Elements of Design

Design elements are the basic units of a visual image.
All imagery, art, design, and photography are comprised of elements that can be broken down. The difference between art and design is that art is made for the artist. You do not need to be an artist to be a designer.

Design Elements
Space: Positive or Negative space. Can be represented as 2d or 3d.
Line: Can vary in thickness, texture, direction.
Color: Complimentary and Analogous colors enhance the overall visual appeal and quality of the work.
Shape: Shape can be curved, geometric or abstract.
Texture: You can create texture by adding photo elements, touch-ups and layering. Implies that the image would have a texture if it was tangible.
Value: Light and dark qualities of color, used to create depth and makes 2d objects 3d.
Balance: Creating visual weight. Can be symmetrical, balanced, unbalanced, or asymmetrical

Design Principles
Unity: Makes different elements appear like they belong together in the piece.
Variety: A variation of color and shape across many objects and layers.
Repetition: Repeating a single element or shape many times to create a new effect.
Harmony: All things are in the right place. They have good repetition.
Proximity: Changing the closeness of different elements to affect the piece.
Proportion: Manipulating the element of size to imply more emotions into the piece.
Functionality: The ability for the pice to work without an over explanation of how it should work.
Emphasis: Drawing attention to a specific part of the piece to send a message.