The Basic Elements of Design | FREE COURSE

Summary

In this design fundamentals course, Laura Keung explores the core elements of design that create cohesive and harmonious visuals. She discusses the role of lines in indicating direction and movement, the impact of shapes like geometric, organic, and abstract, and the interplay of form and space. Color characteristics, value contrast, and texture effects are also covered. The course aims to enhance design skills, communication, and sensibility, with real-life examples from Envato Elements.

Takeaways

• 🎨 **Design Fundamentals**: Understanding the basics of design is crucial for creating cohesive and harmonious visuals that communicate effectively.
• 👩‍🎨 **Graphic Design Expertise**: Laura Keung, with over 15 years of experience, guides through the basics of design to enhance skills and design sensibility.
• 📐 **Element of Lines**: Lines, in various shapes and sizes, are fundamental in design, indicating direction and adding a sense of movement.
• 🔵 **Shapes and Their Impact**: Shapes, classified as geometric, organic, and abstract, convey different messages and can be recognized even when not explicitly present.
• 🖼️ **Form and Space**: The interplay between form (positive space) and space (negative space) is essential for adding depth and tension in design.
• 🌈 **Color Characteristics**: Color, with its attributes like hue, shade, tint, tone, and saturation, plays a significant role in emphasizing and setting the mood of a design.
• 📊 **Color Systems**: Understanding the difference between RGB (for digital) and CMYK (for print) color systems is vital for accurate color representation in design.
• 🏔 **Value and Contrast**: Value, the lightness or darkness of hues, contributes to contrast and depth in a design, affecting its overall visual impact.
• 🧩 **Texture**: Texture, whether graphical or physical, adds a tactile quality to 2D surfaces, enhancing depth and making designs more engaging.
• 🔍 **Design Analysis**: As a designer, the ability to describe and analyze design pieces is key for client communication and professional growth.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the course taught by Laura Keung?

The primary focus of the course is to understand the fundamental elements of design that can help improve design skills, communication through design, and refine design sensibility.

What are the seven basic elements of design mentioned in the course?

The seven basic elements of design mentioned are lines, shape, form, space, color, value, and texture.

How do lines contribute to the direction and movement in a design?

Lines contribute to direction and movement in a design by indicating a path from one point to another, with their thickness conveying different qualities such as elegance or strength.

What are the three classifications of shapes and what characteristics do they represent?

The three classifications of shapes are geometric, organic, and abstract. Geometric shapes represent structure and rigidity, organic shapes represent natural movement, and abstract shapes are minimalist representations of reality.

How is the relationship between form and space used to add depth to a design?

The relationship between form and space, or positive and negative space, is used to add depth to a design by creating 3D qualities, tension, and keeping the user engaged.

What is the significance of color in a design and what are its characteristics?

Color adds emphasis and mood to a design and its characteristics include hue, shade, tint, tone, and saturation. These characteristics influence the perception and depth of the design.

Why is it important to set the right color space when creating a new design file?

Setting the right color space when creating a new design file is important because it ensures accurate color representation, especially when transitioning between digital (RGB) and print (CMYK) formats.

How does value affect the contrast and depth in a design?

Value affects the contrast and depth in a design by determining the lightness or darkness of hues, creating visual interest and guiding the viewer's focus through the use of light and dark areas.

What is texture in design and how does it add to the visual experience?

Texture in design adds a tactile appearance to a 2D surface, giving the illusion of depth. It can be applied graphically through patterns or physically through embossing or textural papers, enhancing the design's quality and memorability.

How can understanding the basic elements of design help a professional working designer?

Understanding the basic elements of design helps a professional working designer by providing a strong foundation for creating successful design pieces, improving communication with clients, and achieving a higher level of design sensibility.

What resources does Laura Keung recommend for new designers looking for creative assets?

