DESIGN VOCABULARY

GROUP 3
DESIGN VOCABULARY

 Explores the fundamental elements and principles of visual design and applies each of
them to the unique field of interior design.
 FORM
 Refers to the shape and structure of
something as distinguished from its
substance or material.
 Point, line, plane and volume – these
are the primary elements of form.
 Point
 A point marks a location in space.
Conceptually, it has no length,
width or depth. It is static and
directionless.
Line

 A point extended becomes a line.

 Has only one dimension and length.
Linear Elements

 Line is a essential element in the

formation of any visual construction.
Without lines, we would not be able to
define shape- that characteristic by which
we generally recognize things. Lines
describe the edges of shape and separate
it from the space around it. In addition,
the contours of these lines imbue the
shape with their expressive qualities.
 Line can also be used to create texture
and patterns on the surfaces of forms.
 Linear Forms

 Linear forms have traditionally been

used to provide vertical support to
span and express movement across
space, and to define the edges of
spatial volumes. This structural role
of linear elements can be seen at
the scale of architecture and
interior space and in furnishings.
Plane

 A line shifted in a direction other than its

intrinsic direction defines a plane.
Conceptually, a plane has two dimension,
width and length but no depth.
 Shape is the primary characteristic of a
plane.
Planar Forms

 Planar forms are fundamental elements of

architecture and interior design. Floor,
wall, and ceiling or roof planes serve to
enclose and define three-dimensional
volumes of space. Their specific visual
characteristic and their relationship in
space determine the form and character
of the space they define. Within these
spaces, furnishing and other interior
design elements can also be seen to
consist of planar forms.
SHAPE

 Shape is the primary means by which we

distinguish one form from another. It may refer to
contour of a line, the outline of a plane, or the
boundary of a three dimensional mass. In each
case, shape is defined by the specific
configuration of the lines or planes that separates
a form from its background or surrounding space.
Circle

 The circle is a compact, introverted

shape that its center point as its
natural focus. It represents unity,
continuity, and economy of form.
Square

 The square represents the

pure and the rational. The
equality of its four sides and
its four right angles
contributes to its regularity
and visual clarity.
Triangle

 The triangle
represents stability.
Triangular shapes and
patterns are often
used in structural
systems, since their
configuration cannot
be altered without
bending or breaking
one of their sides.
TEXTURE

 Texture is the specific quality of a surface that results

from its three-dimensional structure. Texture is most
often used to describe the relative smoothness or
roughness of a surface. It can also be used to describe
the characteristic surface qualities of familiar
materials.
Texture and Scale

 Scale, viewing distance, and light are

important modifying factors in our
perception of textures and the surfaces they
articulate.
 The relative scale of a texture can affect the
apparent shape and position of a plane in
space. Texture with a directional grain can
accurate a plane’s length or width. Coarse
textures can make a plane appear closer,
reduce the scale, and increase the visual
weight. In general, textures tend to fill the
space in which they exist visually.
Texture and Light

 Light influences our perception of texture

and, in turns, is affected by the texture It
illuminates. Direct light falling across a
surface with physical texture will enhance
its visual texture. Diffused lightning
deemphasizes physical texture and can
even obscure its three-dimensional
structure.
Texture and Contrast

 Contrast influences how strong our

subtle a texture will appear to be. A
texture seen against a uniformly
smooth background will appear more
obvious that when placed in just a
position with a similar texture. When
seen against a coarser background, the
texture will appear to be finer and
reduced in scale.
Texture and Pattern

 Texture and pattern are closely related

design elements. Pattern is the
decorative design or ornamentation of
a surface that is almost always based
on the repetition of a motif. A
distinctive and recurring shape, form,
and color in design.
 Texture and Space

 Texture is an intrinsic characteristic

of the materials we use to define,
furnishing, and embellish interior
space. How we combine and compose
differing textures just as important as
the composition of color and light,
and should suit the desired character
and use of a space.
Volume

 A plane extended in a direction

other than along its surface forms a
volume. Conceptually and in reality,
a volume exist in three dimension.
Solids and Voids

 The duality of solid forms and spatial

voids represents the essential unity of
opposites that shapes the reality of
architectural and interior design.
Visible forms give space dimension,
scale, color, and texture, while space
reveals the forms this symbolic
relationship between form and space
can be seen at several scales in interior
design
COLOR

 Color, like shape and texture, is an

inherent visual property of all form. We
are surrounded by color in our
environmental settings. The colors we
attribute to object find their source in the
light that illuminates and reveals form
and space. Without light, color does not
exist.
 Color and Dimensions

 Hue – the attribute by which we recognize and

describe a color such as red or yellow.
 Value – the degree of lightness or darkness of a color
in relation to white and black.
 Saturation – the brilliance or dullness of a color, this
depends on the amount of hue in a color
 Color Systems

 A more comprehensive system for the

accurate specification and description of
color is the Munsell system, developed by
Albert H. Munsell.
 The Munsell system is based on five
principal hues and five intermediate hues.
These ten major hues are arranged
horizontally in a circle.
 Color Pigments

 Object colorants, such as paints

and dyes, are means to modify the
color of the illuminating light,
changing what we interpret to be
the color of the object. In mixing
the pigments of paints and dyes,
each of the attributes of color can
be altered.
 Color and Light

 Apparent changes in an object’s color

can result from the effects of light
and from the juxtaposition of
surrounding or background colors.
These factors are especially important
to the interior designer who must
carefully consider how the colours of
elements in an interior space Interact
and how they are rendered by the
light illuminating them.
 Color Schemes

 Although each of us may have

favourite colors and a distinct
dislike of others, thers is no such
ting as a good or bad color. Some
colors are simply in our out of
fashion at a given time, others may
be appropriate or inappropriate
given a specific color scheme. The
suitability of a color depends
ultimately on how and where it is
used and how it fits into the palette
of a color scheme.
 Chromatic Distribution

 In developing a color scheme for

an interior space, one must
consider carefully the chromatic
and tonal key to be established
and the distribution of the
colors. The scheme must not
only satisfy the purpose and use
of the space but also take into
account in architectural
character.
 Tonal Distribution

 Of equal importance to chromatic

distribution is tonal distribution, the
patterns of lights and darks in a
space. It generally best to use
varying amounts of light and dark
values with a range of middle values
to serve as transition tones. Avoid
using equal amounts of light and dark
unless a fragmented effect is
desired.