"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." 

- Steve Jobs

According to the latest statistical data, individuals are more insightful about what they see as opposed to what they hear or read. Visual graphics tend to appeal and connect with the audience the most. And in times like these, when the competition is fierce, an organization/brand/individual needs to utilize all devices available at their disposal to win over the competition. 

What is graphic design?

In simple terms, graphic designing is the ability and the art of creating visual content for brand communication and messaging. These visuals can be as simple as a business logo, or as complex as web design pages.

Companies make use of graphic designing to create content for branding such as, posters, pamphlets, Facebook & Instagram posts, logos, charts, brochures, etc. It helps create a great first impression for a company among their target audience and help grab the required attention. And, we all know that first impression is always crucial. 

So, today, we’ll be discussing some of the very basic, yet highly crucial, elements of graphic designing which every brand must adhere to. These elements will not only help you create brand awareness, but also capture the interest of your audience. 

Basic elements of graphic designing

Broadly, there are 6 basic elements of graphic designing which every brand must consider:

• Lines

• Shape

• Color

• Space

• Texture

• Size

Lines 

The first and foremost element of designing is Lines. Yes, the same lines which, to generic readers and users like us, is a mere stroke of a pen or a pencil on a sheet, but is much more than that for a graphic designer. 

The lines can create different effects and visual impact. While a thick, bold line draws attention because of its visual power, the thin lines tend to go the other way. 

The lines can be long, red, straight, thin, blue, dashed, short, black or curved, they are all into the same category. They are most of the time used for creating a division between different sections of a design, or are used to direct a viewer’s vision in a specific direction.

Shapes 

Also known as the forms, shapes are the second most basic element of graphic designing. Shapes are nothing but the formation of figures using lines.

There can be circles, squares, rectangles, triangles or any other abstract shape; most of the designs include at least one of these. Minimalistic designs use it a lot, because they are often based on illustrations and drawings.

Shapes are the root of graphic designing and can have symbolic meanings, invoke feelings, or be used to direct the eye to the most important information.

There are basically three types of shapes used in graphic designing:

• Geometric shapes: Squares, Rectangles, Circles, Triangles, and Diamonds.

• Abstract shapes: Alphabet glyphs, Icons, and Symbols.

• Organic shapes: Resemble objects found in nature such as a pond (a squiggly blob), an apple, or a leaf.

Color

If there’s one element of graphic designing which can prove to be a complete game changes, it’s the color.

The color offers the most powerful visual impact at a single glance. Color is obvious and does not need basic graphic skills to be noticed. It creates a mood within the piece and tells a story about the brand. Every color says something different, and combinations can alter that impression further.

For example, red is passionate, blue is calm, green is natural.

Therefore, knowing the basics of color and its combinations is pretty important in the field of graphic design. It creates a fine line between a good and a great graphic designer. 

Space

Lately, the term ‘white space’ or ‘negative space’ has become very popular in the field of designing (especially, web designing), as it makes reading easier. And, when we think about it logically, the objective behind creating any piece of content is to let it reach maximum audience attention. 

So, while, space may seem like nothing but a mere blank in between all the graphical content, it has a lot to do with how the design is perceived by the human eye. It can turn design to your advantage and get the best out of your layout.

Texture 

Texture can be considered as a counterpart of color in the field of graphic design. A single shade of color used as the backdrop or to highlight the image is what we call the texture. Yet, texture has its different style and pattern, and on observing closely, will reveal the difference from a single-colored background. 

Texture styles include paper, stone, concrete, brick, fabric and natural elements, among flat or smooth colors. Even if they do not seem important, the textures can totally change a website and offer a totally different visual impact.

Size 

The size of a graphic emphasizes the significance of the structure; the bigger the size, the more significant the data is (bigger size is also expected to grab the most attention of spectators).

The use of size variation largely relies on the content type and relevancy of the industry. Subtle differences suit professional content, while bold ones prefer creative enterprises.

Now, let’s talk about a few basic principles of graphic designing;

Basic principles of graphic designing

Balance

Balance provides solidness and structure to the overall design. To understand it better, imagine putting weight behind each one of your structural components. 

Shapes, content boxes, and pictures are the components that structure your design. So it's critical to be comfortable with the visual weight every one of those components has. This doesn't imply that the elements consistently should be distributed evenly or that they should be of an equal size — balance is either symmetrical or asymmetrical. 

Symmetrical balance is the point at which the weight of components is uniformly divided on either side of the design, while asymmetrical balance uses scale, complexity, and shading to accomplish the flow in design. 

Proximity

Proximity helps in making a connection between comparable or related components. These components need not be grouped, instead, they should be outwardly connected by methods for fonts, shades, size, shapes, etc.

Alignment 

Alignment is a significant key to designing since it makes a sharp, requested appearance by guaranteeing the components have a satisfying connection with one another. Adjusting objects appropriately will tidy up a structure and take out the untidiness or messiness that can happen when components are set haphazardly. 

In applications like Canva or Adobe Sparks, it's easy to adjust components in connection to one another or to the design background to the dotted line that shows up when you move squares of texts or blocks of shapes. The website/application tells you when you've arranged your content or shapes in your design with respect to other elements present.

Visual Hierarchy

This principle is applied in compliance with the element of size in graphic design. In simple words, a chain of importance is formed when extra visual weight is given to the most significant component or message in the design. It may be achieved in different ways 

• using bigger or bolder text styles to feature the title; 

• putting the key message higher than the other plan elements; 

• or adding a center to the bigger, significant, and brighter visuals than those less significant or minuscule pictures. 

Contrast

Contrast is a significant principle of graphic design as it gives you a chance to draw out the most prolific components of a structure and add emphasis. Contrast happens when two structural components are contrary to one another; such as

• white and black, 

• thick and thin, 

• modern and traditional. 

Complexity is the thing that helps direct the spectators’ eyes to the most significant pieces of your design and composes the data in an effective edible way. 

GraphicsZoo’s dedicated team of graphic designers is well-equipped with the application of all such basic principles and elements of graphic design. If you are looking for professional graphic designing services, then your search ends here. Connect with us today to give your graphics a new life. 

Always Remember

"Design can be art. Design can be aesthetics. Design is so simple, that's why it is so complicated." 

 Paul Rand, graphic designer