Laura Keung recommends Envato Elements as a resource for new designers, offering high-quality templates, photographs, fonts, and other assets.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Design Fundamentals and Elements

In this introductory segment, Laura Keung, a graphic designer with over 15 years of experience, sets the stage for a comprehensive course on design. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the basic elements of design to create cohesive and harmonious visuals that communicate effectively. Laura introduces the audience to the concept of design as a well-orchestrated composition and hints at the exploration of seven fundamental elements that can enhance design skills and sensibility. She also mentions the use of real-life examples and assets from Envato Elements to illustrate these basic elements, highlighting the resource as a valuable tool for designers seeking high-quality templates, photographs, fonts, and more. The paragraph concludes with a teaser on the first element of design: lines, which come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, and play a crucial role in indicating direction and adding movement to a design.

05:01

🔵 Exploring Lines and Shapes in Design

This segment delves into the role of lines in design, illustrating how they can direct the viewer's attention and convey a sense of movement. Laura discusses the impact of line thickness on the perception of elegance or strength. She presents examples to demonstrate how lines can be used to guide the eye, create grids, and establish a sense of order or chaos. The discussion then shifts to shapes, which are defined by enclosed lines. Laura categorizes shapes into geometric, organic, and abstract, explaining how each type communicates different qualities. Geometric shapes suggest structure and precision, organic shapes evoke a sense of nature and fluidity, and abstract shapes offer minimalist representations of reality. The paragraph provides examples of how these shapes are used in design, from representing musical instruments to creating logos, and how they contribute to the overall design language.

10:01

🖼️ Form, Space, and the Art of Composition

Laura continues the course by discussing form, also known as positive space, which refers to elements like dots, lines, or shapes that occupy space. She explains the interdependence of form and space, and how manipulating these can add depth and tension to a design, thereby engaging the user. The segment showcases examples of how positive and negative space interact to create balance and interest in a composition. Laura also touches on the concept of space or negative space, likening it to the silence between musical notes, and how it contributes to the overall harmony of a design. The importance of considering space in design is emphasized through various examples, from minimalist posters to neon sign designs, highlighting the balance and clarity that thoughtful use of space can provide.

15:04

🌈 Color, Value, and Texture in Design

In this part of the course, Laura explores the role of color in design, detailing how it can emphasize elements and set the mood of a design piece. She explains the characteristics of hue, shade, tint, tone, and saturation, and how they contribute to the depth and dimension of a design. The discussion moves on to the importance of understanding color systems like RGB for digital design and CMYK for print, stressing the need to set the correct color space at the outset of a design project. Laura then introduces value, which refers to the lightness or darkness of a color, and how it creates contrast and depth in a design. The segment concludes with a look at texture, which adds a tactile quality to a 2D surface. She discusses various ways to apply texture, from graphical patterns to physical embossing, and how it can enhance a design's depth and quality, making it more memorable and impactful.

🏁 Wrapping Up the Design Elements Course

The final segment of the course provides a wrap-up of the key concepts covered. Laura summarizes the importance of understanding the basic elements of design, such as line direction, shape classifications, the relationship between form and space, color characteristics, value contrast, and texture benefits, for creating successful design pieces. She emphasizes the need for professional designers to be able to articulate their design choices to clients and encourages viewers to enhance their design sensibility through practice and learning. The segment ends with a plug for Envato Elements as a resource for creative assets and a call to action for new designers to explore more courses and videos on the channel. Laura and the team at Envato Tuts+ express their gratitude for the viewers' attention and anticipation for future content.

Keywords

💡Design Elements

Design elements refer to the fundamental components that make up a visual composition in design. These include lines, shapes, colors, and textures. In the video, Laura Keung emphasizes the importance of understanding these elements to create cohesive and harmonious visuals. For instance, lines are discussed as the most basic design elements that can indicate direction and movement, as seen in the example where lines move from the bottom left to the top right, directing the viewer's attention.

💡Cohesiveness

Cohesiveness in design refers to the unity and consistency of visual elements within a composition. The video script mentions that understanding design fundamentals is the first step to creating visuals that have cohesiveness, implying that a well-designed piece should have a harmonious flow where all elements work together to convey a single message or theme.

