Assignment 00
Design Principles

This assignment will introduce you to the general elements of design. Understanding these basic visual concepts will help you develop a vocabulary and allow you discuss your work and the work of your peers. You will create 16 compositions in total. Your compositions must be 5×5" squares. They can be designed on the computer. The final versions must be mounted on ⅛" or ³⁄₁₆" white foam core. Don’t be literal. Don’t make pictures.
Your compositions will be graded as pass/fail. If the composition does not successfully illustrate the design principle in question you will be required to re–work your idea and present your latest version when you hand in the next batch. This assignment’s completion will account for 20% of your grade. Your progress will be recorded here.

Deliverables
16 compositions, 5×5"
mounted on ⅛" or ³⁄₁₆" foamcore
— 4 Point
— 4 Line
— 4 Plane
— 4 Shape

Recommended Materials
⅛" (one eighth inch) thick foamcore, white
Double tack (double-sided sticky adheasive sheet)
X–acto knife or cutting tool with #11 blades
Cork–backed ruler
Self healing cutting mat
Bone Folder

Timeline
10.01 — Point
10.22 — Line
11.19 — Plane
12.10 — Shape

Point — 10.01.18
A point is an element that has position, but no extension. It is a single mark in space with a precise, but limited, location. Alone it can provide a powerful relation between negative and positive space, but when grouped with other points the Gestalt grouping principal of closure tends to kick in and the brain compulsively connects the points together. Line or form is a natural result of multiple points in space.
Using only a ½" circle with no less than 3 and no more than 9 circles you must create separate compositions that illustrate the following design principles. All points must be 100% black, no stroke.
— Symmetry
— Asymmetry
— Random
— Order

Line — 10.22.18
A line is an element characterized by length and direction. Lines create contours and form, and are often used to convey a specific kind of feeling or point to an important feature in a design. Lines are also used to create perspective, and dominant directional lines are often adopted to create a sense of continuance in a composition. In addition, lines that are grouped together often create a sense of value, density or texture.
Using at minimum 1pt stroke weight and at maximum 3pt stroke weight you must create separate compositions that illustrate the following design principles. All lines must be 100% black.
— Depth
— Light
— Rhythm
— Weight

Plane — 11.19.18
A line is defined by two points, a plane has at least three points and two dimensions. Explained based on Illustrator, a line is created with the pen tool, where it has a beginning and end with two points. A plane is created by closing the path. In our exercises planes are simply illustrated with squares or rectangles.
Using only planes you must create separate compositions that illustrate the following design principles. Only use squares or rectangles, do not distort (skew) them. All planes must be 100% black, no stroke.
— Scale
— Texture
— Space
— Foreground/Background relationship

Shape — 12.10.18
The simplest definition of shape is a closed contour, an element defined by its perimeter. The three basic shapes are: circle, rectangle (square) and triangle. Form is the shape and structure of a dimensional element within a given composition. Form can be both two-dimensional and three-dimensional and can be realistic, abstract or somewhere in between. The terms form and shape are often used synonymously, which is why they are both included here. In reality, form is derived from the combination of point, line and shape.
Using only squares, circles or equilateral triangles you must create separate compositions that illustrate the following design principles. All shapes must be 100% black, no stroke.
— Variety
— Contrast
— Tension
— Balance

Background
The following basic descriptions are excerpts taken from Design in Theory and Practice By Joshua David McClurg-Genevese.

Introduction
In The Principles of Design we looked at half of the basic tenets that underlie the field of design. The principles of design represent the basic assumptions of the world that guide the design practice, and deal with the arrangements of objects in any given composition. In this column we investigate the other half of the tenets, the elements of design, in an effort to bring together a solid foundation on which we can base all future investigations.

What are Elements of Design?
The elements of design are the basic components used as part of any composition. They are the objects to be arranged, the constituent parts used to create the composition itself. In most situations the elements of design build upon one another, the former element helping to create the latter, and the elements described in this column are arranged as such. We will be focusing on the elements of point, line and form (shape).

Further reading
Programming Design Systems by Rune Madsen