Design elements are the ingredients that go into a symbol or image to make it "decodable" to others. Some of these elements take communication theory into account, such as Schramm's model of communication. Other elements consist of the principles of lines, shapes, forms, light, perspective, point-of-view, balance, and others. Another aspect of visual design is thinking about how the elements can be combined to maximize the interpretation by the target audience.

Fleming, Malcolm and Levie, Howard (1978). Instructional Message Design. New Jersey, Englewood Cliffs.

Fleming, Malcolm and Levie, Howard (1993). Instructional Message Design: Principles from the Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences. 2nd Edition. New Jersey, Englewood Cliffs.

Pettersson, R. (1991). Visuals for Information, New Jersey: Ed. Tech. Publ.

Activity 1
Note some visual symbols that you encounter over the course of a few days and answer the following:

1. Where were they found?
2. What design principles and elements were used?
3. Were their meanings obvious?
4. Would you use the same techniques in order to convey the message or are there better ways?

Post your responses on the WebBoard

Color Matters
http://www.colormatters.com/entercolormatters.html
This site is a good starting point for thinking about how color influences many aspects of our lives. The site explores a wide range of color relationships such as color and the brain, color and vision, color and design, and color and computers. Resources including books, online sources, and research, provide more information on this topic.

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