Elements of Design - Time

Element of Design - Time
The final element of design which is not always thought about is time.  We tend to create space for the now and don't think about how the space will age and how time will influence the design.  Mother nature's forces have a way of affecting the way material look over time.

Colors fade, textures and forms will erode and shapes might even change so, designers need to think about this and design with the future in mind.

We also need to think about using sustainable materials in design so there is less impact on the earth.  Embrace older materials and mix with new to create a very unique design which will get better with age.

Designers also need to be aware of how people's impression and preferences may change with time.

The picture above shows how time has worn the brick down and allowed for grass to grow within it. This space has a great cozy feel with the weathered materials.  Also it shows a great way to use old materials in new spaces by the use of reclaimed barn wood as the house siding.

I also love using copper as an exterior material since it creates a great patina look with time as shown to the right.

It is important to embrace the element of time and create spaces that have a more timeless feel so they age well.

Below are a few of my tips I use while designing to create space that has a more timeless look:

• Use natural colors for the more expense materials in your spaces. They shouldn't be too trendy.
• Mix different natural materials in your design to create interest
• Use color with paint and accessories since they are easy and cheaper to update when the color you used goes out of style.
• Keep to simple designs that are not to trendy, clean and simple

I use these design tips for commercial and residential design and it has worked well the last 14 years.

Time is a very important element of design since we need to think about creating space that will last a while and improve with age.

References:

1. Kilmer, Rosemary & Kilmer W. Otie (1992). Designing Interiors. Orlando, FL.  Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers. pp 97

Elements of Design - Form

Elements of Design - Form
The final element of design is form.




Form is any 3D object.  Each form has depth, height and width.  Forms also are defined by light and dark












 Types of Form:
There are two types of form;

• Geometric or man made forms
• Squares, circles, etc..
• Natural or organic forms 
• leaves, snowflakes, etc..

Forms may be created by the combining of two or more shapes.  They can also be enhanced by tone, texture and color.

Form follows function

A principle associated with modern architecture / design in the 20th century that the shape of a building or object should be the primary based upon its intended function or purpose.  

The American architect Louis Sullivan lead the form follows function concept.  Below is his full quote:

    "It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, or all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things super-human, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, That the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function.  That is the law."

I love modern design and the simple concept of form follows function.  The image above some one of my favorite classic furniture, the Knoll tulip table and chair.  They form of the chair follows the line of the back to make a comfortable sit.

Using the correct forms can make or break good design.  They are very powerful elements in design.

References:

1. Saw, James. "Design notes". Palomar College.
2. "The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered," published Lippincott's Magazine (March 1896).

What is next?

I have finished writing about the elements of design and I am going to start writing about my favorite time of year, fall!  

It is that time and I am going to shift to fall color and fashion treads before writing about the design principles.

I hope the blog series of design elements have been helpful understand the core of design.

Elements of Design - Space

Elements of Design - Space    
Space is concerned with the area the design will take place on.  

Categories of Space: 
There are four types of space:

• Positive space - It is similar to positive shape that it is the figure or foreground space and the focus of the design.
• Negative space - It is similar to negative shape that it is the empty space that is the background or what surrounds the subject matter.
• Shading - Shading adds gradation marks to make an object in 2 dimensional surface seem it is 3 dimensional.  Below are the 5 kinds of shading light which used together create 3 dimensional look. 
• Highlights, Transitional Light, Core of the Shadow, Reflected Light, Cast Shadow
• Perceptive - It is the graphic arts that is an approximate representation of and image that is perceived by the eye on a flat surface.
• Non Linear Perspective - Is the method of showing depth that incorporates the following techniques:
• Position - The placement of an object higher on the page which makes it appear farther back than the other objects place on the lower part of the page.
• Overlapping - When an object overlaps another object it appears closer and the object behind the object appears farther away.
• Size variation - Smaller objects look farther away in the distance and larger objects look closer.
• Color - Bright colors look like they are closer to you and neutral colors look like they are farther away.
• Value - Lighter values look like they are farther back and darker value looks like they they are closer.
• Linear Perspective - Is the method of using lines to show the illusion of depth in a picture.
• One point perspective - When lines are created by the side of objects and they all meet at one point on the horizon.
• Two point perspective - When two lines look as they are meeting at two points on the horizon line.