💡Harmony

Harmony in design is achieved when the different elements of a composition blend well together, creating a sense of balance and visual pleasure. The script suggests that organizing design elements thoughtfully can result in more than just visuals; it can create design pieces that communicate and are harmonious, indicating that harmony is a key aspect of effective design communication.

💡Graphic Designer

A graphic designer is a professional who specializes in visual communication and problem-solving through the use of typography, photography, and illustration. Laura Keung introduces herself as a graphic designer with over 15 years of experience, highlighting her expertise and the practical knowledge she brings to the course on design elements.

💡Envato Elements

Envato Elements is mentioned as a resource for high-quality templates, photographs, fonts, and more. It serves as an example of where designers can find assets to support their work, emphasizing the importance of having access to a variety of resources to enhance design projects.

💡Lines

Lines are discussed extensively in the script as the most basic element of design, coming in various shapes, sizes, and colors. They can indicate direction, as seen in the example where lines move from bottom left to top right, creating a sense of movement and directing the viewer's attention. The thickness of lines also communicates different qualities, with thin lines appearing elegant and thick lines appearing strong.

💡Shapes

Shapes are defined as the result of enclosed lines forming a boundary and are classified as geometric, organic, or abstract in the video. Shapes contribute to the structure and meaning of a design, with geometric shapes conveying rigidity and organic shapes giving a sense of natural movement. Abstract shapes, on the other hand, are minimalist representations of reality, often used in logos.

💡Form and Space

Form and space are discussed in relation to positive and negative space, where form refers to the actual design elements and space refers to the area surrounding them. The video explains that altering one affects the other, and they can be used to add depth or create tension in a design. An example given is the use of positive and negative space to create an interesting and impactful poster.

💡Color

Color is explored in the context of its various characteristics, including hue, shade, tint, tone, and saturation. Colors can add emphasis and mood to a design, and the video script provides examples of how different colors and their variations can create depth and dimension in a design piece.

💡Texture

Texture is described as adding a tactile appearance to a design, giving a 2D surface depth. The video mentions that texture can be applied graphically through patterns or created digitally to mimic real-life textures. Physical textures, such as embossing or textural paper, can also elevate a design's quality and memorability.

💡Value

Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color and plays a crucial role in creating contrast and depth in a design. The script explains how different values can affect the perception of a design, with high-contrast values creating a dramatic effect, while similar values can make a design appear flat.

Highlights

Understanding the fundamentals of design is crucial for creating cohesive and harmonious visuals.

Design pieces are well-orchestrated compositions that communicate beyond just visuals.

Laura Keung, a graphic designer with over 15 years of experience, will guide you through basic design elements.

The course will cover seven basic elements of design to improve design skills and communication.

Envato Elements is introduced as a resource for high-quality design assets.

Lines, as the most basic design element, come in various shapes, sizes, and colors.

The direction and thickness of lines can indicate movement and convey a sense of strength or elegance.

Wavy lines contrast with straight lines by adding a sense of chaotic energy and relaxation.

Lines can also be seen as grids, helping to understand the composition and balance in design.

Shapes are enclosed lines forming boundaries and can be geometric, organic, or abstract.

Geometric shapes communicate structure and rigidity due to their mathematical precision.

Organic shapes lack defined edges and evoke a sense of natural movement.

Abstract shapes are minimalist representations often used in logos to distill concepts.

Form and space are mutually dependent, and altering one affects the other.

Positive and negative space can be used to create 3D effects and maintain user engagement.

Color adds emphasis and mood to design, with different characteristics like hue, shade, tint, and tone.

RGB and CMYK are two color systems used in digital and print design, respectively.

Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a hue and is crucial for contrast and depth in design.

Texture adds a tactile appearance to 2D surfaces, enhancing depth and quality.

Understanding design elements is essential for professional designers to describe their work effectively.

