Transcript Principles of Design Individuality  Design is all about Individuality!  No one will ever have the same design concept for one plan. 

Principles of Design
Individuality
 Design is all about Individuality!
 No one will ever have the same design
concept for one plan.
 Your own ideas and feelings go into your
design.
 Creativity is key.
 But remember, the homeowner is the
boss! If they don’t like it you might have to
change it.
Elements & Principles
 Serve as structures and guidelines for
design development.
 Elements are tools used to accomplish
principles in a project.
 Elements = mechanics
 Principles = concepts
Elements
 Line
 Form
 Texture
 Color
Principles
 Focalization
 Repetition
 Proportion & Scale
 Rhythm &
 Balance
Sequence
 Interconnection
 Order & Unity
Elements
Line
 Causes physical and/or visual movement.
 Leads the eyes through the landscaped
space.
 Defines space.
 Lines are used in all aspects of the
landscape.
 Steer physical or visual movement directly
through the environment.
Construct Lines…
 By using contrasting plant materials
 By forming patterns with similar plant
materials
 Examples – Ground patterns, Edges of
contrasting plant materials, and Tree tops
meeting the sky
Lines cont’d
 Straight lines – formality or a
contemporary concept
 Intersecting lines – hesitation, change of
view or direction, or a pause
 Curved lines – relaxed, slower movement;
casual & informal concept
Straight Lines
Curved Lines
Form
 2 or 3 – Dimensional shape and structure of
an object or space.
 Form is Line surrounding Space.
 Air space created by two plant materials set
side by side is also an expression of form.
 Trees are good examples of form.
Common Forms
 Round
 Conical
 Oval
 Weeping
 Horizontal
 Upright
Forms cont’d
 Tailored plants and shrubs = formal design
 Irregular or natural forms = informal design
Texture
 Surface quality of any plant material or
structure in the landscape.
 Texture is relative.
 Comparison is how we determine texture in a
landscape.
 One plant might be fine in certain
surroundings but in others course.
 Examples – Smooth, Rough, Shiny, or Dull.
Texture cont’d
 Fine texture = eyes move easy
 Course texture = focus eyes
Color
 Light is the source of color
 Color is visible wavelengths
 White is all light
 Black is the absence of light
 The color you see is the reflected
wavelength
Color
 Color Wheel
 Primary colors
 Red, yellow, blue
 Secondary colors
 Primary + Primary
 Violet, green, orange
 Tertiary colors
 Primary + Secondary
 Name begins with
Primary
 Red-orange, yellowgreen
YELLOW
RED
BLUE
Color cont’d
 Hue – pure color
 Tint (pastel) – add white & decrease the value
 Tone – add gray
 Shade – add black
 Warm colors – yellow, red, orange =
excitement
 Cool colors – blue and green = calm
Principles
Focalization
 Visual break in the sequence and flow of the
landscape.
 Focal Point – point or area that attracts the eye
 Without it the eye is lost and confused.
 A designer should create a strong and effective
focal point.
 Use elements to create the focal point
Focalization
 Can be created by varying sizes of plants.
 Texture can be useful
 Minor focal points can be used to lead the
eye to the main focal point
 Color can create a focal point on a site
with great depth.
 What color might you use for the focal
point?
Proportion & Scale
 Proportion – relationship among
components of landscape.

Tree to tree, shrub to shrub, tree to shrub
 Scale – relationship among components of
landscape to house.

Tall tree to squatty house – not good
Out – of – scale
In – scale
Balance
Symmetrical
Balance
Asymmetrical
Order & Unity
 Order – overall organization, skeleton
 Unity – harmonious relationship among all
elements of the design
Repetition
 Repeating or using an element more than
once throughout a design.
 Provides a common feature throughout the
design that pulls the design together.
Rhythm & Sequence
 The apparent flow of lines, textures, and
colors that express a feeling of motion rather
than confusion.
 Keeps the eye moving smoothly.
 Create R & S with elements
Interconnection
 Produces unity in the design
 Components physically linked together
 Examples – a row of shrubs, lines of tulips