the fundamentals of design are the basis
of every visual medium from fine art to
modern web design even small detail like
the fonts that make up most compositions
what do these examples have in common
some very basic elements including line
shape form texture and balance
they might not seem like much on their
own but together they're part of almost
everything we see and create the
fundamentals can be intimidating
especially if you don't consider
yourself an artist however there's a lot
they can teach you about working with
different assets and creating simple
visuals from scratch let's start at the
beginning with one of the most basic
elements of all the line a line is a
shape that connects two or more points
it can be fat or thin wavy or jagged
every possibility gives the line a
slightly different feel lines appear
frequently in design for example in
drawings and illustrations and graphic
elements like textures and patterns
they're also common in text compositions
where they can add emphasis divide or
organize content or even guide the
viewers eye when working with lines pay
attention to things like weight color
texture and style these subtle qualities
can have a big impact on the way your
design is perceived look for places
where lines are hiding in plain sight
for example in text even here
experimenting with different line
qualities can give you very different
results
a shape is any two-dimensional area with
a recognizable boundary this includes
circles squares triangles and so on
shapes fall into two distinct categories
geometric or regular and organic where
the shapes are more freeform shapes are
a vital part of communicating ideas
visually they give images heft and make
them recognizable we understand street
signs symbols and even abstract art
largely because of shapes shapes have a
surprising number of uses in everyday
design they can help you organize or
separate content create simple
illustrations or just add interest to
your work shapes are important because
they're the foundation of so many things
learn to look for them in other designs
and soon you'll start seeing them
everywhere when a shape becomes 3d we
call it a form forms can be
three-dimensional and exist in the real
world or they can be implied using
techniques like lights shadow and
perspectives to create the illusion of
depth in two-dimensional design for
makes realism possible without it
bouncing rubber ball is just a circle a
3d building is just a series of
rectangles even flat designs use subtle
techniques to hint at form and depth in
everyday compositions the purpose of
form is the same but on a smaller scale
for example a simple shadow can create
the illusion of layers or give an object
a sense of place basic forms can bring a
touch of realism to your work a powerful
tool when used in moderation
texture is the physical quality of a
surface like form it can be
three-dimensional something you can see
and touch or it can be implied
suggesting that it would have texture if
it existed in real life in design
texture adds depth and tactility to
otherwise flat images objects can appear
smooth rough hard or soft depending on
the elements at play for beginners
textures make great background images
and can add a lot of interest to your
work look closely and you may find
texture in unexpected places like
distressed fonts and smooth glossy icons
just be careful not to go overboard too
much texture in a single design can
quickly become overwhelming balance is
the equal distribution of visual weight
in other words how much any one thing
attracts the viewers eye balance can be
affected by many things including color
size number and negative space mastering
balance can be tricky for beginners
because it does take some intuition
luckily the design world is full of
examples that can help you understand
it's different iterations symmetrical
designs are the same or similar on both
sides of an axis they feel balanced
because each side is effectively the
same if not identical asymmetrical
designs are different but the weight is
still evenly distributed the composition
is balanced because it calls attention
to the right things
many people use a strategy called the
rule of thirds this imagines your work
area divided into a three by three grid
the focal point of the image is placed
on or near one of these lines creating
visual balance with the rest of the
space
we find this type of composition
appealing because according to studies
the human eye naturally follows this
path when scanning a design the
fundamentals of design are all about the
bigger picture
in other words learning to appreciate
the many small details that make up
every composition this insight can be
applied to almost any type of project
whether you're creating your own
graphics or just looking for simple ways
to enhance your work thanks for joining
us for the fundamentals of design check
out the rest of our design topics
including color typography and more
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