8
Elements
and
Principles of
Design By: Ashleigh Seitz
Contents Lines 4 Shape 6 Texture 8 Balance 10 Contrast/Emphasis 12 Unity 14 Value 16 Color 18
Line:
With a single stroke of a pencil (or a computer mouse) you can call this element into play. You can then manipulate the mood of your design or organize your page, depending on the kind of line you’ve drawn and its placement in your format.
What is the product or service being advertised? The product being sold is Goodyear tires.
LINE is being used in the design to: (Check all that apply) X Create a mood X Organize other elements on the page Create texture through illustration
Please thoroughly explain your answer to the question above and analyze/ describe how this advertisement or website uses LINE. Within this advertisement, the designer used two different approaches to line. One approach is seen through the layout of the roads of a highway. The complex layout of the roads would normally cause any driver to feel uncomfortable since many drivers often dislike having to take tight, round turns. However, the designer was not trying to make the driver feel uncomfortable; but instead, the designer’s intent was to make the audience feel confident and prideful. This is achieved through the phrase used over the image of the complex highway “OWN IT” with the logo for Goodyear in between the two words. Thus this changes the impact of the highway because the designer is taking a difficult driving maneuver and telling the audience and driver that they will be able to “own it” if they have Goodyear tires. The second approach is much more simplistic since it is the dividing yellow line three quarters of the way down the page. The designer uses this yellow line to organize the page. It divides between the two parts of the advertisement like one would divide a problem and the answer. The designer puts the line in between the image of the highway and the image of about half of a car driving down a highway in the rain with text to help explain the effectiveness of the tires.
Please describe the effectiveness of the use of LINE in this design.
I believe the use of line within this advertisement is used efficiently because it effectively has an impact on the audience with a feel of confidence and pride. If the designer had just put in a picture of a tire or a simpler highway image, the impact would not be as effective because it would be like just showing Goodyear tires and telling the audience to own it. The effect would be that the company is arrogant and there would be no real affect why the audience should buy Goodyear tires.
Who is the primary audience of the advertisement or website?
The primary audience of the advertisement is drivers and men who love cars because the advertisement is about tires and comes from men’s magazine that deals a lot with cars.
Shape:
Shape is another eleement that can be used alone or in conjunction with line and type to help communicate the concept of a design. Shape can be defined as any element that’s used to give or determine form.
What is the product or service being advertised? The product being advertised is Energizer Max batteries.
SHAPE is being used in the design in the following way(s): (Check all that apply) X
Photos and illustrations are creating shape through the actual shape and content of the art. Line or a line illustration is creating the predominant shape
Type is creating the predominant shape
Shaded or colored areas are creating the predominant shape
X
Shape is sustaining the viewer’s interest. Shape is organizing the page
X
Shape is helping the viewer understand the concept
Shape is leading the viewer’s eye through the design
Please thoroughly explain your answer to the question above and analyze/ describe how this advertisement or website uses SHAPE. Within this advertisement, shape is used by taking the Energizer Bunny and packing him into the form of a battery. Through this design, the designer has taken two shapes that are commonly known by the audience without having to explain or label the two shapes the Energizer Bunny and the shape of a battery, and put them together in one shape. To the audience, the Energizer Bunny is a powerful and always moving shape that has been used to commercialize the power of Energizer batteries since 1989. The designer takes this powerful shape and contains him into the shape of a battery, with the intent on showing that the new Energizer Max battery is able to hold such a powerful symbol, which in return symbolizes the amount of power that the battery is claimed to have within. With this design, the designer intrigues the audience by providing two shapes, familiar to the public, but in a new form. The impact on the audience is to have them choose this battery because it is more powerful to than the rest and one that will last. The designer also uses simple thin white lines to organize the main page between the text boxes and actual advertisement as well as in the form of a simple banner.
Please describe the effectiveness of the use of SHAPE in this design.
With the shape of the Energizer Bunny put into the shape of the battery, I believe that the design works due to the symbolism of the Energizer Bunny being such a powerful symbol and the being packed into a small battery. It helps the viewer understand the idea that the battery is one that is powerful and long lasting.
Who is the primary audience of the advertisement or website? The primary audience of the advertisement is the general population.
Texture:
Texture can be defined as an object’s visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance, or as something composed of closely interwoven elements (such as a woven cloth). In graphic design, texture is most often used as a secondary element to reinforce an idea, rather than a primary element to communicate a concept. However, it is a powerful addition to your design because it can add depth and interest to an ordinary flat design. Especially in the world of computer design where the effort to design a usable interface often leads to flat color or white backgrounds, the skillful use of texture can add a new dimension to your design.
