Shape
- Refers to the expanse within the outline of two-dimensional area or within the three-dimensional object
- Becomes visible when a line or lines enclose an area or when an apparent change in value (lighness/darkness), colour or texture sets an area apart from its surroundings
- Shapes can be geometric and organic
- Geometric - circle, square, triangles, etc
Form
- A three-dimensional area
- When form encloses space, the space is called volume
- Form is often a major element in sculpture and architecture
Texture
- In visual communication design, texture refers to the tactile qualities of surfaces or to the visual representation of those qualities.
- All surface have textures that can be experienced by touching or through visual suggestion.
- Two categories of texture - actual (experienced by touch) & simulated or implied (created to look like the real texture).
Space
- Space is the indefinable, general receptacle of all things - the seemingly empty space around us.
- In drawing, print, photographs and paintings, we see the space of the surface all at once.
- The actual space of each picture's surface is defined by its edges - the two dimensions of height and width.
Colour
- Colour is the visual byproduct of the spectrum of light as it is either transmitted through a transparent medium, or as it is adsorbed and reflected off a surface, Colour is the light wavelengths that the human eye receives and processes from a reflected source.
- Humans can distinguish colour from 3 variables:
- Hue - Colours of the spectrum, e. g. yellow and green.
- Value - Lightness or darkness of a colour, using white, gray, black.
- Intensity - Purity of a hue, if the colour is affected by hue or value.
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN:
Organisational fundamentals from the arrangement of elements
Contrast
- Contrast is the strong difference between elements.
- Without contrast, elements would be monotonous.
- Contrast provides visual interest, emphasises a point, and expresses content.
- Balance refers to the distribution of "visual weight" in a work of a design.
- It is the visual equilibrium of the element that causes the total image to appear balanced.
- Balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.
- Symmetrical - Has equal weight on equal sides divided in the middle (either horizontal, vertical or diagonal).
- Asymmetrical - Unequal visual weight on each side of the composition, having element more dominant.
Golden Ratio
- Also known as "phi", Golden Ratio is a mathematical concept, it's a number that goes on indefinitely (1.618033988749895...). It comes from the Fibonacci sequence (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 65)
- The Golden Ratio has been the representative of perfect beauty as it is uniquely found throughout nature.
- It has been used as a guide to create visual balance in architecture and paintings as it brings balance and structure.
Rules of Third
- A composition guideline to create dynamism in a design/photography/film/painting.
- A composition is divided evenly into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, the subject is placed at the intersection of the lines, or along one of the lines itself.
Emphasis
- Emphasis is used to create dominance and focus in a composition.
- Various elements can be used to create emphasis, such as colour, shapes, or value, to achieve dominance.
Repetition/Pattern/Rhythm
- Repetition could make a work of design look active.
- Repeating elements create rhythm and pattern within the composition.
- Patterns increase visual excitement by enriching surface interest.
- Variety is essential to keep rhythms exciting and active, and to avoid monotony.
- Variety - A slight change in elements.
Movement
- When elements lead the eye in, around and/or through a composition.
- Movement in a visual image occurs when objects seem to be moving in a visual image.
- Elements like shapes, forms, lines, and curves are used to achieve movement.
Hierarchy
- Hierarchy is a choreography of content in a composition to communicate information
- Visual hierarchy directs viewers to the most important information first and identifies navigation through secondary content.
Alignment
- Alignment is the placement of elements in a way that edges line up along common rows or columns, or their bodies along a common centre.
- Alignment creates a sense of unity and cohesion, which contributes to the design's overall aesthetic and perceived stability.
Harmony
- Harmony involves the selection of elements that share a common trait.
- Harmony becomes monotony without variety.
- Harmony is the sense that all of the elements of your design fit together. They may fit the same theme, aesthetic style or mood.
Unity
- Unity refers to the repetition of particular elements throughout a composition, weather its colour, shapes or materials.
- Unity occurs when these elements are composed in such a way that they are balanced and give a sense of oneness, creating a theme.
- Although unity and harmony may sound similar, they each play distinct roles in the way experience design.
Scale & Proportion
- Scale & proportion are both design elements that have to do with size.
- Scale - Size of one object compared to another, It refers to the size and dimension of figures and forms relative to a specific unit of measure.
- Proportion - Part of an object compared to the same object.
Gestalt Theory: Means "shape" or "form" in German. It
describes how the human eye perceives visual elements.
Principle of Similarity: The human eye tends to perceive similar
elements in a design as a complete picture, shape, or group, even if those
elements are separated. Our brain crafts a link between elements of a
similar nature.
Principle of Continuation: The human eye follows the path, line,
and curve of a design, and prefers to see a continuous flow of visual
elements.
Principle of Closure: The human eye prefers to see complete shapes.
If the visual elements are not complete, the user can perceive a complete
shape by filling in the missing visual information.
Principle of Proximity: Related design elements are placed
together. Any unrelated items should be spaced apart. Close proximity
indicated that items are connected.
Principle of Figure / Ground: Objects are instinctively perceived
as being either in the foreground or the background, they either stand out
prominently in the front or recede into the back.