Envato Elements is recommended for new designers looking for creative templates and assets.

The course concludes by emphasizing the importance of design fundamentals for successful design pieces.

Transcripts

[MUSIC]

Understanding the fundamentals of design,

is the first step to creating visuals that have cohesiveness, and harmony.

When we look at a design piece,

we're looking at a well orchestrated composition.

And by organizing these elements in a thoughtful way, we can create more than

just visuals, and these are design pieces that communicate a lot more.

Hi, my name is Laura Keung, and I am a graphic designer,

with over 15 years of experience.

In this course, we will dive into seven of the most basic elements in design, that

can help you improve your design skills, your ability to communicate through

design, how to describe design pieces, and finesse your design sensibility.

I'll show you real life examples, and assets from Envato Elements,

so you can understand all about the basic elements of design.

Envato Elements is a great resource, for high quality templates,

photographs, fonts, and much more.

Once you understand the elements of design,

you can move on to the principles of design, and

that can help you organize all of these basic structural elements on a page.

Let's take a look at the first basic element.

Lines are the most basic elements of design, they come in all different shapes,

sizes, and colors.

And once you understand them,

you'll be able to see them even when they're not there.

So, let's take a look at this first example.

We can see that the lines are moving from bottom left to top right.

So, they're indicating direction, there is a sense of movement,

we're moving from point A, to point B.

The top right corner is where the information is, so

these lines are directing us there.

And the thickness of the lines communicate something, so thin lines are elegant,

while thicker lines tend to look strong, they have more presence.

So, this is a very successful way of using lines that are very visible.

On the second example, we have wavy lines that communicate movement,

they're not straight, straight lines usually communicate structure, and

they are more rigid.

So, wavy lines are a different type of grid,

they add a little bit more of a chaotic energy, and, yeah,

straight lines would just indicate order.

In this case, the lines are superimposing each other,

they're creating a very different type of grid, waves, so, they are more relaxed.

And on this last example,

the lines are being used to cut the direction of the image.

So, the subject on the image is looking towards the right, and

then we have the line crossing towards the left side.

We also have to pay attention to how this line is used in contrast to

the organic image, to the waves, something so organic that has so

much movement, so, the lines tend to add more rigidity.

So, here the line is also supporting the neatly designed information by

dividing the top, from the bottom information.

Lines also can be seen as grids.

So, in this example, we can see that there is probably a four to five column grid.

And once you start to see this,

you will be looking at design compositions in a different way.

You'll be able to see if they're using a rule of third, or

how many columns you're using, on one page, or a poster.

And that's really useful to figure out how specific design composition is

working through a balance, or variety, and all of those other principles.

So, next let's take a look at shape.

A shape is the result of enclosed lines to form a boundary.

Shapes are two-dimensional, and they can be classified as geometric,

organic, and abstract.

Geometric shapes are often mathematical, and have structure.

They're very precise, they can be squares, circles, or rectangles, triangles.

So, in this example, we have a pattern made up of different geometric shapes,

we have exact triangles, squares, curves, circles.

So, this specific image doesn't really represent anything from real life.

And this type of shapes communicate structure, and

rigidity, because they are so exact.

Next, we have organic shapes.

Well, they lack well-defined edges, and often feel more natural and smooth.

In this case, this fluid shape gives the notion of liquid, and natural movement,

and the mix of colors also emphasize the depth of the organic shape.

And last, we have abstract shapes.

So, these are more minimalist representations of reality.

And for instance, a stick figure of a person is an abstract shape.

Here we have a trumpet, and a violin,

that have been redesigned with geometric shapes, exact circles, straight lines,

mathematical curves, but they represent something in real life.

Another example, abstract shapes usually are logos,

logos are distilled to their more basic shapes.

So, we can see sometimes elephants, or

bears that have been distilled to something very basic,

depending on what the concept is for the logo.

Next up, we have form.

Form, or positive space, anything like a dot, line, or shape,

that is resting over the space.

