THE FUNDAMENTALS OF DESIGN

                              In the previous Interior Design blog we mentioned briefly about the elements of design and how it acts as the foundation of any design. The only way to look for to create a beautiful design is to understand the fundamentals of design, which are the elements of design:

•     Line
•    Space
•    Shape
•    Colour
•    Texture  

 Line:

           A line is formed by joining two dots. A line is the visual direction of a design and they act as the directional element of design and can be manipulated in various ways to create beautiful designs. It can be used to create emphasis or to hide disguise in a design. There are different types of lines, which includes: horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curved, zig-zag, etc. These types of lines should be carefully analysed before using in a design. Examples of horizontal lines can be the floor, sofas, etc, while vertical lines can be seen in tall furniture, columns, draperies, etc. Diagonal, curved and zig-zag lines should be used in sparse so that it does not create too much tension in the visual aspect.

1.    Space

           Space is the area around or between elements in a design. It can be used to separate or group elements together. Any space can have either two dimensions (length and width) or three dimensions (length, width, and height). These spaces should be accurately utilized to create a pleasing design. Large spaces should be designed to not create a feeling of being exposed and smaller spaces should not give the feeling of being congested. The planning of a space is very important and in interior design, any space will form a meaning only with the placement of furniture and other artifacts required for the design. Space manipulation is a very important factor in design, as space can emotionally affect the well being of a person as well as affect the behaviour of the user.

1.      Shape

         Shape is created by intersecting lines to create 2d objects like squares, rectangles, circles, etc. Perfectly geometric shapes are comfortable and pleasing to the eye, while imperfect geometric shapes create tension as well as draw the observer’s eye to the design. Each shape cultivates a different psychological feeling in the observer and we tend to use stable shapes like squares and rectangles most of the time. Circles give a feeling of continuous movement, whereas triangles tend to draw our eye to the top.

1.    Colour

          If there is one element that is capable of manipulating the other elements, it is colour. Colour is considered as the most important element of design. We are all aware of how colour affects our moods and perceptions. Different color creates varied emotions in humans and that in turn affect the psychological mood of the person. The use of colour in any design should be based on the colour schemes utilizing the colours on the colour wheel; primary, secondary and tertiary colours. The other colour schemes that can be used in the design are: complementary, analogous, monochromatic, warm and cool. These schemes are created to make a design pleasing and attractive to the observer.

1.      Texture

            The texture is the tactile quality of an object, where tactile refers to the perception of touch. Textures create depth to a design and they can be described as smooth, hard, rough, undulating, ribbed, crinkled, etc. We perceive textures with the knowledge of touching the material and the memory created with it. While smooth textures reflect light and make the surface appear lighter, rough textures absorb light and make the surface look dull. Using many textures in a space makes it over-stimulating, therefore one dominant texture should be decided and the others can be used as an accent to create a contrasting effect.