Design elements

"[4]Color is the result of light reflecting back from an object to our eyes.

[6] Color is often deemed to be an important element of design as it is a universal language which presents the countless possibilities of visual communication.

It is used as an element to convey meaning and emotion, create visual hierarchy, enhance brand identity, improve readability and accessibility, create visual interest and appeal, differentiate information and elements, and make cultural and contextual significance.

Colors are harmonized to achieve a balanced, unified, and aesthetically pleasing effect for the viewer.

[10] A satisfactory design product is often accompanied by a successful color scheme.

[14] Lines can be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or curved, they may also appear as linear shapes that take on a line-link quality, or as suggested line perceived from eyes as they follow a sequence related shapes.

Some abstract points in a group can provoke human imagination to link it with familiar shapes or forms.

[5] Mechanical shapes, whether simple or complex, produce a feeling of control and order.

[16] Organic shapes can be drawn by hand, which is why they are sometimes subjective and only exist in the imagination of the artist.

In contrast, rectilinear shapes are composed of sharp edges and right angles, and give off a sense of order in the composition.

Texture in our environment helps us to better understand the nature of things, as a smooth paved road signals safe passage and thick fog creates a veil on our view.

Physical texture affects how the piece feels in hand and also how it conveys the design, as a glossy surface for example reflects the light differently than a soft or pebbly one.

Texture adds detail to an image in a way that conveys the overall quality of a surface.

[13] Graphic designers use texture to establish a mood, reinforce a point of view, or convey a sense of physical presence whether setting a type or drawing a tree.

A photograph of rough tree bark is considered a visual texture.

Paints such as oil, acrylic, and encaustic are thicker and more opaque and are used to create three-dimensional impressions on the surface.

For a two-dimensional design, space concerns creating the illusion of a third dimension on a flat surface:[16] In visual design, form is described as the way an artist arranges elements in the entirety of a composition.