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Want to know how to design? Learn The Basics. GET FREE UPDATES
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Want to know how to design? Then you should learn the basics of design. The basic
elements of design include colour, line, shape, scale, space, texture and value and SPONSORS
these are the fundamental pieces that make up any piece of work. If you ever start a
design course this will be the very first thing that you are taught, guaranteed.
But what if you’re not a student? What if you’re not self-taught? What if you are a
looking for ways to enhance your design skills? Then this is the guide for you.
Note from Jacob Cass: This is a guest article written by Lauren Marie who is a graphic
designer in corporate America during the day and a blogger via night.
Colour
Colour has a huge impact on the mood of the design. A predominantly red colour TEXT SPONSORS
usually represents strong emotions—love, anger, passion—while blue can make the
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design feel calm, cool and peaceful. Color contributes to the unity of a series of flyers,
emphasizes important information and leads the eye through a design. Website Design
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Are your lines straight and slim, or thick and squiggly? The quality of the line (hand Want To Advertise Here?
drawn to precise) can say a lot about the mood you are setting with your design. Hand
drawn or thick lines tend towards juvenile themes, where as straight and thin lines are
more refined, corporate or intelligent. LINKS & MORE
How lines interact with each other is important, too. If they are straight, thin lines, but Add Me On Twitter
are colliding at all sorts of crazy angles, that is going to be chaotic. If they have a hand
drawn quality to them but are more or less straight and orderly, this can give a much Add Me On LinkedIn
needed personal appeal to a design. Add Me On Facebook
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Did you know that shapes can convey a mood just like any other element of design?
ARTICLE CATEGORIES Angular shapes like squares and triangles tend to indicate masculinity, while smooth
and curving shapes like circles are more feminine. Squares are very familiar to us
Blogging (think of your monitor, a piece of paper or the TV screen), so they are secure,
Branding trustworthy and stable. Circles very pleasing to the eye and are organic, whole,
Creativity peaceful and exude unity.
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Photography
Side Blog Bring balance, proportion and contrast to your designs with scale and size. Just for
Social Media reference, size is the actual dimensions of an element on the page, scale is the
element’s relation to its original (like putting a person on a billboard—it’s going to be
Typography “larger than life”) and proportion is the relation of all the elements on the page in
University terms of size and scale. Use scale and proportion to indicate the actual size of an
Video object or to emphasize the difference in the sizes of two objects (a child’s hand
Web Design against its mother’s is a common use of size).
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Space

Space is often referred to as white space, and gives the design some breathing room
and the eye a place to rest. An ill use of space (or perhaps a very well planned out
use) can make the design feel crowded and claustrophobic. Too much space, however,
and the design can seem unfinished, like it’s missing something. Once you know the
rules (for any of these elements, really), you can also experiment with breaking them
in order to push a different emotional response.
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Texture

Texture is a fun element to experiment with and use to bring realism to your designs.

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Texture is a fun element to experiment with and use to bring realism to your designs.
It can be effectively used to add visual interest and it really helps make a design
unique. Textures are not just applied in the computer; you can take into consideration
the materials used in the final printed pieces, too.
Select articles on line:
Using Texture: Real World Examples

Value

Value can really add unity to your designs if you pay attention to this neglected
element. It is also a great way to create a focal point and guide the viewer’s eye
through the layout. This little element can bring together parts of the design to make
them balanced; using elements similar in a high intensity value (light, towards the
white end of the spectrum) can create a subdued tone, where values lower in intensity
(darker, towards black) can be ominous and foreboding. Using values on either
extreme of the spectrum has a very dramatic effect.
Select articles on value:
ArtLex: Value

The Purpose of Graphic Design

The purpose of graphic design is communication. As you go through each stage

of your design process, ask yourself how you are using each of these elements of
design to enhance the delivery of the message, affect the mood of the piece and relate
the product or message to the target audience. Remember that these elements apply
to everything in the layout, from composition, to photos, to typography.

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Tags: Colour, Design For Students, Graphic Design

Posted in: Design For Students, Guest Articles 70 Comments »

70 Responses to “Want to know how to design? Learn

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The Basics.”
Jeffrey Way on Jun 14, 2008 said:
Great article. I enjoyed it!

Jeremy on Jun 14, 2008 said:

Great article, now I am just going to have to find the time to get some
work done in between digging through all of this.
Jeremys last blog post..Rub a Little Dirt on It

Chad Swaney on Jun 14, 2008 said:

Great article, Lauren–nice summary of some basics. As someone who
has no formal training in Graphic Design, I have had to learn a lot of this
by trial, error, and inspiration. A great book to get some of the basics is
“The Non-Designer’s Design Book” by Robin Williams.
Don’t forget to Float the article, everyone!

