Elements & Principles of

design

To understand how elements &

principles of design combine to
create an aesthetically appealing
garment
Line, Shape, Space, Color, Form, Texture, Value

Elements &
Principles
of Design

Balance, Emphasis, Rhythm, Unity, Contrast, Movement

WHAT IS DESIGN ..?

As a process..

• Design is that area of human experience,

skill and knowledge which is concerned
with man’s ability to mould his environment
to suit his material and spiritual needs

As a noun…

• It is an individual interpretation or version

of style.
 DESIGN ELEMENTS
Design elements are the building blocks of design.

These elements are intrinsic to every product.

Line
Color
Texture
Patterns
Shape/Form
Space
Value
Point

A successful design depends on how a product developers

responds to all these elements to create his design
 LINE
• Line is the path of a moving point.

• A line is a mark made by a moving point and having psychological

impact according to its direction, weight, and the variations in its
direction and weight.

• It is an enormously useful and versatile graphic device that is made to

function in both visual and verbal ways.

• It can act as a symbolic language, or it can communicate emotion

through its character and direction

• Eyes follow lines up, down, side to side or around.

Lines in a garment are created
through:

- Seams and edges

- Tucks & pleats

- Style lines

Lines have different lengths, widths,

textures, directions, and degrees
of curve.
 SEAMS AND EDGES

• SEAMS AND EDGES

DEFINE THE SHAPE OF A
GARMENT.

• THESE ARE MOSTLY

PROMINENT IN JACKETS,
COATS, SKIRTS AND
TROUSERS.
Seams & edges
Darts

Pockets
 IMPACT OF LINE

• How frequently line is repeated?

• What is the placement of line?

• Is it symmetrical or asymmetrical?

• Is it creating optical illusion?

The illusions created with lines
“I” Illusion

• Vertical lines carrying the

eye upward without an
interruption will give the
illusion of tallness.
 • As soon as a horizontal
“T” Illusion line crosses a vertical line,
the eye will move back and
forth creating the illusion of
heaviness in that area.

• The eye goes upward

until the black fabric
stops
“Y” Illusions

• The “Y” illusion - creates the

feeling of height as the eye is
guided upward with nothing in
its way to impede its motion.
Upward Arrow Illusion

• the upward “arrow” takes

the eye upward and then
suddenly downward to
create an illusion of less
height.
• Line determines the silhouette of the garment & the
shape formed within the garment.

• Lines can be combined with other lines to create

textures and patterns.

• This is common in engravings and pen and ink

drawings such as the one on the right (see linear
detail).

• The use of line in combination results in the

development of form and value, which are other
elements of design.
 Types
Lines can be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved, angular, zigzag, bent,
straight, interrupted, thick, thin, parallel, cross-hatched, or spiral.

• Vertical- Represents dignity, formality, stability and strength, bold

and severe, power.
• Horizontal- Represents calm, peace and relaxation.
• Diagonal- Represents action, activity, excitement and movement.
Curved- Represents freedom, appearance of softness and
creates a soothing feeling or mood.
Vertical Line
Vertical - up and down

• They generally add height or

length to the body and make it
look more narrow.

• It is a favoured line direction for

those who wish to look taller.

• gives the impression of

being taller/thinner.

• gives a feeling of dignity,

strength, poise and
sophistication.
Horizontal Line
• Horizontal - from side to side

• Gives the impression of being

shorter and heavier.
• They generally add width and
shorten the body.
• They can attract attention
towards one part of the body.
• Horizontal lines by spacing can
produce the illusion of length.
• Gives a relaxed and calm
feeling, suggests rest and
gentleness.
Red, white, gray and
black horizontal lines
are seen in this
sweater.
Diagonal Line

• Diagonal - slanted, the

degree it is slanted
determines the visual
effect on clothes.
• They always shows a
movement or motion.
• They are slimming
because they direct the
eye over body curves at
an angle.
• Vertical slant - adds height.

Horizontal Slant - adds

width
This pocket has a
horizontal slant
which adds width.

This pocket has

a vertical slant
Jagged Lines/Zigzag-change direction abruptly and with sharp
points.

It is a series of connecting diagonal lines.

It forces the eye to shift abruptly and repeatedly.
They tend to increase the size of the area covered by them.
For fun/ not serious events
Can create a jumpy confused feeling if overused.

The jagged line is seen

around the edges of the
black diamond shape in this
blouse.

The jagged line is seen in

the design, knitted into this
sweater, across the chest
and arms.
 Curved Line
• Curved - rounded, circular or
flattened out.

