Design Theory IIa
This is a companion article to Design Theory I, in which we looked into Robin Williams’ (not that Robin Williams) theory of C.R.A.P. This article takes a more traditional view toward Design Theory.
I don’t know much about art; but I know what I like
Wherever this quote came from, is also where I was when I saw scrapbook pages. Some pages worked for me, some didn’t. And I wasn’t sure what made the page “work.” I pulled together some ideas on classical design theory, so I could have a language to describe the pages- maybe this will help you too.
Classical Design Theory starts with two facets of design; first, what elements make up designs (lines, shapes, et cetera), and second, the principles of how these elements interact. Please remember that this is just a guide, and some words to describe what you’re looking at when you view a scrapbook page (or other project).
The most simple element of design is the line. It can be straight, curved, horizontal, or angled (diagonal). With straight lines, a horizontal arrangement implies constancy, while a diagonal line implies motion, or energy. To continue that, a vertical line implies “potential energy;” it’s like “potential” versus “kinetic” versus “at rest” from high school physics. Many lines close together can emphasize this effect. A line can also be curved, in which case these “energy” implications are somewhat muted and altered depending on how curvy the line is. Curves, also, in the words of a conservative designer, imply feminity, while straight lines and boxy shapes are more masculine.
Lines combine into shapes. For the most part, rounder shapes (softer, curvy shapes) are traditionally seen as more feminine than lines made of straight lines. Shapes interact in “space;” positive space is where an item is, while negative space is the area between the shapes. Not enough positive space, and a layout can seem empty; too much, and a layout may seem “busy.” In general, this applies to the elements on a page; the photos, the embellishments, journalling blocks, titles. If you’re building a page with a patterned background, you may want some “negative space” (plain colors) between the elements.
Shapes are made of lines and colors. Colors are frequently described in three terms: “value”, “hue”, and “saturation”. The “hue” is the actual color; how much of a percentage of red, yellow and blue make up this color. The “value” is how light or dark this color is; how much black or white has been combined with the hue to make the color. Monochromatic layouts use colors of one hue but varying values. And “saturation” has to do with how vivid this color is.
Colors combine in “schemes.” You can view some of these schemes here. Note: while this is a tool for web development, it’s useful to see the relationships between RGB and Hue / Saturation as well as the different schemes.
We’ll continue this exploration of more Traditional Design Theory in Design Theory IIb, “Principles.”