LaurenMarie - Creative Curio on Jun 14, 2008 said:

Jeffrey, Jeremy,
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Chad,
Even those of us with a design degree still learn most of what we know
through experience! I have heard mixed reviews about the Non-
Designer’s Design Book, but it’s not terribly expensive (about $20 USD)
so perhaps I’ll just pony up and get it. Thanks for the Float, too!
LaurenMarie – Creative Curios last blog post..The Quick and Easy Guide
to Color Correction Part 1

Mokokoma on Jun 14, 2008 said:

brief.
informative
and on point.
well done!
Mokokomas last blog post..Interview by Neo Dhlamini

Ben Whitehouse on Jun 14, 2008 said:

Okay, I appreciate what you are trying to do here, but what you are
talking about is the actual design process, not design.
Design is more than a collection of references. The only way to become
a designer is through education, experience, and questioning the world
around you. If you do not have an opinion about your door handles in
your home, you will probably never be a designer or be able to design –
This is the unfortunate curse of Graphic Design.
“Designing is not a profession but an attitude. Design has many
connotations. It is the organization of materials and processes in the
most productive way, in a harmonious balance of all elements necessary
for a certain function. It is the integration of technological, social, and
economical requirements, biological necessities, and the psychological
effects of materials, shape, color, volume and space. Thinking in
relationships.”
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Photographer, Graphic Designer, Co-Founder,
Bauhaus

modemlooper on Jun 14, 2008 said:

@Ben
I don’t agree with your statement concerning this post. Yes people have
design inside them and its something learned through experience but

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Lauren is referring to the first things you learn when taking an education.
The part about values is something people neglect when designing and
can impact things drastically. Just look at this blog the colors are different
values of Black and Red. I try never to use full values of colors in my
designs sometimes just a little off can make it amazing.
modemloopers last blog post..What Happens When Bloggers Unite?

Thomas Wright on Jun 14, 2008 said:

The pictures in this post are brilliant. I love design blogs that burst with
inspiration.
It’s beginning to occur to me that you can’t just ‘talk’ about design, you’ve
got to illustrate it.
Thanks for a great post,
Tom
[This is the second post from JCD I've found via del.icio.us. Loved both
of them. Subscribed to feed!]

LaurenMarie - Creative Curio on Jun 14, 2008 said:

Mokokoma,
Thank you!
Ben,
I appreciate your willingness to disagree. I must disagree with you,
however, that this post is on the design process. The design process is
thumbnails, comps, revisions, etc. This post is on the education and
questioning you are talking about. And I do not question my door
handles. Nor my kitchen counters nor the toilet seat. Does that mean I’m
not a designer? It’s nice to throw quotes of famous people everywhere,
but that doesn’t necessarily mean their view is “right” or that it is the only
acceptable view. It would be better to hear your own ideas and thoughts
on the matter instead of someone else’s.
Modemlooper,
Thanks for your insights. Interesting that you are so aware of your use of
value! That’s probably the one I forget about the most.
Thomas,
Awesome! Pleased you were inspired.
LaurenMarie – Creative Curios last blog post..The Quick and Easy Guide
to Color Correction Part 1

web design company on Jun 14, 2008 said:

Useful…
web design companys last blog post..Creative Advertisements

Phil in Abbeville on Jun 15, 2008 said:

Well, as a right-brained non-desinger type I must say that I appreciate
your efforts.
Some of the things you bring up like color and lines and texture would
never even occur to someone with as shallow designing skills as myself.
But just the fact that I am being made aware of the facts and details of
good web design will make me pay attention to them and thus make me
better.
I’ve bookmarked your blog (and Jacob’s too!) and will be refering back to
them for some much needed inspiration.

Anthony Short on Jun 15, 2008 said:

I’m gonna have to agree with Ben here on this one. Design is so much
more than a list of elements which contribute to the final work. Technical
ability and ontological analysis will only get you so far. You need to be
considering design as something much deeper. Gestalt if you will.
I will agree, however, that this isn’t about design process. If you REALLY

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 want to teach someone how to ‘design’ you probably wouldn’t refer to the
modes of communication at any point. You will talk about thought
processes. How to get to solutions to will work for a client. When a design
is finished etc.
Otherwise, a good article for beginners
Anthony Shorts last blog post..Dynamic CSS layouts in 5 minutes

Fredrik on Jun 16, 2008 said:

Great Article
Fredriks last blog post..Wordbook and Armin van Buuren ASOT ep 356

Sketchee on Jun 16, 2008 said:

Great article, every designer should read this. Especially seasoned vets
who need a refresher.
As for the ongoing discussion, well I think you’re all right (or all wrong). You
have to look at your design from a technical point of view, the elements
that go into it, the processes.
I think Ben and Anthony take it too far in suggesting that a single-minded
point of view is necessary for design. It’s the opposite. Any great design
most likely has a number of considerations involved and it would be very
difficult to create anything without using the elements that were discussed
in this primer

Anthony Short on Jun 16, 2008 said:

