What is graphic design

Graphic design is a creative discipline that involves visual communication and problem-solving through the use of design elements and principles and layouts.

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It is the process of combining these elements to create visually appealing designs that convey specific messages or evoke certain emotions.

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Graphic designers utilise various tools and software to create designs for print materials, digital platforms, branding, advertising, and more. The goal of graphic design is to effectively communicate information, enhance user experiences, and create visual identities that resonate with the intended audience.

Learning Intentions

• We will be able to use design elements (like line, colour, and texture) and principles (such as balance and contrast) to create eye-catching and well-planned artwork.

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• We will be able to try different drawing techniques and materials to improve our skills and discover new creative styles.

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• We will be able to give and receive feedback on our work, helping us refine our ideas and produce high-quality final pieces.

Success Criteria

• I can use design elements (like line, colour, and texture) and principles (such as balance and contrast) to make my artwork visually engaging.

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• I can experiment with different techniques and materials to develop my skills and find my own creative style.

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• I can give and receive constructive feedback to improve my work and refine my ideas.

Design Elements and Principles

This is something very important to know and remember right through to VCE and into Uni and your career, if design is something you wish to pursue. The elements and principles are very useful in creating the right AESTHETIC when creating art.

Design Elements

1. Line is a continuous mark on a surface. It can be straight, curvy, precise, of consistent weight, broken, dotted or rough and textured.
2. Point is the smallest element of a visual communication. It can be a dot but it is not necessarily circular. Point can be repeated to create shade, tone or texture.
3. Shape is an enclosure. It can be simply an outline, a ‘stroke’ in digital media or an area of colour, shade or texture, a ‘fill’ in digital media. It can be organic, geometric, hard-edged.
4. Form is a three-dimensional entity in visual communication.
5. Tone is light or dark variation of any colour. In communication design tone is used to describe the three-dimensional nature of form in terms of its shadows and highlights, created by a light source.
6. Texture communicates a tactile aspect. It can be real or implied.
7. Colour is light in different wavelengths as they appear to the eye.
8. Type is the visual representation of word, number and character. It communicates through literal meaning of words and through visual quality of the type form.

Design Principles

1. Figure and ground work together to establish the importance of visual information within a picture plane. ‘Figure’ refers to components that are more visually dominant than the ground on which they are placed.
2. Balance refers to the arrangement of components of a visual communication in relation to a real or implied central axis.
3. Contrast refers to opposite aesthetic qualities in any design element or component present in a visual communication.
4. Cropping refers to the cutting, framing or masking of a component of a visual communication.
5. Hierarchy refers to the ‘reading order’ of a design. To establish a reading order enables a designer to first attract a viewer’s attention and then communicate ideas and information in a progressively diminishing manner.
6. Scale refers to the relative size of two or more components in a visual communication.
7. Proportion refers to the ratio between at least two dimensions of a component in a visual communication. For example, two rectangles with the same heights but different widths are of different proportion to each other.
8. Pattern is the repetition or alternation of one or more components to create a visual unit.

Task - Design Elements and Principles Poster/Mind Map

This project is an opportunity to showcase your creativity and understanding of design elements and principles. Embrace experimentation and think outside the box to create a visually stunning and informative mind map, poster or any illustration. You will have to create two poster, one for Design elements and one for Design principles.

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Instructions:

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1. Think about how you like to illustrate your drawing. Is it a poster, a mind map or what kind of format?
2. Research and gather visual examples that represent your chosen design element and principle, then draw.
3. Incorporate different media such as drawings, rendering, magazine cutouts to enhance your presentation.
4. Clearly label and illustrate each design element and principle, providing a brief description of their characteristics and significance.
5. Ensure your mind map or poster demonstrates a clear understanding of the chosen design element and principle.
6. Pay attention to composition, colour harmony, and overall aesthetic appeal in your design.

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Examples

Examples