What is the product or service being advertised?
The product being advertised is Secret French Vanilla deodorant and body mist
TEXTURE is being used in the design to: (Check all that apply) X Create a particular mood or feeling X Fill individual shapes or areas X Reinforce or support the concept of the design
Please thoroughly explain your answer to the question above and analyze/ describe how this advertisement or website uses TEXTURE. In this advertisement the designer uses different textures to draw the audience in towards the design, creating an elegant yet flirtatious mood and helping to support the idea of the design. Along with texture, there is also the use of color, particularly in shades of purple, and shape to help support the scent and feel of Secret’s French Lavender deodorant. Within the advertisement, the designer uses a large oval shape with a small seam textured border and screws positioned as if they were holding up a picture. The shapes the designer uses within the oval are to help the present the impression of a French atmosphere with the use of a castle, bread makers, a bicyclist, a painter wearing a beret, and a mime. These pictures or shapes are things that are usually used to represent France or the French culture. The firefighters are used to present the audience with a flirty atmosphere as well as to connect with the idea of the design. The designer also uses lavender bushes with the picture as well as a texture within the border around the oval shape. The girl centered in the picture is used to represent a fictional image of what the audience would be if they used the product. The use of shades of a lavender purple with her dress and on her fan help incorporate her into the design. The designer then uses a textured border to fill in the rest of the outside space and to enhance the feel of French elegance and Secret’s flirtatious attitude often used within its advertisements. The designer’a use of lavender flower outlines and elegant spiral vectors throughout the border incorporates the impression of elegance and the fragrance of lavender. However, the use of flames along the top of border help support the text that runs along the bottom of the oval that states “because you’re hot” which in turn, adds to the flirtatious side of the idea being shown through the design. It also helps support the idea of the firefighters squirting water at the girl “because [she’s] hot.”
Please describe the effectiveness of the use of TEXTURE in this design.
I like the use of texture with in the design and I believe that without it, the design would not be as effective towards the audience because there would be a lack of elegance, which is a big part of how French idea is often portrayed. The only thing I would maybe change is the flames on the top, they are a big part of the message, but they can quickly be overlooked because they are small and only at the top of the border. I think that the designer should have incorporated them better into the border to help support the message better.
Who is the primary audience of the advertisement or website?
The primary audience of the advertisement are adolescents and young women ranging from the age of 13 to about the early 20 because of its flirty feel and comes from a women’s magazine.
Balance:
Imagine yourself sitting at one end of a teeter-totter at your local park: you with the seat you occupy on the ground and the seat across from you empty and lifted off the ground. What kind of weight is required in the opposite seat to balance your weight evenly across the beam? The logical answer and probably the first one that springs to mind is that a person of equal size to you would properly balance your weight. However, that’s not your only possibility; for instance, couldn’t two persons, if each weighed half your weight, likewise balance you if they both were to sit at the other end of the teeter-totter? Of course.
What is the name of the company, organization or individual utilizing this website? http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/Makeup-88484
BALANCE is being used in the design in the following way(s): (Check all that apply) ___To create a mood. X Symmetrical balance is reinforcing the message uch as; serious, conservative, sophisticated, stable, elegant, etc. ___Asymmetrical balance is reinforcing the message such as; relaxed, informal, freeform, creative, etc. ___To create visual tension by being obviously unbalanced.
Please thoroughly explain your answer to the question above and analyze/ describe in your own words how this advertisement or website uses BALANCE. With the use of approximate symmetry, the designer gives the website a simple and sophisticated feel that often accompanies the Chanel brand. With different size rectangles, the designer is able to emphasis the more important products or collections over the others while still keep a simple and sophisticated symmetrical feel without the mirror symmetry. The designer then uses the products, shapes, within these rectangles to help guide the viewer to where they want to go. The use of a simple color palette which mainly consists of black and white, with occasional natural colors contributes to Chanel as a brand.
Please describe the effectiveness of the use of BALANCE in this design.
I think the design effectively incorporates Chanel as a brand with approximate balance, simple shapes and a simple color palette because Chanel as a brand is very simplistic and very elegant.
Who is the primary audience of the advertisement or website?
This website is geared towards generally higher class woman in their mid 20s to late 30s.
Contrast:
Contrast is an especially important principle in graphic design, and a crucial tool to communicate an idea. It is also one of the most effortless principles to put into action. As soon as you add any element to a blank page, no matter how subtle, you’ve used contrast.
