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.
Harmonized Hues 