Concepts:

Form

Form refers to the three-dimensional qualities of an object; its shape, its geometry, its structure and its mass/volume. Form can be described as a reference to both the internal structure and external outline.

Some of the aspects of form include:

• Shape: the outline of the form; the combination of the overall masses (sphere, cube, pyramid, conical, organic, etc.)
• Size: the dimensions of the form, proportions and scale
• Material: the color and texture of the form will affect its visual weight
• Balance: the correlation of the masses to the final form and its position, orientation, and relationship to the environment

RepetitionThe concept of repetition in design means similar elements are used throughout a design. Repetition can be the reuse of certain lines, shapes, materials or colors multiple times. It could also manifest as pictorial patterns or gradations.

Repetition of some elements within a design can create a sense of consistency, unity and shared visual language.

ContrastContrast in a design occurs when two elements are presented in opposition to each other. Our eyes are naturally drawn towards contrast. Contrast can be presented in the arrangement of colors, materials, proportions, textures, etc.

Using contrast, one can create emphasis to features, drawing the viewer's attention to an element that is the focal point of the design. Contrast can also present an order or hierarchy that guides the usability of an object.

An important point about Design

The widely accepted and dominant design discourse taught in schools and applied to different fields of design follows a specific mainstream set of rules, laws, and principles. That happens because nowadays, and for at least the last century, much of the design education and critique have been reiterating the intellectualism and principles established by the Bauhaus, among other derivative western schools of design.

"The world is too big for modernism to be a universal truth." - Gabriela Namie

The design canons taught in institutions and reinforced in the design industry are heavily Anglocentric and Eurocentric. This systemic practice is problematic because it blindly introduces history, language, culture, and design through western perspectives and interpretations.

• What is considered great design in our society?
• Who are the "star" designers and innovators?
• What is considered craft and what is considered design?

As a counter point to these dominant views some would argue that not every design can be, or should be described as problem-solving, nor rooted in Anglocentric/Eurocentric and capitalistic views.