VCD - Design Elements and Principles

Visual Communication Design VCE design elements and principles made in 2022.

Point

A small circular shape that can be used to repeated to create shade, tone or texture, draw attention to information, or as a position marker on a map (ELEMENT)

Line

A continuous mark on a surface. can be organic, precise, horizontal, vertical, fine, thick, curly, broken, irregular, or repeated (ELEMENT)

Shape

A 2D enclosed space. Can be organic, geometric, coloured, flat, symmetrical, asymmetrical, solid, outlined (ELEMENT)

Form

3D nature of an object can be drawn, constructed, geometric, organic, textured, solid, natural or manufactured (ELEMENT)

Tone

Shadows and highlights found in drawings. Can be gradient, curved, solid, coloured, black and white (ELEMENT)

Texture

Surface quality of an object, or they way a materials visual appearance is drawn. Can be smooth, rough, furry, matte, shiny, coarse, woven, metallic, wet, tactile, natural, reflective, dull, fine, corrugated (ELEMENT)

Colour

Light in different wavelengths as they appear to the eye. Used to enhance form, attract attention and create hierarchy, evoke emotion, for emphasising an idea and create an association. Can be bold, dull, pastel, saturated, contrasting, harmonious, dramatic, cool, warm, primary, secondary, tertiary or neutral (ELEMENT)

Type

Physical representation of the words we speak. Can be bold, italic, regular, uppercase, lowercase organic, handwritten, contemporary, script, serif, sans serif, emotive. (ELEMENT)

Figure ground

Refers to the shapes, space or forms in a composition. Can be ground or figure dominate, crate a dynamic or stable composition or assist in creating a focal point (PRINCIPLE)

Balance

Even distribution of elements in a space. Can be symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial, dynamic, stable, vertically or horizontally balanced or justified to the left or right (PRINCIPLE)

Scale

The size you choose to draw an object. can create contrast and provide proportion (PRINCIPLE)

Proportion

The comparative relationship between components within a composition. Different to scale (PRINCIPLE)

Pattern

Repetition of on element to create a visual unit. Creates unity, contrast or emphasis (PRINCIPLE)

Contrast

Where two or more elements with opposite qualities are placed together (PRINCIPLE)

Cropping

Cutting out part of a composition, can create an open or closed composition, focus on detail, enlarge a image or suggest an image (PRINCIPLE)

Hierarchy

Order of the elements of a composition according to their importance (PRINCIPLE)