Elements of GD_Carolina

 1. Grid

                Grids offer a structural basis for the designer while also allowing optimal creative space. Grids are a series of lines, typically horizontal and vertical, that evenly space the working area. They act as a guide for designers when creating projects. These guides give more structure and allow for a more thought-out design rather than one that is made on mere thought and arbitrary guessing. Grids are helpful to take the entire workspace into consideration, including the blank and white spaces. They are also used in many real-world situations such as neighborhoods, city plans, streets, books, and most printed products.

2. Pattern

                The basis of any pattern is composed of either isolated elements, linear elements, or the crisscrossing or interaction of these two elements. In present terms, these elements are known as dots, stripes, and grids. Any isolated form can be categorized as a dot whereas a stripe follows a linear path. A stripe can be composed of a regular line or it can be a series of isolated elements (dots) that form to create the linear path of a stripe. Dots and stripes interact together to form grids. The grid takes a single element and transforms it all to create a textured design. When these designs are repeated, they create a pattern. Patterns are fueled by repetition. 

3. Point, Line, Plane

                The point, line, and plane are the foundations of graphic designs. These three elements are manipulated and transformed to create designs, patterns, textures, graphics, icons, and more. Creating relationships between these three elements can create a variety of designs whether it is complex or simple, abstract or structured. 

                A point is a specific position on a canvas. In visual terms, it forms a dot. The strength of a point depends on the designer's vision. A point alone can be insignificant and barely noticeable. However, it can also be a focal point depending on the number of points that are displayed. They can be manipulated in terms of repetition and can be much more powerful when grouped with others. Almost everything can be traced back to the simple element of a point. 

                When you create a sequence of points, you make the second element which is a line. It can be seen as the connection of two points or as a path of a moving point. Lines can be transformed to different angles, widths, lengths, and continuities. They can also be manipulated to be wavy, curly, or just straight.  

                When a line reaches a certain width, it turns into the next element, a plane. A plane is flat and extends in height and width. Thick lines are manipulated to create planes that can transform images from 2D to 3D. When a line becomes a shape, it is a bounded plane. It can be flat or skewed to create a 3D appearance. Planes can be seen everywhere, including in our everyday lives. 

4. Rhythm & Balance

                Balance is a catalyst for form because it activates elements in a space. When designing, the balance between the types of objects, shapes, space, and colors is necessary to make a fluid design. It can be symmetrical or asymmetrical with as little or as much contrast as desired, so long as each piece speaks to each other to create the full picture. Rhythm is repetition and consistency. Unlike a pattern, it can be the space of the design and the movement of the objects rather than just the repetition of an object. It can also hold contrasting elements and still be considered to have rhythm because rhythm has less to do with the objects themselves and more with the flow of the entire design. "Balance and rhythm work together to create works of design that pulse with life, achieving both stability and surprise." 

5. Hierarchy

                Hierarchy is the order of importance of the overall group. It can be listed from biggest to smallest or smallest to biggest and helps differentiate what is most important from what is least. Designers use hierarchy to control what the design is saying and the message that is coming across. It signals the change from one level to another in terms of importance. Hierarchy is most commonly seen in typography- headings, subheadings, body text, and image captions will all have different styles and sizes to differentiate their importance from one another. Overall, it creates order and helps to effectively deliver the desired message.  

6. Modularity

                Modularity can be seen as the basic building block of your design. For example, pixels are the building block or "modules" of most images and graphics. It is the shape and form of the smallest element of your design and what everything else in the graphic builds off of. It is a type of constraint or limitation that often can't be altered. Also, the module being used is often unnoticed as it is so small and almost seems irrelevant to the picture as a whole. However, without the module of the design, there would be no design at all. They are tiny but they come together to build the final design. In my opinion, it is similar to human cells in a way that you can't necessarily see them from far away (or without a microscope) but they build up the entire person. You can't have a person without cells similar to how you can't have a design without some form of building block for modularity.