References:

1. Saw, James. "Design Notes". Palomar College.

Elements of Design - Texture

 Elements of Design - Texture
The next design element and one of my favorites besides color is texture.

Texture is the way a surface feels or is perceived to feel.  Texture can be added to attract or repel interest to an element depending on the pleasantness of the texture.

Types of Texture:
There are two main types of texture.

• Tactile Texture is the actual three dimensional surface that you can feel.  The photo above is one of the design projects I worked on that used a lot of types of texture.  The wall is a drywall tile that creates a three dimensional texture to a wall which created the look of frosting in this space.
• Visual Texture is the illusion that a surface has peaks and valleys.  Lots if images of nature and art appear they have a texture but it is smooth to the touch.  

Most textures have a natural feel but still have a repeat in some way.  The regularly repeating of a motif will result in a texture that appears as a pattern.

 The images in the blog post are from a project I worked on which used lots of different textures to create the sophisticated look and feel of the space.

The feature wall is a drywall tile that when installed creates a tactile texture of waves on the wall.  I also found a light fixture used at the bar that has the same waving tactile texture as the wall to tie the space together.

The kitchen wood is very smooth maple with a tight grain which is a contrast to the wavy texture of wall.  The final texture used in the kitchen is a small 1"x1" mosaic tile which adds texture and a hint of sparkle.

  The rest of the space is in a deep red and brown paint color with a hint of greenish tan.  The meeting space across from the kitchen has a large dining table which are two large pieces of rustic walnut which created the top which adds visual texture into the space. It is smooth so people can use it to eat on or meet at with their laptops but you can see the very textured wood grain in the table top.

The sofas are a nubby brown fabric to create a cozy feel.  The space is defined by a large semi-shear drapery that create a visual texture and creates privacy since the meeting space is next to a main traffic path.

The use of many types of texture together can really create a nice cozy and sophisticated feel.  This applies to interior design and fashion.

In fashion, mix a smooth pant with a more textured top and top it off with a necklace with depth and sparkle to take it up a notch. 

I do use my design elements and principles in my fashion choices and how I design my work projects, home and garden.  The are key things to learn when creating any type of design.

References:

1. Saw, James. "Design Notes" Palomar College.

Elements of Design - Shape

 Elements of Design - Shape
The next design element to discuss is Shape.

A shape is a defined as an area that stands out from the space next to it or around it due to a defined or implied boundary or because of differences of value, color or texture.  All objects are composed of shapes and all other elements of design are shapes in some way.

Categories of Shape
There are 6 categories of shape.

• Geometric Shapes: These are the shapes that can be drawn using a ruler or compass.  Mechanical or geometric shapes produce a feeling of control or order no matter how simple or complex they are. 
• Organic Shapes: These shapes are drawn freehand and are more complex and are normally found in nature.  They are free flowing, informal and irregular.  Organic shapes produce a natural feeling.
• Positive Shapes:  These shapes are the solid forms with in the space.  The wood beams in the photo below create the positive shapes.
• Negative Shapes:  These shapes are the space around the positive shape or the empty space.  The circles shown in the picture above are negative shapes.
• Static Shape:  These shapes have the appearance of being stable and at rest.
• Dynamic Shapes:  These shapes have the appearance of being active and moving.

I feel calm when my life has order so it does not surprise me I feel my commercial and residential design with geometric shapes.  I also love the Mid Century Modern style that uses lots of squares, circles and rectangles along with with simple clean lines.

Shape is a powerful element.  It can be used to create a feeling of control, bring in a natural feeling, calm or motion.







References:

1. Saw, James. "Design Notes" Palomar College. 
2. Cindy Kovalik, Ph. D and Peggy M.Ed. "Visual Literacy".

Elements of Design - Color

Elements of Design - Color
 The next and one of my favorite elements of design is color.  Color is the hue, shade or tone of an object.





Categories of Color
There are 3 basic categories of color.

