Elements & Principles of Design

This element of design is the path of a moving point and defines the edges of shapes and forms:

• Value

• Line

• space

• color

This element is an area enclosed by line. It can be geometric or organic.

• Texture

• Shape

• Space

• Form

This element of design is 3-dimensional and occupies space:

• Form

• Shape

• Space

• Line

This element of design is the most expressive and is seen as the way light reflects off a surface:

• Color

• Line

• Texture

• Space

This element refers to the lightness or darkness of a color and is sometimes called 'shading':

• Line

• Form

• Color

• Value

This element refers to the way something feels or the way something looks like it would feel:

• Shape

• texture

• line

• space

This element refers to objects having depth or how near or far objects are in a work of art:

• Value

• Shape

• Color

• Space

This principle refers to how elements are weighted in a design

• Pattern

• Contrast

• Balance

• Unity

This principle refers to the repetition of elements in a work of art

• Movement

• Pattern

• Rhythm

• Unity

This principle refers to big differences between elements. Ex: Big/Small, Warm/Cool, Hard/Soft

• Contrast

• Balance

• Emphasis

• Pattern