Key Elements of Design: Characteristics and Functional Aspects for Effective Aesthetics

1. Unit 5 Elements of Design

2. Design Characteristics • Function: how a design works. (usefulness, convenience, and organization) Successful functional design eliminates barriers. • Construction: materials and structures. Materials: fabrics, woods, metals, plastics, or stones.Structure: how the materials are assembled • Aesthetics: Beauty, pleasing appearance or effect.

3. Elements of Design • Line • Form • Space • Mass • Texture • Color

4. Line • Forms when two dots are connected • Connect the edges or outlines of objects and areas • Show direction and cause the eyes to move from one point to another

5. Types of Lines • Horizontal: Parallel to the ground. • Communicates peace, relaxation, calmness, and restfulness • Vertical: perpendicular to the ground • Height, strength, dignity, formality, and stability • Diagonal: angle between horizontal and vertical lines • Communicates levels of activity, action, excitement, and sometimes agitation • Curved: part of a circle • Communicates organization, eternity, and uniformity

6. Horizontal Lines

7. Vertical Lines

8. Diagonal Line

9. Curved Line

10. Form • The physical shape of objects. • Outlines the edges of 3D objects and contains volume and mass.

11. Types of Form • Realistic: Form looks like the real thing. • Communicates: life like, traditional, and familiar feeling • Abstract: rearranges or stylizes a recognizable object. • Communicates a contemporary, changing, creative, and artistic feel. • Geometric: uses squares, rectangles, circles, and other geometric figures to create form. • Communicates: organization, order, plannings, and a tailored look. • Free: random and flowing. Found in nature. • Communicates: sense of freedom

12. Realistic Form

13. Abstract Form

14. Geometric Form

15. Free Form

16. Using form in housing and interior design: • 3 guidelines to follow • Form follows function • Consider the function of an object then choose the form. (Chair in a dining room) • Related forms are more agreeable than unrelated forms • You eyes feel comfortable looking at similar forms • A gradual change in form smoothly directs the eyes • Too much or abrupt change in form may be unpleasant and confusing

17. Space • The area around a form (around a table) • The area inside a form (inside a room) • Consider the size of the space and its arrangement when discussing space.

18. Size of the Space • Height, length, and width describe the size fo interior space. • The affects who will use it • Large spaces can communicate feelings of openness, grandeur, or freedom. It can also make you feel small, lost, or overwhelmed • Small spaces can make you feel cozy, intimate, or comfortable. It can also make you feel very crowded.

19. Large Space

20. Small Space

21. Arrangement Of Space • Arrangement can make a small place look large and a large space look small. • To expand an area add mirrors, remove walls, expand window areas. • To create the feeling of coziness, divide the space into separate areas. (rugs, clustering furniture, adding a kitchen island)

23. Mass • Amount of pattern or objects in a space. • A space can have high mass or low mass. • High mass: a space that is visually crowded (reflects a full, congested look) • Low Mass: a space that is simple and sparse. Uses only the most essential furnishings. (reflects clean, airy feelings)

24. Low Mass

25. High Mass

26. Texture • The way a surface feels or appears to feel • Two kinds of texture • Tactile : the way a surface feels to the touch • Visual: texture that you see, but cannot feel. • Causal Feeling created by using rough textures • Elegant feeling created by smooth textures • Heavy or rough textures absorb more light so the room looks smaller • Smooth textures reflects light creating the illusion of a larger space.

27. Tactile Texture

28. Visual Texture