Basic Design Techniques FCS 485

Why Design? People have the power to create More discriminating of other people’s work Customers are influenced by visual presentation A well-designed piece is more likely to be read, remembered and respected

Why Design? Reasons to design your own business marketing tools It’s fun It’s fast It’s less expensive It’s empowering

Design Basics 7 Elements of Art Color Value Line Shape Form Texture Space

Color The color wheel Primary, Secondary & Tertiary colors

Color The color wheel Primary, Secondary & Tertiary colors Complimentary Colors Lowers intensity Contrasting Colors Bold Color choice should be consistent with your design look.

Color Mood

Cool Colors Blue and Green Warm Colors Yellow and Red Can mix colors to get warm or cool shades of the same color White Can be warm or cool depending on what colors it is paired with Black Always cool

Line Use variation in line but now too much Be aware of directional lines

Shape Design is basically the arrangement of shape Positive Shapes Elements Negative Shapes Empty white space Integration of positive and negative space Repeat a color in both areas

Texture Good for backgrounds Helps design Adds dimension Use texture to give an extra punch but don’t let it steal the show

Space Don’t try to cram too much into a space White space A little is good Refreshing to the eye

Ways to Achieve Unity Proximity Spatial relationships between elements Create appropriate relationships and prevent inappropriate relationships Put text near the heading Repetition Repeat elements of the design throughout the piece Colors Textures Typefaces Graphic style

Ways to Achieve Emphasis Focal Point Biggest & Brightest Object Most important item should be the biggest Contrast Can’t contrast similar elements Isolation Balance Directional Lines

Balance Symmetrical Safe and clean but boring Asymmetrical Extra punch if pulled off correctly Balance is still needed

Layering Can make things more interested If not too cluttered More attractive Adds dimension Drop shadows or 3D to achieve dimension Flat is clean but can be boring

Flower Festival

Typefaces Serif Small bars at the ends of strokes Use when you have a lot of text to read San Serif Headings and subheadings Script Decorative

Text Direction Text should only slant up to the right. Never down.

Composition Balance using elements Rule of 3rds Don’t put stuff in the middle, use the outer thirds

Alignment Lack of alignment is one of the biggest problems for new designers Make sure everything on your page is aligned with some other item on the page Don’t almost align things If items aren’t aligned, make sure they really aren’t aligned

Activity Look through a magazine and find examples of each of the following: Complimentary colors Contrasting colors Warm colors Cool colors Line variety Directional lines Texture Repetition Symmetrical Balance Asymmetrical Balance Layering Serif and San Serif Types