7 Key Visual Elements of Graphic Design
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ScribdTranslations7 Key Visual Elements of Graphic Design
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ScribdTranslationsWhat are the 7 elements
visuals of graphic design?
The 7 visual elements of graphic design
The visual elements that we are going to combine to create in graphic design.
the Line, the Shape, the Object, the Space, the Typography, the Texture and the
Color.
We will use any of these visual design elements within
our digital canvas seeking to communicate an idea or meaning.
So, let's get to it and go through each of the visual elements one by one.
of graphic design.
I. The Line
The line is the basic visual element of all graphics, which is nothing more than
a sequence of points, connecting the path from one point to another. When
we work with lines we must pay attention to qualities such as the
thickness, color, texture, and style. These qualities can have a great
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impact on how your design is perceived, so we must have them right.
controlled.
Qualities of the line, a visual element of graphic design
A line almost always expresses dynamism, movement, and direction.
Thanks to lines, we can create tension, separate space.
graphs structure a composition. The lines can be found
also in a non-visible way in the aligned texts and paragraphs. And the fact is
thanks to the use of lines we can emphasize concepts, divide them, or even
help the viewer by guiding their reading.
However, keep in mind that a line can be made up of more than just one
my stroke. Here you can see a few examples of what I'm talking about.
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II. The form
A shape is a closed and flat space, limited to two dimensions, that
it is measured by width and height.
We can talk about two different groups of forms of the image:
• Within geometric shapes, we can encompass all figures.
what we learned in our math classes and that can
draw with the help of a ruler or a compass: triangles, squares,
circles, etc.
• And then there would be the organic forms: which are freer forms, and that
they resemble those that we can find in nature, as can
be the shape of a leaf. Organic shapes are shapes that
they draw better freehand.
Shapes can be defined by lines, color, and also by
thenegative space, what we will comment on now, a little later in this
same article.
In graphic design, when we place two shapes together, a relationship is created.
among them. Thanks to this relationship between the forms we can generate
emotions, communicate messages, empathize with an audience, carry out
emphasis on a part of the composition or even evoke
movement. But we will see this in more detail in the article on
Principles of graphic design.
Shapes are very important for conveying concepts.
visually. Since they help us give weight to our ideas, making them more
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recognizable. Thanks to the shapes we can understand traffic signals,the
symbolismand even abstract art.
A perfect example to show you the power that shapes have when it comes to
to communicate concepts are logos. Thanks to the use ofthe shapes in the
logos, companies canassociating your brand with certain valuesand emotions.
And each form has concrete evocations. For example, the
geometric shapes are also characterized by producing a feeling of
order and control, and more specifically the square is a very stable shape
and of a permanent nature, associated with concepts such as stability,
permanence, honesty, righteousness, and even balance.
III. The object
When a shape acquires three-dimensional properties, we move to
to call it Object. In order to create the illusion of depth and enhance
the volume of an object, we make use of light, shadow and the
perspective. Basically, they are the equivalents of shapes but with
three-dimensional characteristics. Objects are measured by their width, height
and depth.
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Objects, three-dimensional shapes, visual elements of graphic design
Like shapes, objects can also be divided into objects.
geometric and organic objects. Geometric objects are those that
they seem to be made by the hand of man, once again evoking order and
control. The organic ones, on the other hand, are objects that resemble more to the
made naturally.
IV. The Space
Space is the distance or area around or between the elements of our
design. When working on a design, consider not only the visual elements that
you are going to incorporate (like images, fonts, shapes...), but not
also how you will order them and group them within the composition.
We can find two types of space: Positive Space and Space
Negative.
• Within
positive space, the shapes of objects are included, or
where the focus of the design mainly falls.
• Negative space, on the other hand, is the part of the design that is not there,
the rest of the space that is between the elements. The negative space
it can be just as crucial for a design as space
positive, because it frames and contains the composition.
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Space is also a visual element of graphic design.
Thanks to space we can create the visual essence and dynamism of
a composition. You may find it very tempting to fill the whole canvas
digital with other resources, but it is important that we let breathe the
elements of our compositions.
In this example, we can see how the change of space and
the grouping of the elements creates a completely different feeling of
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the composition. The image on the left evokes order, harmony and
security, while the one on the right conveys more chaos and confusion.
V. Typography
The typography it is one of the most used visual elements in design
chart. It is one of the most direct ways to communicate visually, with
headlines or paragraphs.
If we analyze a typographic character, we will see that it is formed
by the combination of geometric and organic shapes, which result in
a new way. All the characteristics of the typographies can
decompose and synthesize into what is known as anatomy
typographic. The type of shapes that are included in the anatomy of the characters
it is what gives typography its own style and appearance. They can be rough and
lines, like those we would find in a SLAB SERIF typography, or more
organic and harmonious, like those we can find in a SERIF.
Typography is not only important because it can communicate words, its
style and layout in design can also help us to give more
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meaning to our compositions. Some fonts are part of
ofa great typographic family with different thicknesses, and this can lead us to
help when we need to emphasize ideas or create a hierarchy within
our composition.
VI. The Texture
Texture is the physical quality of a surface and refers to the
touch of an object. Now, in graphic design it is clear that we cannot
we can really feel an object, but through the texture we can capture the
illusion of touch.
Textures can be created using patterns or repetition of
images and through the texture we can achieve flat objects
they look realistic and three-dimensional. Textures may be present in
a ton of resources, such as fonts or brushes, in addition to contributing to
give depth to our shapes. But a piece of advice, try not to overdo it
this resource, as too much texture can overload your design with
ease.
VII. The Color
Color plays one of the major roles in graphic design, as the eye
Humans can distinguish approximately 1000 colors. The color
it is the amount of light that is reflected off an object, so the light takes a
very important relevance when we talk about color.
Thanks to the use of color to create emphasis, generate more harmony in our
compositions and even alter the perception of the size of objects.
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Color wheel used in color theory
Moreover, each color can evoke a different meaning. It is made of
unconsciously, and sometimes in a somewhat personal way, but we can reach
associating each color with a series of concepts or sensations. To this,
he/she knows him/her ascolor psychology.
That we must not confuse withthe color theory. The color theory is the
Technique that, with the help of the color wheel, contains a series of guidelines.
and basic rules for choosing colors, aiming to achieve more harmony in
our design.