• Increase the size and shape

of the figure

• Give a soft, gentle, youthful,

charming, graceful and
flowing feeling.

• It attracts attention and soften

the area.

• It can even add weight to a

thin person.
Size: How the garment lines divide the
figure

• Illusion of larger, heavier

figure.

• Widely spaced lines

• large bold stripes
 Texture
Texture is the element of design that refers to how
things feel, or look as if they might feel if touched.

It is the quality of an object which we sense

through touch

The surface quality of goods.

The quality of roughness, smoothness,

glossiness or stiffness.

The texture/surface affects the drape of the fabric

on the figure.

Texture is determined by a fabric’s fibers, yarns

and method of construction.

Texture can be: hard, soft, rough, smooth,

slippery, sticky, velvety, scratchy.
Types of Texture
• Tactile texture is the actual three-dimension feel of a surface that can be
touched.

• It is the way the surface of an object actually feels.

• Example: sand paper, tree bark.

• Visual texture is the illusion of the surfaces peaks and valleys, like the tree.

• Any texture shown in a photo is a visual texture, meaning the paper is

smooth no matter how rough the image perceives it to be.

• Most textures have a natural touch but still seem to repeat a motif in some
way.

• Regularly repeating a motif will result in a texture appearing as a pattern

Visual Texture

It may look rough, fizzy, but cannot actually

be felt.

Example: ply wood.

• A motif is one unit of a design that is

usually repeated.

A small, overall print tends to

make the wearer look
smaller.
• Large, bold patterns
increase the
apparent size of the
wearer.

The large flowers

on this dress, makes
the wearer appear
larger.
 Other Types
• Real or actual texture

• Implied or simulated texture: those that can be felt painted or

drawn texture

• Structural Texture-is created when fabrics or garments are

manufactured.

• Smooth surface
• Reflects more light and, therefore, is a more intense color.
• Rough surface
• Absorbs more light and, therefore, appears darker.
Smooth Texture

• Smooth, flat textures

make people look
smaller
Rough Texture

• Rough textures tend

to subdue the colors
of fabrics.

The texture of this

jacket is fuzzy.
Sheer Texture • Sheer fabrics reveal
the true body shape.

• It tends to soften the

figure when used
over a soft lining.

• This blouse is sheer

 Dull texture
• Dull textures make a
person appear smaller
because they absorb
light.

• The dull texture of the

blouse and jeans, make
the person appear
smaller.
Clinging, soft Texture

• Clinging, soft
textures reveal the
body’s true
silhouette.

• This blouse’s soft

texture, reveals its
true
Stiff, crisp Texture
• Stiff crisp textures
make the total
shape appear bigger
because they stand
away from the body.

This linen jacket makes the body

appear larger because it stands
away from the body.
Shiny Texture
• Shiny Textures make the
body look larger because
they reflect light.

• They make fabric colors

look lighter and brighter,
thus making the body look
larger.
IMPACT OF TEXTURE
ON DESIGN
• Shiny surface
: reflects light, emphasis color &
make the figure appear larger
• Pile surface
: absorb light, has lofty/thick
surface that makes a figure
appear larger.
• Thick fabric
: they stand away from the body
without revealing the shape of
a figure
• Drape fabrics
: they cling to the body revealing
the natural curves of a figure.
PATTERN
• It is the prints or motifs on
a fabric.

• They can be created

through weaving, knitting,
felting, embossing etc

• Pattern is the underlying

structure that organizes
surfaces or structures in a
consistent form
• Patterns exist in nature as well as well as designed objects
Book by Harvard biologist Peter S. Stevens-- Patterns in nature

Some Characteristics of patterns/ types, in nature that inspire

designers:

• Flow..meander patterning
• Branching
• Spiraling
• Packing and cracking
IMPACT OF PATTERN ON DESIGN
• Pattern create figure
illusion
• Patterns create interest in
a garment
Figure gets
enhanced by the
right placement of
pattern on a figure.
 SHAPE
A shape is defined as an area that stands out from the space next to or around it
due to a defined or implied boundary, or because of differences of value, colour,
or texture.

Shape is a two dimensional area that is enclosed by an outline; height and

width

The visual appearance of something or someone, The two-dimensional contour

that characterizes an object or area

It can be defined through line, color or value.

Shape can be realistic, geometric, abstract, idealized, naturalistic,

nonrepresentational, amorphous and biomorphic

All objects are composed of shapes and all other 'Elements of Design' are
shapes in some way

Examples
• Squares, Circles, Ellipses, Ovals, Rectangles, Triangles
Types of Shapes
• Mechanical Shapes or Geometric Shapes are
the shapes that can be drawn using a ruler or
compass.

