basic design 2.pptx elements of design by

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
Understanding the Perceptual Process: An
Architects Perspective
?

One of the things that we take for granted is the perceptual process. Apart from
reacting to the world of experience that we call the perceptual world, we seldom
ask questions like:
“Why do things look as they do to us? “
Why do things look as they do to us? “

•
Perception:
 Refers to the world of experience, the world as seen, heard, felt, smelt or tasted by
a person. Man uses the power of perception to assimilate information about his
world.
 The organization and interpretation of sensory experiences. The understanding of
the process hence should start from defining both Sensory Experiences and the
Organization of Sensory Data
Conceptual Definition of Terms
Understanding the Steps in the
Organization of Visual Data
Location and Type of Data to be
processed

 The process of perceptual organization of the world is not a visible process
that one can observe or study. Yet owing to its significance in the education
of the architect, it has to be understood so that it can be modeled in a
graphic format.
Characteristics of Perception
I. SELECTIVITY
 Selectivity refers to the concept of choosing from variety of
possibilities.
 How many objects can you focus on at a
time?
 Why is it that we only focus on one object at
a time?
 What factors influence my decision to shift
from one object to another?

Shifting of Attention
EXTERNAL FACTORS
INTERNAL FACTORS
Intensity & Size:
When several stimuli are present, they always tend to fight for our attention. In such
situations, the most intense one will get noticed over the others. In an area that is full of
advertisements for example, the larger and brighter one will be noticed over the others.
Contrast:
A sudden change from the stimuli that We have adapted to makes us focus on it.
Contrast hence refers to a sudden change from the situation that was prevailing in a
particular location, at a particular time. For example, in a dark room, the
appearance of a sudden bright light results in an attention shift.

Cont.
Repetition:
Repetition of stimuli can be attention getting in two ways:
If stimuli are repeated, for obvious reasons, there is a better chance of catching our
attention than if it was only a single one. It increases our alertness to it
Movement:
We are sensitive to objects that move within our field of vision over objects that are
stationary

INTERNAL FACTORS
Motives:
Human motives are those factors that induce a person to act in a particular way. They are
understood to be expressions of our interest or need. Our interest to know something that is new
induces a reaction: attentiveness to class lecture.
Our mind-set or expectancy: This refers to us having advance knowledge of events that are
going to happen or that we anticipate to take place. We are sometimes almost entirely
convinced of the outcome of an event before we actually experience it. If we think that a
certain building interior is going to be attractive and go to check it out, our attention will be
focused on those elements that make the space more attractive. We see what we want to see
as we are biased by expectations.

II. ORGANIZATION IN PERCEPTION what happens to the information that
we receive through our senses ?
 The data that exists in the world is received
in an organized manner.
 processed as groups and patterns of stimuli
that we call objects.
we in the end perceive not in terms of measurable qualities such as length or size
but rather in terms of objects.
 organization is an activity that is undertaken by our mind in search of defining the
data that we receive, we should understand the nature of the mental activity that
we will refer to as organizing tendencies.

Organizing Tendencies in the Perceptual Process
I. Figure Ground The objects that fill our everyday perception are seen as standing
out as separable from the ground background
As examples,
Text on a page:
Such relationship is basic to all object perception and organizes the
information received by our sensory organs with the following perceptual
characteristics:
We as designers can create multiple figures
that can be perceived as figure or ground.
Figure has some sort of shape while ground is formless
Ground extends behind the figure – figure in front,
ground behind

II. Grouping: When several stimuli are present, we try to identify perceptual
relationships that will help us perceive them as groups of objects rather than single
entities.
The apparent factors that establish relationships between objects that are grouped can
be classified as:
Nearness or Proximity: We tend to compare distances between elements as a quality
for deciding which objects belong together as compared to others.
.

Similarity: We tend to group similar elements together. The path of visual recognition
follows similar features of objects such us shape, color, texture, pattern, etc to
recognize meanings that are identified in the visual field.
Continuation: we perceive in attempt to understand complex
patterns as groups Of objects. One characteristic is to group
figures as continuations by physically trying to see extensions.
Look at the figure to the right.

Contours: we are able to distinguish between figure and ground because we can
perceive contours. Contours are formed when there is a market change in color,
tone, brightness etc.
Closure: we tend to perceive whole objects rather than disjointed parts. We fill gaps
so as to perceive whole objects.
In the example to the left, we see a triangle at the center because we make a visual
line that connects all the corners that are cut from the black circles. We are therefore
closing the triangle.

•PERCEPTUAL CONSISTENCY
CONSTANCY OF SIZE
BRIGHTNESS CONSISTENCY
PERCEPTUAL STABILITY
III. PERCEPTION OF DEPTH
 Our mind receives and processes several clues that help establish a relationship
between objects based on their distance from our position.
 This relationship is referred to as depth and is nothing but the relative distance
between objects that are measured from the position of the observer.
Monocular Cues
Linear Perspective: Objects far away appear to be smaller than objects that are close. As
the world is consistent, we recognize that they are smaller mainly because they are further
away. We are therefore taking the effect of perspective as a clue to establish depth
relationship between objects.

Clearness: We are able to clearly see objects that are close to us than objects that are
far away. The degree of clarity is hence taken as a clue that helps us understand the
depth relationships between objects in the visual field
Gradients of texture: Objects that are close will have coarser texture as more of their
details will be seen. Texture is understood to be the roughness or coarseness of a surface.
Gradient is defined as a change without abrupt transitions.

