Elements of Design
Subject Overview
Elements of Design introduces the visual vocabulary that underpins every print and weave design a textile designer will ever create — texture, line, form, proportion, balance, and colour. You'll study each design element through lectures connecting it to nature and the design process, then move into a full unit on colour theory and colour psychology (hue, tints, tones, shades, the colour wheel, simultaneous contrast), and close with motif, background/foreground and negative/positive space. This is a 3-credit core practical paper across 3 units, foundational to every design-focused paper that follows.
Unit-wise Syllabus
3 units — click WhatsApp below to get the full notes for each
Unit 1: Basic design elements
Texture, line, form and repeat, figure and ground, proportion, balance — each studied in relation to nature and the design process
Unit 2: Colour theory & psychology
Hue, intensity and value, saturated and de-saturated hues, tints, tones and shades, the colour wheel, simultaneous contrast, change in hue/brilliance/luminosity, using colour to evoke mood
Unit 3: Motif & composition
Motif development, background and foreground relationships, negative and positive space