KaraTorrez_design1

K

Torrez

Portfolio Winter 2012 Design 1

Kara Torrez

Elements of Design

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The Design Language

Color Color has the great ability to influence our impressions of a design and this is probably the way color is used most often. If it is mostly composed of cool colors— green, blue and purple—we can feel calm or depressed, depending on how they are used. Warm colors—red, orange and yellow— make us feel strong, passionate emotions like anger or desire.

he elements of design give us an objective way to analyze and critique design. They make up a language for us to communicate what is working and what is not in a piece.

How confusing would it be to try to talk about something without this language, and especially without being able to point to it, and have the other person understand? “Oh, this little thing here needs to be, um, fatter, but thinner sometimes, too, and make it stand out more… somehow.” Much simpler and clearer to say, “This line should to vary in weight and it needs more space around it.”

This language also helps us describe the affect of different aspects of the design on our audience. Last time, one of the things we looked at was how line can create a mood or a feeling. Just from a simple line, one of the elements of design, you can cause a viewer to feel angst and tension.

Using the Elements Design by definition is planned. Design is created to be useful.

How do we know what will be useful? By thinking about the elements of design and how each element contributes to the delivery of the message.

The elements give us as designers guidelines when creating our work. They can remind us what’s missing or how we can use something more effectively and they give us a way to talk about our work with others.

K

Torrez

Graphic Design

What is a Line?

What is a Shape?

What is Size?

A line connects two points. Lines come in every shape and size. They are one way to define space and shape, and they can give the illusion of dimension.

Shapes convey meaning, aid in creating direction and can be used quite effectively for drawing attention to a particular section of the design. There are three basic categories to put shapes into: geometric, natural and abstract.

Geometric shapes are what you probably thought of when you read “Shape:” circles, rectangles, octagons, etc. Geometric shapes are also considered pure form, the absolute basic underlying visual representation of an object.

Natural shapes are organic shapes, which are often irregular, as opposed to shapes that are more mechanical in nature, like geometric shapes. These are things that can be found in nature, like a blade of grass, or they can be manmade, like a dab of paint.

Other ways to say size are scale and proportion. It is the relative largeness or smallness of an object in the context of composition.

What is texture?

What is Value?

What is Space?

Texture is the surface quality of a form or shape. It is a good way to add details to your design. Notice I didn’t say an easy way! Texture can be a complicated element to use effectively, and it exists in many forms, from stripes to rust to typography.

Value is the relative lightness or darkness of an object. It is the difference between shadow and highlight, and all the midtones in between. Value is not the same as color, though value can be used to “color” an image. Black and white photography is a perfect example. It’s not any less appealing because there is no color!

In its most general definition, space is mass; it is height and width. Space also indicates depth and the location of objects; it creates the illusion of dimension.

K

Torrez

LOGO DESIGN

Fork & Knife Restaurant Appetizers

Entrees

Assorted Seasonal Pickles

Bellwether Farms Ricotta Fritters

served with dill

served with saba & saffron honey

4.00

7.00

Crispy Surf Clams

Dashi Marinated Yellowtail

served with caper & pickle aioli

11.00

served with avocado, hash brown & tonburi

15.00

Soups & Salads

Lamb Neck Hash

Market Lettuce Salad

served with toasted quinoa & fried jidori egg

served with olives, tangerine & walnut vinaigrette

11.00

Poblano Soup

served with crispy pork belly, grapes & creme

fraiche

8.00

13.00

Pappardelle Pasta

served with pork & beef ragu & fried egg

11.00

7 oz Lazy Ox Burger

served with cantal cheese & green peppercorn

mustard

14.00

MENU DESIGN

JACK JOHNSON K

Torrez

Graphic Design

The

By: Arthur Visconti

COLORING BOOK

MAGAZINE COVER

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