Shadows: We assume that the source of light is always from up when we look at two
dimensional studies.

INFLUENCE ON CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH
EVENTS OR OBJECTS ARE PERCIEVED.
How we experience an object and how we react to the experience
depends on the context in which we perceive the events.
In the example to that left, the last item in both
rows of pictures in the same.
Contextually speaking, in the first row, it
belongs to a group of animals, while in the
latter it belongs to a group of humans.
Conversely, we perceive it as a mouse and as
an old man, depending on the context.

Elements of Design
a) conceptual elements
b) visual elements
c) relational elements
d) practical elements

Conceptual Elements
Conceptual elements are not visible. They do not actually exist but seem to be present.
For instance, we feel that there is a point at the angle of a shape, there is a line marking
the contour of an object, there are planes developing volume and volume occupying
space. These points, lines, planes and volumes are not really there, if they are really there,
they are no longer conceptual.
1) Point. A point indicates position. It has no length or breadth. It does not occupy any
area of space. It is the beginning and end of a line and is where two lines meet or
intersect.
2) Line. As a point moves, its path becomes a line. A line has length but no breadth. It
has position and direction. It is bound by points. It forms the border of a plane.
3) Plane. The path of a line in motion in a direction other than its intrinsic direction)
becomes a plane. A plane has length and breadth, but no thickness. It has position
and direction. It is bound by lines. It defines the external limits of a volume.
4) Volume. The path of a plane in motion (in a direction other than its intrinsic direction)
becomes a volume. It has position in space and is bound by planes. In two-
dimensional design, volume is illusoryl

Visual Elements:
These are representations of conceptual elements on a material medium. They are visible
creations that stand for a concept, and can be seen on the medium that they have been
put on. The moment that we have put a certain element on a drawing medium, it will be
perceived as being composed of several characteristic features that helps us recognize it.
These features in turn can be used too create any object in the visual field and are hence
recognized as visual elements of design.
Shape/Form: It refers to the visual extent of the object that gives it an outer
distinct appearance defined by its edges.
Size: is the smallness or largeness of an element. It is a measurable quality
that can be expressed using a unit of our choice.
Color: Is created basically by the color of the material we used to create an
element in the visual field.
Texture: Is the roughness or smoothness of a surface as perceived by our
sense of sight.

These are those that determine the placement and interrelationship of the elements
that form our design. They can either be felt or perceived depending on their
character but are always present if one tries to study the principles that are used in
any design.
Position: Refers to the relationship of the object to the frame in which it has been
placed.
Direction: refers to how the object is related to the observer, objects near it or the
frame that contains it.
Orientation: Refers how the object façade is related to the façade of the observer,
objects near it, or another standard of reference
Space: Is the extent that has been occupied by the object.
Gravity: form our personal understanding of the effect of gravity; we tend to
psychologically attribute heaviness, lightness, stability or instability to objects that are
in our field of vision.
Relational Elements:

Practical Elements:
If one were to attempt to describe the content of any design, one would need a
framework that can be used to describe what is behind every design work.
Representation: it refers to the representation of an object that exists in reality.
Meaning: When we use an element to transmit a certain message, then it has an
inborn meaning and falls to this category of elements
Function: When we have a use for our creation, then we can talk about function.
Utilitarian things all have the practical element that we call function.

Form and the Conceptual Elements
Form as a Point
Vocabulary: A point is an element that marks a position in the visual space.
Physical Characteristics: to serve as a point, a form must be small enough to be
perceived as having no length, width or depth. It is only then that it will fulfill the
conceptual requirement of an element that we defined as having no dimension. In
addition, a point is considered to be an element that is static, centralized and direction
less.
Expressive Characteristics: a point as a form expresses stability, calmness as it is static
and centralization
Spatial Characteristics: A point as a form will be perceived by the observer inducing the
spatial effect of stability when it is either alone or at the center of its field. When it is off-
centered, it will create a sense of pulling or an effect that is termed as visual tension in
design.

Representational Characteristics: Representational characteristics are the direct
results of the physical manipulation of the other characteristics of the element. As
a form, a point has physical characteristics that can be used to represent ideas at
a practical or abstract level. It can represent conceptual ideas such as positions,
stability, calmness, etc.

Physical Characteristics
As a form therefore, it conveys a feeling of thinness. In its conception and use therefore
dependent on the following characteristics that it exhibits:
recognizable because it is possible to perceive the relationship between its length and
width.
Form as a Line
Expressive Characteristics: Lines can be used to express abstract ideas such as feelings
and emotions, or realistic features of objects such as contours and elevations.
Spatial Characteristics: With regard to its placement in the visual field, a line can induce
a sense of stability, movement, and energy depending on its direction. A change in its
value can produce an effect of advance and receding in the visual space. A single line
with value differences can produce effects of twisting in space, etc.
Representational Characteristics: Lines can be used to represent both abstract ideas or
realistic features of objects such as contours and elevations.

Form as a Plane
Physical Characteristics
Shape: is the primary characteristic of a plane and corresponds to the effect
created by the contours of lines that define the outer most limit or extent of
the plane. According to Wong, on a two dimensional framal reference, all flat
forms that are not commonly recognized as points or lines become forms as
plane.
TO BE CONTD

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