• Mechanical shapes, whether simple or complex,

produce a feeling of control or order.

• Organic Shapes are freehand drawn shapes that

are complex and normally found in nature.

• Organic shapes produce a natural feel.

 Shape/Form

 Everyone has his or her own shape/form and should consider this
when purchasing apparel

 rectangle-little difference in bust/chest, waist and hip

measurements

 hourglass-balanced from top to bottom; bust/chest and hips

about equal, waist smaller in measurement

 triangle-(pear shaped) bottom heavy, small bust/chest, narrow

shoulders

 inverted triangle-broad shoulders, full bust/wide chest, narrow

lower body

48
 Shape/Form

What is your body shape?

What types of clothing look best on your shape?

•
Form
Form is any three dimensional object.

• Form can be measured, from top to bottom (height), side to side (width),
and from back to front (depth).

• Form is also defined by light and dark.

• There are two types of form, geometric (man-made) and natural (organic
form).

• Form may be created by the combining of two or more shapes.

• It may be enhanced by tone, texture and colour.

• It can be illustrated or constructed.

• Forms can be cubes, spheres, pyramids,
and cylinders.
• Flowing asymmetrical forms are free form
or organic.
Space
• Space, or negative space, is the
element of design that refers to the
emptiness or area between, around,
below, or within objects.

• Shapes are defined by space around

and within them.

• Artist create the illusion of a

background, foreground, and middle
ground.

• By incorporating the use of space in

your design, you can enlarge or
reduce the visual space.
 Large shapes and forms break up space

 In clothing design, designers use the negative and positive space associated
with shapes to create a surface design or pattern.

 The other elements of design can be used to define the contrast between the
negative and positive space found on fabrics in clothing or used in interior
spaces.

Negative space formed by the

asymmetrical neckline shaping is sensual
and relaxed. 
Value
• Differences in hue or neutral ranging from the light to the darkest, for example,
white to black.

• The relative lightness or darkness of a color.

• Dark areas recede visually, so an area of the body that is disproportionately

large can be balanced by covering it with a dark garment

• Light colors stand out, which make light areas seem larger than they are,
especially when contrasted with dark areas
The first garment looks the
thinnest because the eye
sees the light half of the
garment, the dark half is less
noticeable

When the bodice is darker than the skirt or pants,

the shoulders and size of bust are minimized

The figure appears shorter because the dark

value dominates the light bottom

Dark pants or skirts minimize the hips and

make the person seem taller
Point or Mark
• A point or mark is the smallest and most basic element.

• These can vary in size, value, regularity or irregularity, and can be used alone
or as a unit in a group which forms a line or shape in the image.

• Marks can be used to form a value or pattern (placed close together forms a
darker value, further apart forms a lighter value), or to delineate space (larger
means closer, etc.)

• Even though there is only one point or mark on a white blank page, it can catch
our sight.

• If there are two points, we will make a connection and see a line. If there are
three points, it is unavoidable to interpret them as a triangle; the mind supplies
the connections.

• These are called as grouping, or gestalt. Gestalt is the fundamental tool the
designer or artist uses to build a coherent composition
 Principles of Design
• Balance,
• Emphasis,
• Rhythm,
• Unity,
• Proportion,
• Contrast,
• Movement
• Involves equaling the visual weight or

Balance
space of different parts of a garment
design

• 2 kinds of balance

1. Formal (symmetrical) – is
achieved when a design has
equal elements on both sides of a
vertical or horizontal division.
• Tends to be dignified and static
2. Informal (asymmetrical) – has
varying elements and spaces on
both sides of a division and tends
to be casual and creative in a
successful design
Symmetric or Formal
Balance
Asymmetric or Informal Balance
 Vertical Balance
• Average human body is visually symmetrical, means the body appears to be
the same on each side of a central line.

• 2 arms, 2 eyes, 2 legs are balanced on either side of a central axis

• Actually, if a picture of one-half of a face were duplicated and reversed to

produce a picture of a whole face, it would look quite different from the face
as it exists in reality

• In the same way body image is slightly different on each side

• The eye corrects minor discrepancies in size and shape, so when an object
is close to being symmetrical, the eyes sees it as equal on both sides

• When a person’s body differs noticeably on one side, carefully designed

clothes can minimize the difference
Horizontal Balance
• Important in correcting figure problems

• 3 basic figure types

1. Balanced – equal hips and bust

2. Pear shaped – larger hips than bust
3. Full-busted – larges bust than hips

• Last 2 visually imbalanced figures can be

balanced by wearing colors or style lines that
maximize the smaller part of the body and
minimize the larger area