• Primary Color - They are red, blue, and yellow.  
• These colors are equal distant on the color wheel and are used to make up other colors.  
• Most large companies use primary colors since people think of them as safe are people relate to the colors ( Walmart, Target, McDonalds etc..)
• I have found these 3 colors are very safe colors to use at work and home design and people do except them easily.
• Secondary Colors - They are orange, violet and green.  
• These colors are created by mixing of two primary colors.  
• Secondary colors are used to be more vibrant than the primary colors and more unique.  
• Companies that use secondary colors are trying to stand out and are sometimes are more sophisticated than the standard Primary colors (Starbucks, and Home Depot) 
• I have found that people have strong positive and/or negative reactions to Secondary colors at work and in home design.  Some people love or hate orange, purple and with green, it all depends on the shade of green you pick.
• Tertiary Colors - They are Red-Orange, Yellow-Green, and Blue-Violet.
• These colors are formed by mixing of a primary and secondary color.
• Tertiary colors also are not as accepting as primary colors for people.
• They do ad a layer of richness to a color palate and makes it feel less childlike and more sophisticated.

Below is the color wheel to show you the 3 different types of color.

Color is categorized by how the colors are used together.

• Analogous colors:
• The analog color are those colors that lie on either side of it in the color wheel.
• For an example, Red, red-orange and orange.
• Complementary colors:
• These colors are opposite of the color wheel and when placed next to each other they look bright.
• When they are mixed together they neutralize each other.
• For an example, blue & orange or red & green, or violet & yellow

Perceptual attributes of color

There are tree attributes of color which creates the millions of different colors used in our world.

• Hue - It is the redness, blueness or yellowness in each color
• Value - It is the lightness of color.  Tints and shades of color that are created by adding black to a color for a shade and adding white for a tint.  Creating a tint or shade of a color reduces the saturation.
• Saturation - This is the color's brightness or dullness

Grouping of colors

There are also three grouping of colors that have similar characteristics.

• Monochromatic is the where one color is used but in a different value or intensity.
• For an example, using a dark brown, brown and light brown colors together
• Warm colors are the colors on one side of the color wheel that give the felling of warmth.
• For an example, red, orange and yellow
• Cool colors are the colors on the opposite side of the color wheel as the warm colors and they give a feeling of coolness.
• For an example, blue, violet and green

Ways I use color in design

I love using color in my interior design and fashion. 

 I like to start with a neutral background and add layers of color into the design.  I like to use color as accents and end the use of color at an inside corner.  I use color to create/accent an architectural element in the design.  

Like the picture shows the use of red near the TV adds in a layer and a pop of color which a white background.  I also like to add pops of color with accent pieces.  (I tend to use color the same with interior design as I do fashion which is really fun).  

I also use color in my Corporate projects to organize the space.  I am using warm colors on the east side and cool colors on the west side of my Canada project to create order and way finding.  So if you are standing in a green space you know you are on the west side of the floor.

The use of color in ways that is can be changed out as color trends change.  I use it in less expensive materials (fabric, paint & accessories) and use neutral colors for the more expensive things (wood cabinets, carpet, furniture).  This allows the space to easily be updated with low cost as trends change.

Never be afraid of color.  It is a simple way to energize a space or outfit!

References:

1. White Alex, (2011). The Elements of Graphic Design, New York, NY Allworth Press pp 81-105.

Elements of Design - Line

Elements of Design - Line
One of the key things I learned in college while studying Interior Design were the Design elements and principles.
 Elements of design are the fundamental building blocks to art or design.  Design principles describe how the design elements come together to create design.

I use the 6  elements of design and 9 principles of design everyday at work and at home.  I wanted to write about each design element and principle to explain how to use them together to create visually pleasing design.  Learn, do, teach

LINE
Line is an element of design that is used define shape, contours and outlines.  It is as simple as two connecting point form a line and each line has length, width and direction.

Lines are used in the following ways in design:

• Contour lines - They describe the shape of an object and defines or bounds an edge,.  
• Divide space: - A line that defines the edge of space and can also create a gap of negative space.  They create outlines of shapes.
• Expressive line - Line that are energetic and catches the movement & gestures of an active thing.
• Implied line - Lines that are not actually drawn but created by a group of object seen from a distance.

I love mid century design which uses crisp clean lines.  The image of the bathroom above shows a wonderful use of straight lines to create order, unity and defines the space.

I will write more often now as I touch on these fun key design elements and principles.  It is fun to share ideas and I hope you can learn to look and understand design better after I write about the elements and principles.

References:

1.  Saw, James. "Design Notes" Palomar College.
2. Lovett, John. "Design and Color"
3. Bartel, Marvin. "Composition and Design".