Why do people create designs? <img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-270" title="ESsplat003clr" src="http://blog.exprez.in/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ESsplat003clr-227×300.png" alt="cool design" width="227" height="300" srcset="http://blog.exprez.in/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ESsplat003clr-227×300 viagra holland kaufen.png 227w, http://blog.exprez.in/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ESsplat003clr.png 454w” sizes=”(max-width: 227px) 100vw, 227px” />

May be it is a design of a beautiful home or a cool graphic design for a web site. It may be a new clothing line or footwear. They all have something in common. Through a design, the creator tries to communicate a message, which would have been difficult to express merely by words.

Creating great designs is not easy. However, anyone can be a better designer by understanding the basics.

Every design usually starts with an inspiration. May be it is a real life event or a stretch of one’s imagination. The designer has to do a lot of groundwork to convert the inspiration to something more tangible. This process requires deeper knowledge about the elements of design.

Elements of design

Every design has certain building blocks or basic elements. To a large extend, clever and appropriate usage of these basic elements determine the appeal of a design.

Line

A line is basically a collection of dots. It may be straight or curved and may vary in thickness. While it may be simply used to underline text, create a border or a margin, it can also be used to make intricate artworks.

Shape

A shape is a two dimensional enclosure formed by a number of lines. It can further be filled with colors and textures, or simply serve as an enclosure for a text.

Form

A form is a three dimensional object which is a result of combining similar or varied shapes together to give a depth to the design.

Space

Space is another two dimensional element defined by length and width. It may be positive or negative, i.e. space might be left empty as “white space” or may be occupied with other elements of the design. While details are important in a design, so is the correct white-spacing.

Color

Color is considered as one of the most expressive elements of a design and it can make or break the impact of the design on the viewer. Color can be used to effectively fill up a white space. More importantly, colors can evoke strong emotions which might be a very critical factor especially for web design.

Value

Value refers to the relationship between dark and light. The value or contrast is often controlled in such a way that the design is neither too dull and monotonous nor too bright and ”in the face”.

Texture

Texture is the richness or detailing on the surface. It can simply be visual like a pattern or tactile which can actually be felt by touch. It gives an altogether different hue to the design

Type

Finally, the type or the text is used to convey very specific information clearly. It may be colored or in an interesting font to break the monotony.

Common mistakes

Designers should pay attention to some of the common mistakes.

• Too little white space
• Unequal spacing
• Very bright or unpleasant color scheme
• Monotonous design resulting from excessive repetition or lack of texture

A skilled designer knows how to make use of the basic elements in his or her designs to make the desired impact on the targeted audience. Although artistic creativity does develop with practice and experience, it is necessary to have a strong theoretical know-how of the above mentioned basic elements to create a successful design.