Form, and space, are mutually dependent, so altering one would alter the other.

And we can use these two concepts to add 3D qualities to a design,

or create tension, and that will keep the user engaged.

So, let's take a look at some examples here.

And this first image is the perfect example of positive-negative relationship.

The positive space is the hand, and the bottom of the light bulb, and display of

the shape between the hand cupping to create a light bulb with a negative space,

makes the poster even more interesting, and impactful for the user.

So, in this case, again the hand and the bottom of the light bulb

are the positive element, and the background would be the negative element.

On this next example we have a cover, and here the type elements and

the the photo are the positive space.

And this is a good example again, of balance between positive and

negative space.

The cover feels airy, the photo helps in it being 50% white, and

the dark elements are very few.

Well, there are elements that cover most of the page,

there is still a good balance between the two concepts.

And then we have this awesome poster example,

that it is also a great example of display of positive, and negative space.

So, the positive space is the image, and the text,

the image has a very cool red blue treatment, and

then we have the text that is placed over the negative space.

So, in this case the negative space is the white space, or the white background.

Next up is space, or negative space.

Space is the area that surrounds a shape, and that creates a form, so,

think of it as music, and space would be the silence between the notes of a song.

If all the notes were played together, then that would create noise.

So, if you look at it as a science piece,

the negative space is the area that is not occupied by any elements.

And if we look at this first example, the negative space is the black area.

So, while there is play between positive, and negative space,

and minimalism, this poster feels balanced..

There isn't an equal amount of positive, and negative space, but

the relationship of the elements to the background, make it more balanced.

And this relationship also creates a play with the element,

or the icon that is being shown in the image, we can see a fork,

some bottles of wine, and then we have the information at the very top right.

So, if this information was scattered around the black space, or

the negative space, then it will create too much noise.

So, we're creating organization in a good composition, very minimalist composition,

by having just the information at the top right corner.

On this next example, we have an abstract neon sign image, and

the black background is also the negative space.

So, this is a good example of an airy image,

we have a very busy neon design, and that is contrasted

by the margin around it, and the black background.

So, there's a good amount of margin, no obstructions on the image, and

that makes it feel very airy.

And then, if we want to create this relationship to musical notes,

let's say, the smaller the elements, the higher the pitch of the sound, and

the heavier the element, the lower the pitch.

So, here we can see that each corner contains a small element, and

the main image is right in the center.

Well, there are many elements on this design,

the negative space is used to add abundant lightness.

So, if you look at our design piece,

the negative space is the area that is not occupied by any element.

So there is a lot of airiness, there is a lot of clarity, within this design,

we can very easily spot where the information that we need is placed on.

And this again, helps the user, it's all ultimately for

the user that we're designing for, so, that is negative space.

And next we have color.

Color, we can apply color to any of the elements that we have talked

about before this point.

And color can add emphasis, and mood to a specific design.

It also depends on the connotation that the specific colors is associated with.

So, there are different characteristics with color, let's start with hue.

Hue is the name of a color in it's purest form, so,

there is no white, or black, or gray, added to it.

So, for instance cyan, magenta, and green, are pure colors.

Next up, we have shade.

And shade is the addition of black to a hue,

in order to make a darker version of it.

So, in this example, we can see that the blue has different shades

from its normal hue, to darker areas, and this can also add a lot of depth.

Next we have tint, and tint is the addition of white to a color,

to make a lighter version of it.

So, in this example, we can see that the purple has some white added in some parts,

and the combination of the tint, and the hue,

gives this abstract shape, more dimension, and more depth.

Next, we have tone,

and tone is the addition of gray to make a color a little bit more muted.

These colors tend to look a little bit muddy sometimes, or dirty.

So, this example features colors that have gray in them, therefore

not looking bright, or too light, or too dark, instead it looks just muted.

Next, we have saturation, saturation refers to the purity of a color.

So, a specific color is most intense when it is not mixed.

