The Elements of Design
There are seven elements of graphic design that are the starting point of your design ideas: Line, Shape, Texture, Space, Size, Value and Color. Each of these elements is a building block to a good layout.
You are probably familiar with most of these elements from everyday life so there is nothing mysterious about them. Each one of these elements can be used to design different layouts depending on how you use them.
When using the elements of design, it is important to know which elements are necessary and which are not. Knowing this will keep your layouts clutterless and help strengthen your design. We will explore each of these elements in this section.
Lines
The first element of design is the line. Lines can be used in a variety of ways in a layout: they help to organize information; they can direct your readers ' eye as to the
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Shape is any element that you use to give or determine form. Shapes also communicate ideas. For example, an international company may use a circle in their logo that could suggest the earth. Unusual shapes attract attention. Because people are used to seeing images in regular shapes such as a rectangle, using a shape such a star would call attention to that image. Another example would be arranging type in a shape rather than in vertical columns.
There are three ways that shape enhances your layout. First, shape helps to sustain the reader 's interest. Shapes can be used to break up a page that uses a lot of text. Second, shape is used to organize and separate. A part of the text can be placed in a shape with a colorful background and will add variety to the page. Lastly, shape can be used as a conceptual tool. You can use shape to lead your reader 's eye through the design. In layouts, the eye looks for a place to begin and will follow through the design to the end. Shape can help you keep your reader 's