What is the product or service being advertised?
The product being advertised is Oreo’s new line of themed cookies, Winter Oreos.
CONTRAST is being used in the design in the following way(s): (Check all that apply) X Strengthen an idea; support the message. ___To create a contradiction (BIG written in very small type). X Contrasting colors ___Contrasting values ___Contrasting shapes ___Contrasting texture ___Contrasting typography
Please thoroughly explain your answer to the question above and analyze/ describe in your own words how this advertisement or website uses CONTRAST. The use of contrast within this advertisement strengthens the idea of Winter Oreos through the emphasis of the Winter Oreo and milk against a plain white background. The trademark of the Winter Oreo is its red filling which causes a contrast between the rest of elements within the design. The red filling draws in the attention of the audience the center of the design since it is the only bright color on the page other than the logo at the bottom corner of the page and it is almost in the center of the design. The designer then has the Oreo look as though its red filling is a tongue and that tongue is stuck on the ice cold glass of milk, which adds a childish feel to the design since the scenario can be seen during the winter when a child’s curiosity gets the better of them and they decide to stick their own tongue to something covered in ice to see what would happen. There is also the use of texture on the glass of milk which gives of an icy feel to the design. The designer then uses the glass of milk to guide the audience down into the left corner where they have place the sign off design for Winter Oreos.
Please describe the effectiveness of the use of CONTRAST in this design.
I personally, love this design because of it has such a playful feel to its design even though its just an Oreo cookie and a glass of milk. I think the designer did a great job with use of contrast and texture to catch the audience’s eyes and to give off the feel of childhood silliness that Oreo often uses as a theme to draw in its audiences.
Who is the primary audience of the advertisement or website?
The primary audience is the general public, although it is more geared towards kids and young adolescents due to the silly childish feel of the advertisement.
Unity:
Unity is the underlying structure of a design. Think of a house: it begins with a foundation from which everything else is built. If your foundation is shaky or poorly constructed, nothing will sit solidly in the rooms above. Unity is important in a design to make everything feel as though it fits together. Repeating elements are also important in design campaigns containing multiple formats so that they in turn fit together. When a company commissions a print campaign or website, the intent is that the viewer should always recognize the identity or product being sold, whether it is a print advertisement or a website.
What is the name of the company, organization or individual utilizing this website?
Prismacolor www.prismacolor.com
UNITY is being used in the design to: (Check all that apply)
X Provide consistency X Unify the design with consistent elements (grouped/repeating elements) X Lead the viewer’s eye through the design
Please thoroughly explain your answer to the question above and analyze/ describe how this advertisement or website uses UNITY. The designer’s use of consistent Prismacolor products along with the use of close and over lapping proximity between the products and the content within each webpage design creates a unifying design and provides consistency throughout the website. The particular layout and proximity of each Prismacolor product allows the viewer to feel as though they are viewing an arrange of different types of artists’ workshop and gives off a different creative vibe with each webpage design. Despite the different layout of the products within each individual webpage, there is a sense of unity because of the designer’s consistent use of the same marked up cardboard CSS background and repetition of different Prismacolor products, although the product may not be the same or in the same position as it was on the previous page. Each Prismacolor product within the webpage designs appear as though it is or has been used. Presenting a product or products in use is a technique companies use to sell their products because it allows the viewer to get a sense of how the product is used or the various uses of a product or products. Within the layout of the Prismacolor products, there are some that overlap the content part of the page, which provides a more realistic sense to the design as well as leads the viewer onto the content page. The designer uses proximity within the content part of the pages to lead the viewer along the page or to connect something to a design on the page, for example, on the Products page, the marker is just above the marker typeface and there is a pencil and colored pencil overlapping the bottom of that design which connects them to the picture they overlap. Below there is a folded piece of paper with a colored pencil design on one corner and a marker design on the bottom corner. The designer takes the colored pencil being advertised and has it overlap the folded piece of paper point with its tip toward the corner with the pencil design and then has the marker being advertised overlapping the corner with the marker design. The use of three main script typefaces along with a rainbow color scheme tie into creating the feel of unity within the website. Please describe the effectiveness of the use of UNITY in this design. I really love the design of this website because I think that the designer does a great job with laying out the Prismacolor products in a way that a real artist would. There is a very realistic, artsy feel to the entire website and it does not lean towards a particular type of medium, like marker or paint. I think the designer has done a great job with providing the viewer with a feel of consistency within the website with the choice of elements used with the design of each page. I think there is also a sort of chaotic, but creative feel to the website because of the choice in where each product was positioned. Art tends to be messy and I really think that the designer does a great job of balancing that ‘messy’ atmosphere into each webpage. Who is the primary audience of the advertisement or website? The primary audience of this website are artists, most likely they range from art teachers to both college high school art students.
and
Value:
Value is lightness or darkness of an object. Value exerts as a powerful influence on a design, creating mood, depth, and contrast.
