Have you ever seen a logo or advertisement that left you with a certain mood or feeling? Some convey confidence and professionalism, while others may seem playful, cheerful, friendly. This is because of the way they were designed.
Every element of a graphic design (whether it’s a logo, an advertisement, a magazine cover or a package of prosus) conveys something, communicates a certain thing or state. In this article we will talk about shapes.
As with words, shapes also represent distinct ideas that each of us unconsciously deciphers and interprets. Every shape, whether regular or irregular, geometric or abstract, elicits a certain reaction that is often predictable and that is why people “feel” one logo one way and another another way.
A graphic designer knows and understands the meanings of shapes very well and uses them as a language to strategically communicate a brand’s messages and identity.
In this article we’ll give you the basics of deciphering the code of shapes so you can use them confidently in your creations.
Circles
The circle is one of the classic shapes and also one of the most popular in graphic design because of its strong connotations. To understand why this shape is so widely used, you need to understand a basic principle of optics: the human eye instinctively follows lines. Given this and the fact that the circle is a continuous line with no beginning or end, it represents continuous movement and the idea of wholeness.
Starting from the circle, any other circular shape such as: oval, spiral, ellipse, represents unity and cyclicity. Circular shapes do not have sharp edges, and this makes them more suitable for accommodating other shapes or images inside, so they can be used successfully as frames.
Also, because of their dynamic appearance, circles are very suitable for building blocks of images.
Spirals
As in the case of circles, the basic principle of optics is essential in the case of spirals, but the effect is stronger, one might say almost “hypnotic”.
It is important to remember that, precisely because of this principle and the powerful effect of these shapes, they must be used with care, as they can be emotionally charged and can crush images and shapes that are meant to be soothing or relaxing.
In addition, spirals, as I said, have a “hypnotic” effect, they attract and hold the viewer’s attention, therefore they tend to compete with any other visual element in their vicinity.
Used alone and as a focal point of the design, spirals can give a dynamic and intense visual effect that is sure to stay in the viewer’s memory.
Squares and rectangles
As strong, full shapes, squares and rectangles convey stability and, by extension, confidence. Therefore, squares and rectangles are the reference form for everything that means order and organization, as well as associated concepts such as logic, order, and efficiency.
However, keep in mind that, with their regular shape, these shapes are not very dynamic and need other shapes, colours or images to avoid giving an overall heavy and boring look.
Triangles and arrows
The most important characteristic of these shapes is that they automatically refer to the idea of direction, so they change their meaning depending on their direction (up, down, right or left).
For example, upward-facing triangles are solid shapes and their symbolism is similar to that of rectangles, but unlike rectangles they also represent success and even dominance.
Parallel lines
By the way the viewer’s eye follows them, a series of parallel lines function much like basic shapes, but the message conveyed by them depends very much on their orientation.
- Vertical lines: these guide the gaze up and down, suggesting strength but also aggression
- Horizontal lines: in contrast to vertical lines, they convey stability and balance and have a calming effect
Symbols
Sometimes the meaning behind some shapes doesn’t necessarily have to be cryptic. You can use universally valid and familiar symbols to communicate a message quickly and clearly.
When it comes to common symbols, an easily recognisable form is equivalent to the use of the word (e.g. heart, which is a universal symbol for love).
Abstract forms
We’ve so far looked at and presented a number of basic shapes and their meanings, but graphic design is essentially a creative field, so you don’t have to be constrained in any way. Each designer is free to compose their own forms, using the basic ideas and concepts to convey their message more effectively.
If you create your own abstract shapes, you have to keep one thing in mind: their constituent elements retain their original meaning. As long as you are clear in your mind about the message you want to convey and the basic principles, you will be able to choose the elements from the basic forms that you think will lead to the desired result.