“Point, line and plane are the building blocks of design. From these elements, designers create image, icons, textures, patterns diagrams, animations and typographic systems.” -Ellen Lupton
1) Point:
noun.
A dot or other punctuation mark. The smallest element of art. It may be used to indicate position and location. Point is small in relation to the whole design and can add tone and texture.
A simple point on a screen can be used in endless ways. An example which highlights this is Josh Worth’s website ‘If the Moon was 1 Pixel’. He uses several points along a scale to help us visualise our solar system. Only using points, Worth was able to bring something that is so vast we can’t even begin to imagine, down into a single screen. This is only one example which shows the power of the point.
The point plays a key role within branding. Stefan Sagmeister, an Austrian graphic designer, storyteller and typographer, utilises the point massively throughout his work. His designs for the Seed Media Group is comprised solely of points. Sagmeister created unique circular designs for different sections within the group. This included personalised business cards where he, still only using points and colour, created portraits of the staff. The Norwegian University of Life Sciences logo was also designed by Sagmeister. Similar to before, he generated unique compositions for the different departments. This work shows how the point can be manipulated in multiple ways to create numerous designs.
As well as branding, the point can be used to display and inform people about data. Nicholas Fenton’s work is a key example of this. Felton is an infographic designer and is the author of Personal Annual Reports which combines measurements into a tapestry of graphs, maps and statistics to reflect the year’s activities. Felton changes the shape of the point to convey a number, i.e. the bigger the point, the bigger the number. David McCandles did something similar when he explored the global carbon footprint. McCandles also created imagery using only points, again playing around with the sizes.
Patterns can also be created using only points. This can be achieved by repetition, changing the size and positioning. The pattern can result in the design feeling as though it has a rhythm or frequency to it. Symmetry and asymmetry can also be used to generate pattern within the design.
After researching about the point, I had to sketch and create a 3×3 grid, with each row having a different amount of dots being used. The top was two, middle was three and the bottom had five. I kept them in simple black and white so that the dots contrasted against the background and that the design was the main focus. I quite enjoyed whenever the number of dots increased as I was able to form geometric imagery. After sketching, I created the grid again using figma.
2) Line:
noun.
A long, narrow mark or band. Line is a mark made using a drawing tool or brush. There are many types of lines: thick, thin, horizontal, vertical, zigzag, diagonal, curly, curved spiral etc. Lines are basic tools for artists.
Line can be used to convey endless things. HP utilised line in the update of their logo by only using four lines, but it is still recognisable to users. They even went so far as to hope that the brand’s logo would be recognisable as a single slanted line. The simplicity of the line is what makes it so special, that something so ‘plain’ looking, can hold so much information behind it. The quote below highlights this:
“The defining signature of the system is the 13 degree angle. The angle represents HP’s spirit as a company, driven forward by ingenuity and optimism about the future and a belief in human progress. It also refers to the world of computing by recalling the forward slash used in programming.”
An artist who utilises line is Brendan Dawes. He is a UK-based artist who uses generative processes involving data, machine learning and algorithms. In the example below, using only lines, Dawes creates a visual that is recognisable as a map of the world. Similar to the point, lines can be used to create unique imagery and compositions. 
By changing the thickness, length or any other characteristics of the line, the composition would be given a different frequency and rhythm to the other layouts. Lines can also be used to add tone or texture to a design.
Similar to the point exercise, I had to create patterns using only 2, 3, or 5 lines within a 3×3 grid. I focused on varying the thickness of the lines and looked to see if I could create a pattern within the three squares in a row as well as the individual boxes. Before I went into the grid, I played around with a single line, keeping the same thickness, but changing the angle and positioning to create 20 different alternatives.
3) Plane:
noun.
A flat surface on which a straight line joining any two points on it would wholly lie. A plane surface is a flat surface and any distinct flat surface within a painting or sculpture can be referred to as a plane.
Planes are all around us in designs. In particular the work of Josef Muller-Brockmann (1914-1996). He was a Swiss graphic designer, author and educator. He was a pioneer of the International Typographic Style. His work was successful in using simple planes in the background which added colour to the pieces. They also added shape and structure by framing the text. The simple repetition of a plane and changing the colour or altering the positioning slightly creates simple but effective compositions. Not all the plane has to be visible, having the edges cut off adds a unique composition and angle to the design.
Another artist who utilised planes effectively was Wim Crouwell (1928-2019). Willem Hendrik ‘Wim’ Crouwell was a Dutch graphic designer, type designer and typographer. The image below is an example of how simple planes can be used to add structure to a design. Crouwell also uses planes to add depth to his work like the image on the right, where by simply alternating size and colour, Crouwell makes the design appear 3D.
This was the more complicated of the three tasks, to create set of planes within the 3×3 grid. I used tone as the main way of differentiating the different planes within the grid. I sketched up the initial design and then used Figma to add the specific tones as I would have struggled to clearly show the difference with pen or pencil. After my first grid, I picked one of the designs and created another 3×3 grid using solely that design but alternating each box slightly to create a new design using all nine boxes.
When you break down the simple factors of any design you will always fond point, line or plane. This highlighted to me how simple techniques are so vital when designing anything. I will use this knowledge moving forward in future projects.