Hussain Waheedh
0344802
Design Principles GCD60804AC182
Dr. Charles Group - Section 1
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
LECTURES:
Week 1:
Lecture 1: Elements of Design
Lecture 1 Slides
On the first lecture of this module, we were taught about the four main Elements of design. They are:
- Conceptual Elements - (Dot / Line...) non-existent elements that create the illusion of volume
- Visual Elements - (Shape, Colour, Size...) elements that make the illusion real and gives depth to it.
- Relational Elements - Interrelation between elements and space / use of space
- Practical Elements: Elements that can be observed and conveys meaning to the design.
Lecture 2: Principles of Design / Gestalt & Contrast
On the pre-recorded 2nd lecture of the module, we were introduced to the main principles of design, the Gestalt theory and Contrast. The principles of design is said to be the concepts used to organise or arrange the elements mentioned above, in design to give meaning and structure to the design. These concepts include;
- Balance
- Emphasis
- Repetition
- Movement
- Harmony
- Unity
The idea of Contrast means the difference of value in various elements of any design to make that design interesting and meaningful. It tells you which elements in a design should me more prominent compared to others when designing.
The Gestalt Theory is a theory developed by German scientists during 1920s on how the human brain functions to see the world around them. Some of the important components of the Gestalt theory include;
- Figure ground
- Similarity
- Proximity
- Continuity
Further Reading: https://logogeek.uk/logo-design/gestalt-theory/
Figure 1.1 - Some famous brand logos that use the Gestalt Theory
Week 2:
Lecture 2: Emphasis, Balance, The Golden Ratio and The Rule of Thirds
On this prerecorded lecture by Dr.Jinchi, she talks about some of the principles and styles of Design. Emphasis is used to create dominance and focus in a design whereas balance refers to the distribution of visual weight throughout the design (visual equilibrium). She talks about two types of balance, symmetrical and asymmetrical which refers to the equal / unequal distribution of balance.
The Golden ration (phi) is a mathematical concept to define perfect beauty. It is uniquely found in nature.
Figure 1.1 Golden Ratio
The rule of thirds is a simplification of the golden ratio where the artboard or plane is divided into equal 3 sides horizontally and vertically.
EXCERCISES
Week 1: CONTRAST & GESTALT
1. Make sure you have TWO designs, one for contrast and one for Gestalt.
2. Upload both designs in PDF file in your blog.
3. Send your blog link here.
4. Your blog must be in your actual name for easy identification. Make sure it has:
a) visual research
b) idea exploration
c) feedback from lecturer
d) final design outcome (pictures must neatly cropped and must not be shadowy/blur)
e) brief reflection for the week
Here are my two designs for Contrast and Gestalt.
Figure 1.1. Design 1 - Contrast
Figure 1.2. Design 2 - Gestalt
Design 1 - Contrast:
For the first design work, I chose an idea from one of my favourite movie scenes from The Usual Suspects. and decided to make it into an interesting design.
Figure 1.1.1 - Contrast
Figure 1.1.2 Idea exploration for Contrast
For contrast, I used white as the main background, and the footsteps (blocks) of the protagonist in black because he is an anti-hero in the movie and to show the evil in the face of innocence. I initially sketched footprints but decided to change it into rectangles to make the design more interesting and mysterious. The main design principles used in this design is Balance, Repetition and Movement. Personally I feel like Balance and Repetition is best depicted when they are tweaked a little out of pattern.
Design 2 - Gestalt:
For the second design, I experimented with a few shape outlines and combined them up in various different styles in Adobe Illustrator.
Figure 1.1.3 - Gestalt
After experimenting with some, I decided to go with a silhouette of a person. The silhouette outline and some experiments are shown on the figure above. I also added some additional shapes on top and after some, the silhouettes sort of started disappearing into the design and weren't as obvious as before. Also the silhouettes combined with the shapes started forming other shapes and figures on the design.
Reflections: The more I experimented with the designs, especially after I started cutting out the pieces on paper and arranging them, the more I understood the theory.
Week 2: EXERCISE 2
1. Make sure you have TWO designs, one for emphasis and one for balance.
2. Upload both designs in PDF file in your blog.
3. Send your blog link here.
4. Your blog must be in your actual name for easy identification. Make sure it has:
a) visual research
b) idea exploration
c) feedback from lecturer
d) final design outcome (pictures must neatly cropped and must not be shadowy/blur)
e) brief reflection for the week
2. Upload both designs in PDF file in your blog.
3. Send your blog link here.
4. Your blog must be in your actual name for easy identification. Make sure it has:
a) visual research
b) idea exploration
c) feedback from lecturer
d) final design outcome (pictures must neatly cropped and must not be shadowy/blur)
e) brief reflection for the week
Here are my two designs for Emphasis and Balance:
Figure 2.1 - Balance
Figure 2.2 Emphasis
Design 2.1 Balance:
The concept of balance, that I've come to understand after the lectures and research, is the visual equilibrium in any form of design or anything around us. Balance is what gives beauty and stability to things and when we see them, it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. There are lots of types of balance in design; my favourite however is symmetrical balance. I get OCD attacks when I see photographs or artworks that are nearly perfect but messed up on the geometry that ruins the whole thing. On the other hand, when I see sunsets or reflections or buildings that are perfectly balanced, it just makes my day. On this exercise, I sketched, using a pen and a pencil, a fisherman in a small boat on a river during sunrise. The angle of the image is at the same level as the water surface and the sun is right behind the fisherman. The sunrays on both the sky and on the reflected image of the river creates a radial balance around the fisherman who is symmetrically reflected perfectly on the river. Here's the initial sketch I drew when I was exploring ideas for the exercise.
Figure 2.1.1 Balance Sketch
Design 2.2 - Emphasis:
Emphasis means dominance. It is the arrangement of elements in a design that paves way for the eye of the viewer to see exactly what the artist want them to see. I've tried this so many times while doing photography. It always gives very interesting results when I work-out the location of a photo before-hand and see the lines and elements to create a pathway so the viewer can see the person or object that I'm focusing on.
For this exercise I sketched a mother-box from the DC universe traveling through space. The idea was to arrange the planets of various sizes around the mother-box, some much bigger than the box itself, but arranging them in such a way that the focus of the eye goes straight towards the box. The lines of motion around the box also helps achieve this as all the small line across the whole artworks faces directly towards the centre of the box. Here's the initial sketch I did for this art:
Figure 2.2.1 Emphasis sketch
Reflections: I feel like Emphasis and Balance must be the foundation of every kind of art or design. The more I read about it, the more important it seems. And as important as it is, you don't always have to follow the concepts exactly. Sometimes arranging everything as perfectly as you can and then doing some unusual changes does work like wonders. But for that, one must understand the concepts first.
Comments
Post a Comment