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Ms.Thomson/Wainwright High School
Welcome to DES 1020 - The Design Process
This course is an entry level course. It is an introduction to design concepts and the idea of visual language.
First we will define some basic vocabulary needed to understand visual language.
We will then look at the elements of design.
Finally, we will consider the design principles and the steps in the design process.
The principles and elements of design are the basic building blocks of visual composition, and in order to understand how visual images carry meaning, we need to understand this basic vocabulary of visual language.
Design Vocabulary
Visual Language: is the idea that communication can happen through visual symbols, rather than verbal symbols - words.
Visual Symbols: nonverbal symbols that reach us via the eyes.
Design: is the process of selecting and organizing elements or components in order to fulfill a specific purpose. This purpose may be functional (useful) or aesthetic(good to look at), or both.
Since the 1980's the word "design" and "designer" have become the hot concept for selling anything from jeans to snacks to software.
Des 1020 The Design Process
Task 1
Watch the following episode of Ellen's Design Challenge.
Task 2
Open a new google document.
Title it Ellen's Design Challenge Review by_________(put you name here)
Choose one of the designers pieces and explain
a). how did they make it functional (useful)
b). how did they make it aestetic (good to look at)
c). why you like the peice (personal taste)
Once you have answered all 3 questions, share your document with Ms. Thomson. Her email is jenny.thomson@btps.ca.
Use the following Rubric to help answer the questions. This is how your answers will be marked. Be certain to use evidence and examples from the video.
Watch this short video on Design Elements
Design Vocabulary
Elements: are components or parts which can be singled out and defined in any visual design or work of art. They are the structure of the work.
The Elements are: there can be variations to design elements, sometimes certain elements are linked under one category.
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Line
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Form, Shape & Space
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Colour
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Texture
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Color
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Pattern
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Movement
Line: is a mark with impact according to its weight (thickness), and the variations in its direction. It is an enormously useful graphic device.
Line is not necessarily an artificial creation of the artist or designer; it exists in nature as a structural feature such as branches, or as surface design, such as striping on a tiger or a seashell.
Organic Element: natural (think the stem and veins of a leaf)
Industrial Element: man made (think a skyscraper)
Lines can be combined with other lines to create textures and patterns.
Form and Shape: are areas or masses which define objects in Space. Form and shape imply space; indeed they cannot exist without space.
Form and shape can be thought of as either two dimensional (2D) or three dimensional (3D).
2D Form: has width and height. It can also create the illusion of three dimension objects.
3D Form: has depth as well as width and height.
Forms and shapes can be thought of as positive or negative. In a two dimensional composition, the objects constitute the positive forms, while the background is the negative space.
Task 3
On a blank piece of white paper, sketch and colour a design of your choice using positive and negative space.
Use black and white only.
Make your image the exact opposite. Where it is white on one image, make it black on the other.
Your image does not have to be a complicated pattern, but make it interesting.
Reflection:
At the bottom of your work, write a short reflection as to which one uses negative space and which one uses positive space. Also state which image you prefer and try to explain why you prefer it.
Assessment: Hand in your completed work with all reflection questions answered. This will be a completion mark.
Design Vocabulary Continued
Colour: Color is one of the most powerful of elements. It has tremendous expressive qualities. Understanding the uses of color is crucial to effective composition in design and the fine arts.
Texture: Texture is the quality of an object which we sense through touch.
It exists as a literal surface we can feel, but also as a surface we can see, and imagine the sensation might have if we felt it.
Look at Hero's Hair - you see the black colour, but you also see the texture of the hair.
Reminder!
Design Elements:
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Line
-
Form, Shape & Space
-
Colour
-
Texture
-
Color
-
Pattern
-
Movement
Value: (the relative lightness or darkness of a color) can also define form. Strong contrasts in value within a composition may define the boundaries of forms. Gradations of value, or shading, can also create the illusion of contour and volume.
Compositional movement may be classified as static.
Static Movement is movement of the eye that jumps and hops between separate components of the image, attracted by similarities and simply shifting to shapes with related shape or color.
Compositional Movement may also be classified as dynamic.
Dynamic movement is characterized by movement of the eye that flows smoothly from one area of the composition to another, guided by continuations of line or form, and by gradations of color or form.
The eye will always move through the composition in some way, so there is always some sort of compositional movement. All compositions can be described in terms of one or the other of these concepts - or both.