InDesign

Color * Figure/Ground * Framing * Hierarchy

 

Color 

Can you imagine a world without color? Colors are a very powerful element, they convey a mood, they make you feel the things you see like a form of visual energy and they simply make the world the beautiful place it is today.  Colors have greatly enhanced the graphic design world. Value, Intensity, Tint, Shade and Saturation are all major factors of color.

The color wheel is a basic map that shows the relationships among colors. There are five different categories of color. One, the primary colors red, yellow and blue. These colors are pure and cant be mixed from other colors. Two, the secondary colors orange, purple, and green. These colors are made up of primary colors. Three, tertiary colors which are mixed with secondary and primary colors. Four, analogous colors which are built from hues that sit near each other on the color wheel. Lastly, compliments which are colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel.

 

Figure/Ground 

Figure/ground deal with shaping our visual perception. It is more commonly known as positive and negative space. It sets the frame for the design. The ability to use positive and negative space effectively is a very valuable skill for a designer to have. Figure/ground allow for a balance in the design, it adds order.

There are three ways figure/ground can be used. First being a stable relationship, this exists when a form or figure stands clearly apart from the background. Second being a reversible relationship, this exists when when positive and negative space attract our attention equally. Third being an ambiguous relationship, this exists when the viewer is challenged to find the focal point.

 

 

 

Framing 

Just as a picture is complete with a frame so is a design. Frames create a the conditions for understanding an image or object. Though frames add this sense of completeness to a design it isn’t always needed. Some designs actually work better without a frame. The most common way people frame an image or design without even knowing it is cropping. When you crop an image you redraw its borders, therefore putting the image in a new frame. Margins and bleeds are also another common method of framing as margins add a protective frame and bleeds set the frame.

Hierarchy 

Hierarchy is order. Its that simple. Hierarchy is applying importance to elements in the order that they should be received. Hierarchy can be applied used bold, italics, color, symbols and size. Its all about adding structure.

 

Illustrator

Photoshop Final

Retouching !

  

Creative Layer Mask

 

The image above is a representation layer masks done during a fun class activity.

My Four Selections

The image above is a collage of my four selections. I wanted use the theme of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. I struggled a lot with this project and I am very disappointed  with these results. I am very comfortable doing selections and layer masks but for some reason the ideas I had for this theme weren’t coming together well. I am 100% sure that I will be doing this over. I will make improving on this assignment a personal challenge of mine. I think it will be great to see the improvement I make.

Four Selection Sketches

Above is an image of some rough sketches of my four selection process.

Rhythm and Balance, Scale, Texture

Rhythm and Balance work hand in hand, its like the ocean and sand. As it relates to design balance activates and anchors elements. Imagine living a life without balance, there would be so much dysfunction. It’s the same with design, the design wont work if there is no balance. Weight throughout the design needs to be equal, the size, texture, value and shape of the elements in the design all come into play when you are trying to get a good balance. Rhythm is a repeated pattern, something that has a nice flow. Applying rhythm to a design surprises the eye of the viewer which is always a goal for designers. You want your viewers to feel intrigued or some sort of feeling when they view your work. Rhythm and Balance make achieving this goal more enjoyable and easier for the designers.

 

   Symmetry / Asymmetry and Repetition and change are ways to apply rhythm and balance .

 

“Scale can be considered both objectively and subjectively.” As a designer your work should always have some sense of scale.  You have to make your design look realistic in the context that it is representing. Size matters ! Things may appear work well on screen but once in print you can easily see where the size of your elements don’t work with your scale. It goes back to balance, the individual elements of your design need to be sized respectively to make the design balance.

Texture does wonders for a design both physically and virtually. It feels feel to a design, it takes your work out of space and gives it an address. Whether that address is the concrete pavement in Times Square or the carpet in your room it adds a great amount of detail and perspective.

 

The images above were taken from:

Graphic Design: The New Basics. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from http://www.gdbasics.com/html/book.html

 

 

 

 

Point, Line, Plane

 

Point, Line and Plane are the three essential components of design. They are seen as the building blocks of each and every design. They each play an equally important role in the design world.

The first element is point. A point marks a position in space. A point is more than just a x and y coordinate, its the most important building block of the three to me as both lines and planes consist of plenty of points. A series of points form a line and a series a line form a plane so it only makes sense that point is considered the most important.  In the world of typography the point is a period. The point serves as a sign of finality.

 

 

The second element is line. A line is an infinite series of points. The line is very crucial for type as it the baseline for text. Not only does text sit on this baseline but the line serves as a major aid as it relates to type alignment. A line can be a positive mark or a negative gap and can be represented in many different ways.

 

The third element is plane. A plane is a flat surface extending in height and width. Unlike the line, planes have breadth. The shapes we see both physical and virtually are all planes with edges. Something has undefined as a field of text is a plane. It is a plane made of points and lines.

 

The images above were taken from: http://www.gdbasics.com/html/point/point.html

UMD Graphic Design I Blogs. (n.d.). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from https://jgordonumd.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/page/2/