Design thory

Design can be said to be the process of envisioning and planning the creation of objects, interactive systems, buildings, vehicles, etc. It is user-centered, i.e. users are at the heart of the design thinking approach. It is about creating solutions for people, physical items or more abstract systems to address a need or a concern. 

While not being exactly an art nor a science, it takes elements from both. Art is about creating something that expresses the author’s vision, ideas, and feelings. While designers can express feelings and leave impressions through their work, doing so is not their prime objective. So it takes the creating aspect of art, as it is about crafting an item, a tool, an experience even. Design is at the service of the people- it takes on the problem-solving aspect of science. It exists primarily to address a particular need. 

It is a very broad concept and its meaning can greatly vary from one field to another. Design can be of various types, some include:

•Graphic Design: Focuses on visual communication and the arrangement of images and text to convey a message or idea.

•Industrial Design: Concerned with designing products and systems that are functional, ergonomic, and aesthetically pleasing.

•UI/UX Design: User Interface (UI) design deals with the layout and visual elements of digital interfaces, while User Experience (UX) design focuses on enhancing the overall experience and usability of a product or service.

•Interior Design: Involves planning and designing interior spaces to make them functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing.

•Fashion Design: The art of creating clothing and accessories, considering aesthetics, functionality, and trends.

•Architectural Design: Encompasses the planning and design of buildings and structures, considering functionality, aesthetics, and sustainability.

•Product Design: Involves the creation of physical products, considering functionality, aesthetics, and manufacturability.

•Web Design: Focuses on the design and layout of websites to create visually appealing and user-friendly online experiences.

•Packaging Design: Concerned with the visual and structural design of product packaging to attract customers, promote, and protect the product.

AESTHETICS AND FUNCTIONALITY:

Quoting Steve Jobs, Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. The two key factors in a design, which makes it good are:

1)Aesthetics 

2)Functionality 

Aesthetics, or beauty, refers to the outward appearance of a product. It is what makes a product attractive or appealing to customers and visual appeal is one of the key considerations that influence the decision of consumers to prefer one product over another. It may help evoke emotions in people in some or the other way.

Functionality, on the other hand, focuses on the usability, practicality, and performance of the product or system. Functionality prioritizes usability and user experience and makes sure that a product or system fulfills its intended purpose effectively and helps the users meet their goals and needs.

Functionality refers to the performance of a product, and aesthetics represents the visual and ergonomic appeal of the product. A successful, or "good" design should balance both aesthetics and functionality. 

DESIGN ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES:

Visual design is about creating and making the general aesthetics of a product/prototype consistent. To create the aesthetic style we work with fundamental elements of visual design, arranging them according to principles of design. Elements are the building blocks of a design, while principles help us to use them harmoniously.

The elements of design are:

•Dot: The smallest element of graphic design. Depending on the distance, points of various sizes can be perceived. Designing with dots or points can create a wide variety of visual effects.

•Line: The basic element that defines shapes and forms, and can be straight, curved, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or zigzag.

•Shape: Enclosed areas created by lines or the outline of an object. Shapes can be geometric (such as squares, circles, and triangles) or organic (irregular and free-form).

•Space: The area around, within, or between elements in a composition. Space can be positive (occupied by objects) or negative (empty or unused space).

•Form/Volume: Three-dimensional shapes with height, width, and depth. Forms can be geometric or organic and can be represented realistically or abstractly.

•Texture: The surface quality or feel of an object, which can be perceived visually or through touch. Texture can be actual (tactile) or implied (visual). It can help create visual interest, and contrast within a design composition, and to help visually balance a design composition.

•Value: The relative lightness or darkness of tones or colors. Value helps create contrast and depth in a composition.

•Color: It is the visual perception resulting from the reflection of light, characterized by three main properties, i.e., hue, value, and saturation. Colors may also add significant meanings to a composition. A color wheel helps to use colors harmoniously.

•Typography: It is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and visually appealing. It involves selecting typefaces and determining font sizes, spacing, and alignment to convey meaning and evoke emotion in a design.

THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN ARE :

•Alignment: Alignment is presenting design elements in an orderly manner, along a common axis or line. It helps create visual order, consistency, and cohesion in a composition. Types of alignment include left alignment, right alignment, and center alignment. 

•Balance: It is the distribution of visual weight of elements in a composition to create stability and harmony. Balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.

•Contrast: It is the juxtaposition of different elements to create visual interest and emphasis, excitement, and drama. Contrast can be achieved through variations in color, size, shape, texture, or value. 

•Emphasis: Also known as Dominance, has to do with the visual weight of an element, the focal point or area of interest in a composition. The dominant part of a composition is the one that stands out the most. There are three stages of dominance: dominant, sub-dominant and subordinate.

•Hierarchy: The organization of elements in a design to establish a clear order of importance. Hierarchy helps to add structure, create visual organization, create direction, add emphasis, and help a viewer to navigate and digest information easily.

•Proportion: Also known as Scale, indicates the relationship between the sizes of different elements in a composition. It can be used in a composition to create a sense of distance or demonstrate a size difference. Good proportion adds harmony and symmetry, or balance, among the many parts of a design.

•Proximity: It is the grouping and shaping of objects in a composition, or position similar elements next to each other to assemble an arrangement. It can create relationships between visual elements in a composition, and create relevance, hierarchy, organization, and structure.

•Repetition: The principle of repetition simply means the reusing of the same or similar elements throughout your design. Repetition of certain design elements in a design will bring a clear sense of unity, consistency, and cohesiveness.

•Rhythm: It lends an overall consistency, flow, and order that help make the information on your design understandable and visually appealing. Rhythm can be achieved through patterns, sequences, or variations in spacing and scale.

•Unity: The sense of cohesion and completeness in a design is achieved through the harmonious arrangement of elements. Unity brings together disparate elements to create a cohesive whole. The unity principle of design states that design elements should be both visually and conceptually harmonious. 

By understanding and applying these principles, designers can create compositions that are visually engaging, effective, and memorable