Elements of graphic design

ach graphic design consists of a set of elements, and design often does not deviate from these elements, each element has functions and effects that have an impact on the eye and the soul, graphic design elements includes lines, shapes, colors, textures, spaces and text.

Non-specialists can distinguish between good design and poor design, because of the impact of design on the eye and the soul. It is the proper design that takes into account the principles of graphic design in the composition and distribution of its elements, and then design provides an information message and achieve the desired goal.

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Many design enthusiasts and beginners in this area believe that just learning the tools of a program such as Photoshop or Illustrator or other design programs, makes them good designers, and this is a misconception, it is not required for the designer to learn a specific program of design, not all of the professional Photoshop tools use it called a designer, the big difference between those who own tools and software commands on the computer, and those who have the basics, principles, rules and design skills, in these lines we address the elements of design.

Elements of graphic design

Graphic design consists of a set of elements, which are almost the same elements of art in most types of designs, such as decorative design and fashion design. There are many categories of specialists in the listing of elements of design but did not depart from the following elements.

First: Lines:

The line is the basic element of any design. It defines shapes, divides spaces. lines may be straight, curved, broken, free, and random, lines may be solid, dotted, or sporadic.
Lines have connotations such as:
    Italic lines may give a sense of imbalance.
    The curved lines suggest movement, smoothness, gentleness, agility and softness.
    The spiral formation may suggest discomfort and may also suggest vulva.
    The radial lines give a sense of starting, and the broken radial lines give a sense of shock or cracking of the surface.
    Thick lines attract attention from fine lines, but excessive use can cause discomfort.
Lines have functions such as:
    Guidelines that regulate elements and information and adjust balance areas.
    Illustrations that distinguish texts, and link information.
    Formal fonts which are used to divide the design panel and separate the blocks.
    Kinetic lines used to express movement or behavior.
    Abstract lines are used to simplify drawings, shapes and shadows.

Second: shapes and photo:

The shapes are drawings that have a closed space inside resulting from the connection of lines, such as square, rectangle, circle, triangle and star. The three-dimensional shapes, such as pyramid, cube and cylinder, may be random and irregular, shapes can be used in design to highlight objects, or coordinate them.
The photo is taken by the camera, either professional camera or mobile devices and other digital devices, the photo is used in some designs and has a significant impact in drawing attention, has been widespread use of images within the designs with the proliferation of digital media and the availability of millions of free images over the Internet.
Uses of shapes:
Helps to form aesthetic forms in the design structure.
Used to form blocks within the design that identify the edges of images and texts.
Used to highlight information such as address selection and framing of images and text.
Expressionist graphic forms are a lingua franca and contribute to the delivery of the design message.

Third: Colors and lighting:

Colors lend beauty to the image, highlight important elements, orient the eye, and have effects on the soul. Studies have shown that when an eye monitors a color that sends a message to the brain, it releases hormones that affect mood, emotion and behavior by color and color.
The main colors are red, yellow, and blue. The secondary colors are orange, purple and green. The color selection process is chosen according to the number of colors required for the design.
The colors have psychological and emotional implications:
    Warm colors: give a sense of warmth and intimacy, which is derived from the colors of fire, namely red, yellow and orange and degrees.
    Cool colors: give a sense of calm, derived from the colors of the sea and the sky and trees, blue, green, violet and degrees.
    Neutral colors: black, white, and gray. They are used to balance warm and cold colors, and can be used with any color without restrictions.
The colors have values which are the lighting that controls the brightness and color of the color. The increase of light opens the color and reduces the darker color. The lighting levels start from the white color through the grayscale and the black color. The different color values contributes to the image format and creates depth through the gradient of color values .

Fourth: Textures:

Textures give a special touch to the surfaces, from softness, roughness, gloss or density, and are commonly used as an alternative to solid color backgrounds, and have multiple forms such as decorative drawing, paper, grain, fiber, glass, metal, plastic and others.

The pattern is a decorative or non-decorative unit, repeated in a systematic or random manner.
Uses of raw materials:
    It gives special design character especially in the empty spaces.
Creates a sense of depth and 3D dimension as walls and etchings.
Give aesthetic effects to blocks and texts and distinguish them in solid colors.

Fifth: Area and space:

This is the negative or empty space surrounding the graphic design blocks, and the vacuum is not required to be white, it may be the same color as the vacuum in the design, and may be raw.
Benefits of blanks:
    The main benefit is eye comfort and ease of follow-up, and then leave a comfortable impression in the same scenes.
    Blanks around the blocks contribute to highlight the components of the blocks and attract attention to them.
    Give a professional impression of the design in contrast to the compact design with few spaces that leave a confusing and fragmented impression.
    Blanks contribute to the design coordination and the distinction between paragraphs of text.
    Creative forms of negative space can be created, a professional technique used by some designers.
Sixth: texts:
The text contributes to the understanding of the graphic design, clarifies its purpose, and the text is an easy element in the design, but it is important to choose simple, expressive text, and to place the text in the appropriate place in the design.