Peripheral vision Our ability to focus on and perceive detail is restricted to

a fairly narrow cone of vision. In surveying our visual field,

Color vision our eyes continually move, scan, focus, and refocus to
discover visual information. To make sense of what we see,
Fine focus the brain interprets the visual data gathered by our eyes
and assembles the information into visual patterns that
we can recognize and understand.

Optic nerve The normal process of perception is utilitarian and geared

toward recognition. When we see a chair, we recognize it
to be a chair if its form and configuration fit a pattern
established by chairs we have seen and used in the past.
If we look carefully, however, we will also be able to perceive
the chairs specific shape, size, proportion, color, texture,
and material. This ability to see beyond recognition and
utility is extremely important to designers. We must
Form continually strive to see and be conscious of the specific
visual characteristics of things and how they relate
Shape to and interact with each other to form the aesthetic
quality of our visual environments.
Color
A Design Vocabulary
Texture

Light

Proportion

Scale

Balance

Harmony

Unity and Variety

Rhythm

Emphasis

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