• Person wishing to balance last 2 should wear

details and ornaments at the place on the body
that needs to be visually enlarged and should
dress the larger area with a simple garment
Radial Balance
• Occasionally used

• Has a central focal point with design

elements radiating out from it in a
sunburst pattern

• Very costly type of design because of

the technical process required to
create the pattern

• Used mainly for novelty effects

 Unity
• Means that all elements of a design work together to produce a
successful visual effect

• Unity + Variety = Harmony

 Unity-everything works together

 Variety-design is not boring, several elements used to hold
viewers attention

• 5 basic principles of unity in design

Principle 1: style lines should be consistent
on every area of the garment and on
separate garments that are sold as co-
ordinates
Principle 2: all areas of the garment should reflect the same shapes.
Incorrect example would be – collar, cuffs and hem are curved, so
square pockets interrupt the continuity of design
Principle 3: stripes and plaids used on the
straight grain should match, particularly
on sleeves that hang parallel to the
bodice (even if it is cut on bias)
Principle 4: seam lines and trim details on sleeves
should align with similar lines on the body of the
garment
Principle 5: style lines on all
areas of the garment should
have compatible angles and
should complement one another
 RRRhhyyytthhhmm
• Creates easy movement of the
observer’s eye by:

• Repetition
• Repeats lines, shapes, colors, or
textures

• Gradation
• Increase or decrease of design
elements (also called
progression)

• Radiation
• Created by lines or colors
emerging from a center (petals
on a flower)
 Rhythm
• Repeated use of lines or shapes to create a
pattern

• Graduated tiers in skirt and sleeves lead the

eye through the design with a successful
rhythm

• Garments will appear spotty or disconnected

when they lack rhythm or are overburdened
with details that do not work together
harmoniously

• Repeating the print motif of the skirt on a

sweater ties the 2 units together and gives
them a visual unity
 EmphAsis
• A concentration of interest in
a particular part or area of a
design.

• May be achieved with

contrasts of colors or
textures, structural lines, or
unusual shapes

Is your eye drawn to the tie? Or perhaps to

the “a” in emphasis?
 Emphasis
• Creates a center of interest by focusing the viewer’s attention on a
specific area of the garment. ,” “focal point,” catches the viewers’
attention

• Details that focus on the face are particularly effective because the
face is a focal point of beauty in our culture

• One of the most successful design formulas is the contrast blouse

worn with a jacket

• A spot of bright color, like a red handkerchief worn with a navy suit and
white blouse, further emphasizes the face
People with figure problems should emphasize
the positive parts of their bodies with a bright
color or design accent.

Garments with little design detail in a dark or

neutral color will camouflage the problem
areas of a figure without calling attention to
them.

For example, a woman with a small waist who

wears a bright contrasting belt will emphasize
the most positive area of her figure.

Ex: scarf, hair clip

Proportion (Scale)
• Relationship of various spaces to the whole
shape

• Greek artists and mathematicians analyzed

buildings and the art of earlier civilizations
and formulated the Golden Mean

• This proportion standard determined that

ratios of 3:5:8 or 5:8:13 are the most
pleasing to western civilizations, a standard
of design that has survived for centuries

• Applying Golden Mean to the human figure

establishes classic figure divisions

• Traditional Golden Mean proportions tend to

make a person look taller and slimmer
• Clothing can be worn to visually balance
awkward body proportion

• Example of extreme proportion was the

mini dress

• Dresses that are so short divide the

figure approximately in half, make the
person seem young

• Legs seem longer because of the small

dress, making the wearer look tall

• Details like narrow shoulders, rounded

collars, flat shoes and small trims
emphasize the youthful silhouette

• Color used in bold contrasts, will

emphasize variations in proportion
 SCALE
• the ratio between the size of something
and a representation of it

• Scale refers to the relationship between

two or more objects, one that has a
commonly known size. 

• Scale refers to the size

and proportion refers to the relative size.

• The effect of showing normally small

objects in a larger fashion, and vice versa,
is enough to be visually-striking.
What parts of the jacket are out of
proportion?
 CONTRAST

• In design, big and small elements, black and white text, squares and circles,
can all create contrast in design.

• The greater the difference the greater the contrast.

• Contrast adds variety to the total design and creates unity.

Movement
When the elements are put together to have the illusion
of movement and action.

It invites the eye to go from one area to the next.

 HOW TO DESIGN A GARMENT
• The designing of a garment requires the proper selection
& interpretation of

- color
- fabric
- styling
- fit

Product developers/designers organize design elements

using design principles to create designs/products that
are aesthetically appealing