What is the name of the company, organization or individual utilizing this website? Rahel Menig Photography www.rahelmenigphotography.com
VALUE is being used in the design in the following way(s): (Check all that apply) X Creates a mood or feeling X Creates contrast ___Creates movement and direction Please
thoroughly explain your answer to the question above and analyze/ describe in your own words how this advertisement or website uses VALUE.
The values chosen by the designer compliment the webpage and the designer as a person. The designer uses warm analogous colors orange and yellow with a vey light tint for the polkadots. The designer continues to use the light peach color as the banner color and the color of any links on the page. This color scheme leaves the viewer with a happy and mellow feeling. The colors within the photographs are very bright and give a very natural feel which accomplishes the message Rahel Menig wants to portray as a photographer who uses natural lighting. The vibrant colors of the photographs consist of very light values of red, aqua and orange which in turn compliment each other as complementary or analogous colors.
Please describe the effectiveness of the use of VALUE in this design. I think the design is very effective in producing a natural feel with the use of value because the colors are warm, welcoming and colors that would appear in nature. By producing such light values with these colors, there is a more mellow feel about the design.
Who is the primary audience of the advertisement or website? The primary audience are young men and women who are in the process of getting married.
Color:
Color has the power to override value. Color defines the intent of a design, the feeling, and the structure. Warm colors can make the viewer feel a range of emotions from warm and fuzzy to tense to angry. Cool colors leave us feeling relaxed and calm. Viewers respond to color in part based on cultural and social influences, but color is very subjective and based on personal preference.
What is the name of the company, organization or individual utilizing this website?
Herbal Essence http://us.herbalessences.com/en-US/hair-care
COLOR is being used in the design in the following way(s): (Check all that apply) X Creates a mood or feeling X Creates visual tension and movement X Provides unity and balance Provides structure and forms a grid in a design ___Provides a sense of order Creates harmony
Please thoroughly explain your answer to the question above and analyze/ describe in your own words how this advertisement or website uses COLOR.
The designer for the Herbal Essence website uses color to create mood, and visual movement. Within the Herbal Essence products, each product line has its own color or color scheme and the designer uses those colors within the webpage to help enhance the feeling of the product. Each products has a different feeling to it and color plays a major role in what the viewer feels. For example, in the first homepage, the designer uses the complementary colors blue and orange along with an almost teal colored background and a yellow-orange color to represent the Moroccan essence along the lower part of the picture. The designer’s choice of warm tints of blue and orange gives the product the warm, Mediterranean feel which helps incorporate the Moroccan oil into the design since it originates from is Morocco, a country located in North Africa, along the Mediterranean Sea. The designer then uses a tanned skinned, brown haired model with an orange tint and a pattern texture in the background to infuse the Mediterranean image into the product. Another example, is the second slide, which consists of a very lush green leafy background with painted edges. The designer incorporates half of the herbal essence logo into the left side of the picture which contains a foliage feel with a mix of greens, yellow and brown. There is a banner in which the scents of the body washes being advertised are initiated into along with soapsuds which give the soap feel. A model is slightly right of the center, where there is a flow of roses with different values of red, getting darker as they get smaller. The roses flow away from the models body, leading the viewer towards the banner and the products which are positioned in the right front of the picture. Each bottle is a different color, representing that particular scent. The colors within the page are all colors that would be found within nature producing a natural feeling to the page and the product. The designer uses the complementary colors of red and green with a mix an of value ranges as well as blue and orange. There is also the use of analogous color blue and green and red and orange. This allows the colors to flow through the design without producing a spot where the color don’t go together even with the number of colors included.
Please describe the effectiveness of the use of COLOR in this design.
I think the effectiveness of the use of color within the design of this website really catches Herbal Essence as a brand because of its use of color to infuse the feel of product. The designer’s choice of bright colors really catches the attention of the viewer and really helps incorporate the main idea the whole page.
Who is the primary audience of the advertisement or website?
The primary audience of this website are young women mostly within the ages of 15 to around their early 30s.