And with white, or black, and on this example,

we can see a mix of mostly saturated colors, and a few desaturated areas.

Like here, where there is an illusion of a shadow.

So, that creates more depth.

In design, there are two color systems, we have RGB, and CMYK.

RGB is a system dedicated to digital design.

So, this additive system stands for red, green, and blue.

The colors are produced by adding primary colors together,

to create various combinations.

So, this mode should be used for designs that will only be used on screens.

If you want to output your design as a printed piece,

then you have to work with CMYK.

And it is very very important that when you create a new file, be InDesign, or

Photoshop, or Illustrator that you set the right color space, right from the GetGo.

Otherwise, if you try to, let's say, convert to CMYK, to RGB, or

the other way around, it usually happens, the colors can look muted.

So, CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and

black, black is the K for key.

And that's it for color.

Next, we have value.

Value refers to the darkness, or lightness of a specific hue.

So, for instance, yellow has a lighter value compared to purple,

because purple is a darker color.

So, if we were to transform these two colors into black and white,

or gray, yellow tends to be lighter, and purple is darker.

Value in a design piece, at contrast, in depth.

So, let's take a look at some examples here.

On this first example, we can see a mix of light, and dark colors,

so, this is a contrast in values.

And InDesign using different tonal values can create again, contrast, but also

the illusion of movement by overlapping multiple elements with different values.

So, again if we turn this image into grayscale,

we can see a high contrast between light, and dark.

On this particular example, if we switch the image again into black and white,

we can see that the value of the orange, and the blue, are the same.

So, while these two colors are contrasting,

the values avoid making them as contrasting as they could be.

So, that's a reason why the design can look flat sometimes.

We can also see that there's credation here, and here.

And that means that there is high value between this, and this, and that creates

an illusion of movement by overlapping multiple elements with different values.

In photography, a high value image is airy, and light, and

this image is taken with lots of light, and

if turned into black and white, it will will be mostly light.

Compared to this other image, that is mostly dark values,

making the image more dramatic, and heavy.

So, next up, let's take a look at texture.

Texture adds a tactile appearance to a design,

the goal here is to add depth to a 2D surface.

So, texture can be applied graphically, through the use of patterns,

or either digitally create a texture, that mimics real life.

Or they can be also used as actually embossing, let's say,

a design like a business card, or using a textural paper.

As examples here, we have a halftone image,

that resembles old scenes, pop art, or even old newspapers.

And depending on the size of the halftone and concentration,

it is possible to create shadow in light.

So, while the texture is 2D, it can add a three-dimensional quality to the image,

because of the different sizes of the dots.

Next up, we have this chalk texture.

And this is highly texturized, it can be used to enhance the design by giving

hint of a specific concept for the artwork.

So, for instance, we can use this type of texture on a school poster,

elementary school poster, more specifically.

It will really help bring it up to life,

even if the actual texture is not existing when you touch it,

but at least it is there visually.

Textures can also be physical, so, like we mentioned,

embossing a business card, or a paper, using different papers that

have texture, that can really elevate the design for any user.

It can look like it's high quality, it is more memorable, and

when it is well done, it can also look very expensive, and special.

So, it is a nice touch for the user.

And now, let's take a look at the conclusion for this course.

In this course I show you the basic elements of design.

Understanding these building blocks, will help you create successful design pieces.

We looked at how line can add direction, the different shape classifications,

the relationship between form, and space, or positive and negative space,

color characteristics, value contrast, and texture benefits.

As a professional working designer,

you will need to know how to describe your design piece to your clients.

And training your eyes can help you grow as a designer, and

also achieve a higher level of design sensibility.

If you're looking for creative templates, be sure to check out Envato Elements.

It is a great resource, with photographs, fonts, graphic templates, and

many more assets.

If you're new to design, be sure to check out our courses, and videos,

on our channel.

My name is Laura Keung, and from all of us at Envato Tuts+.

Thank you for watching, and

we'll see you on the next one.

>> [MUSIC]

[MUSIC]