Law of Symmetry & Order: This law states the elements that are
symmetrical to each other tend to be perceived as a unified group. Similar
to the law of similarity, this rule suggests that objects that are
symmetrical with each other will more likely to be grouped together than
objects not symmetrical with each other.
TASK 1:
EXPLORATION
Gestalt Theory
Principle of Similarity & Principle of Proximity
Figure 1 shows the principle of similarity and proximity due to the
viewer separating and grouping the 3 elements.
Grouping 1: The lights reflected by the water.
Grouping 2: The two boys running.
Grouping 3: The patterns of the water left by the boys
running.
Principle of Continuation
Figure 2 shows the principle of continuation because there is a flow
throughout the image led by the stairs to the various characters in
the image.
Principle of Closure
Figure 3 shows a cutout of what seems to be a man in between the two
people, making it look like the two visible people are hugging a
man. Gestalt Theory is applied as the viewer completes the cutout
shape to a man.
Fig 3, Gestalt Theory, drawn by @nademocreative
Principle of Figure/Ground
Figure 4 presents the principle of figure/ground due to the main element
(the blonde man), being in the foreground since the background is
slighly blurred.
Contrast
Figure 5 presents two halves, the top half is mostly white while the
bottom half is mostly black, making a clear contrast between both halves
as black and white have opposite values in colour.
Balance
Figure 6 shows two lying down with a clock in front of them. This image
represents balance due to the fact that the two guys are occupying the
same amount of space and the clock is centred, if you split the image
horizontally the placements of the elements have the same amount of
weight.
Emphasis
Figure 7 shows a guy laying on the floor, this showcases emphasis
because it looks like there is a spotlight shining on the man, making
him brighter than his surroundings. Drawing our attention to him.
Repetition/Pattern/Rhythm
Figure 8 represents repetition as there is a repeated amount of
gravestones in the image, pattern and rhythm are also shown because the
gravestones are evenly spaced apart. Variety too can be found in the
image as slight differences can be seen in each gravestone.
Movement
Figure 9 has a sense of movement due to lines that were formed by the
film tape, guiding the viewers' eyes through the image, the image is
also heavier on the right side while gradually getting lighter to the
left. Making the viewer focus more on the right before slowly being
guided to the left.
Harmony / Unity
Figure 10 shows harmony because of the soft complementary colours,
paired with the aesthetically pleasing view to the eye as all the
elements are cohesive.
Fig 10, Harmony, drawn by
@limeilin200669
Symbol
Pictorial
Figure 11 represents a pictorial symbol as it is a simplified drawing of
clouds in a Chinese art style.
Abstract
Figure 12 is the logo associated with Batman, a well-known superhero in
Detective Comic (DC), an American comic book series. It is associated with
Batman as the symbol of a bat. This showcases an abstract symbol as the
logo is a simplified bat.
Fig 12, Symbol, Batman logo1966-2000 from
1000 LOGOS
Arbitrary
Figure 13 symbolizes peace, humans associate doves with peace as it is
seen in depictions across cultures. Doves in the Bible, after the flood
Noah sents out a dove as it is a sign of dry land. The Blackfoot tribe
sees the dove as protectors of their warriors from harm and doves are
seen as symbols of love in Aztec and Mexican Indian tribes.
Word and Image
Figure 14 is a cover of a book called "They Both Die at the End". In the
background, a skull can be found symbolizing death, the same can be said
about the shadow cast from the to boys walking is in the shape of a grim
reaper, signifying death is following them.
Fig 14, Word and Image, a
book
written by Adam Silvera
CHOSEN ARTWORK
Title: Unknown
Artist Name: rc_dec
Year: 2024
Size: 1836pt x 1160pt
Medium: Digital Illustration
Reason for chosen artwork:
I like the art style for the chosen image, especially the cel-shading
and textured brushes that add depth. The angle of the composition makes
the elements look more three-dimensional, giving the scene a sense of
space and form. The textures and shading make the artwork feel more
engaging without being overly detailed.
The image also applies strong design principles. Asymmetrical balance is noticeable, with the two figures on the left making that side feel visually heavier. The use of analogous colours creates harmony, ensuring that the elements feel connected without clashing. The rule of thirds is also at play, with the placement of the figures aligning with the composition’s guiding lines, making it feel structured and visually appealing.
Overall, the artwork is a great example of how these techniques can enhance an image. It fits my preference for styles that balance clean shading, texture, and composition to create a visually interesting scene.
FEEDBACK:
Week 2:
My tutor approved my blog and told me to continue with my work with a
better explanation of why the words correlate with the principles of
design.
Week 3:
I did relatively fine, however I had to add more images for Symbol and
Gestalt Theory. Other than that, my tutor liked my blog layout and
picture size.
REFLECTION:
I liked this assignment as it was relatively simple and I got to display
my favorite art piece and style. I also got to see and really think
about what my style and preferences were. Although I had a hard time
picking which artwork to put on the blog since all of them were
beautiful. This task was a nice introduction to the module.
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