@Sketchee – I think you’re missing the point of what I was saying.
“I think Ben and Anthony take it too far in suggesting that a single-
minded point of view is necessary for design.”
This isn’t what I meant. Its quite the opposite. I mentioned gestalt – the
whole being greater than the sum of its parts – all the elements design
coming together to form the final design.
These low-level components only make up the simplest level of design.
Until you factor in culture, audience, expectations, emotional response –
not to mention context – you won’t ever find a great design. “Always
consider a design in relation to its next larger context”.
Design is much more complex than it appears. I mean no disrepect to the
author. It’s still a great article about the principles of design. I’m just
arguing that design is deeper.
Anthony Shorts last blog post..Dynamic CSS layouts in 5 minutes

petnos on Jun 18, 2008 said:

WOW! Again a great article.
Now i have to analyze a day to understand what is written here. And i
know this will be great to improve myself. Thanks a lot.
petnoss last blog post..Türkiye – H?rvatistan Euro 2008 Çeyrek Final
Maç?

Barry on Jun 18, 2008 said:

Always good to remind ourselves of the basics, thanks.
Barrys last blog post..Degree Show Comments

LaurenMarie - Creative Curio on Jun 18, 2008 said:

Phil,
Don’t get so down on yourself! You have to start somewhere and the
basics is a great place. Just start with being aware of your use and other
people’s uses of each of these elements.

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Anthony and Sketchee,
Thanks for your points of view and the following conversation.
Anthony, this was meant to be an overview of the basics of design, and I
think you picked up on that from your comments. If a designer doesn’t
know where to start, it can be pretty overwhelming to begin any design!
I find that breaking designs down into these components also helps me
analyze layouts that I think are good and learn how they’ve used each of
these basic elements so that I can improve my uses, too.
You’re definitely right, though, that design does have to take into
consideration the audience, culture, etc. But now that I think about it,
wouldn’t that be more along the lines of marketing? I guess that’s
another blurry line where design meets other disciplines (seen similarly
where design meets art/illustration, user interface design, usability, copy
writing, etc).
LaurenMarie – Creative Curios last blog post..Photoshop Action Freebie:
Light Writing Effect

webpixelkonsum on Jun 18, 2008 said:

Great article about the basic for design. Thank you.
Ralph

Juan Ordaz on Jun 21, 2008 said:

Great article!
I’d like to add, as a curious fact, that white space is also very important in
optometry, because people with lazy eye (amblyopia) suffer from
crowding effect in a greater way compared to “normal” people. This is
vital when designing visual acuity charts.

LaurenMarie - Creative Curio on Jun 21, 2008 said:

Juan,
I didn’t know that! Thank you for enlightening us
LaurenMarie – Creative Curios last blog post..The Quick and Easy Guide
to Color Correction Part 2

Web Design Adelaide on Sep 10, 2008 said:

I had bookmarked this post a while ago now, and finally got back to it.
Very well explained. thank you very much. Great reading.

Alex B on Nov 1, 2008 said:

Thanks for compiling this, I’ve referenced it several times. love your blog!

Anthony on Nov 2, 2008 said:

Thank you very much for publishing this. Was very helpful. I recommend
this to a lot of people

New Zealand Franchises directory on Nov 17, 2008 said:

One more interesting article from your end.. good job.. keep it up..:-)

Loony on Jan 15, 2009 said:

Very good article – simple, basic and efficient!
Thank you.

gm on Apr 14, 2009 said:

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 thanks. i’m a writer dabbling in graphic design and this overview as
helped, like, totally.

Diana on Apr 21, 2009 said:

Hi, Jacob, I just want to say that your article is very interesting, I want to
know if you let me use it in my little blog, I’ll just translate to spanish your
article. cheers!
ddnewbie.blogspot.com

Jacob Cass on Apr 21, 2009 said:

Hello Diana,
Please ask Lauren, the author of the article, thank you! Otherwise it is
fine with me.

Diana on Apr 21, 2009 said:

http://laurenmarie.net/index.php is this the Lauren’s website?

Jacob Cass on Apr 21, 2009 said:

Diana,
http://creativecurio.com – great website too!

Diana on Apr 22, 2009 said:

Hi, Jacob, this is the Lauren’s article (translated into spanish) my blog
is new but here is the link:
http://ddnewbie.blogspot.com/2009/04/quieres-saber-como-disenar-
aprende-lo.html
Cheers!

Adeline on May 14, 2009 said:

This is great! Thanks Jacob

lakshmanan k on Jun 5, 2009 said:

Very good

Jordon Allen on Jun 18, 2010 said:

Very helpful for beginners. Wish I would have found this when I first
started.

GFXBD on Aug 25, 2010 said:

This is a very cool post. And very helpful for learning the designing. I like
to recommend this to all my friends. I also recommend GFXBD for free
icon, logo and other graphic related element.

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