Balearic PAU Design flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Gestalt law of closure

The perceptual tendency to complete an incomplete shape or figure so it is seen as a whole, even when gaps exist in the outline or form.

Additive versus subtractive colour

Additive colour mixes light (RGB); combining red and green light gives yellow. Subtractive colour mixes pigments or inks (CMYK); mixing absorbs light and darkens the result.

WCAG contrast ratio

A measure of luminance difference between text and background. WCAG requires at least 4.5:1 for normal body text and 3:1 for large text (18pt or 14pt bold).

Golden ratio in composition

A proportion of approximately 1:1.618 used to divide a frame or layout into harmonious segments. Related to the rule of thirds, which approximates it as a 3x3 grid.

Itten's seven colour contrasts

Johannes Itten identified seven contrasts: hue, light-dark, cold-warm, complementary, simultaneous, saturation, and extension (area). They are used to analyse colour relationships in composition.

Double Diamond model

A design process model from the UK Design Council (2004) with four phases: Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver. Each pair alternates divergent thinking with convergent selection.

SCAMPER ideation technique

A checklist that prompts idea generation: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse. It forces alternative views on an existing product or concept.

Formative versus summative evaluation

Formative evaluation happens during development to improve the design; summative evaluation happens at the end to judge whether the final solution meets its goals.

Persona in user research

A fictional archetype representing a user group, built from real research data. It summarises goals, behaviours and pain points to guide design decisions.

Prototype fidelity

The level of detail and realism in a prototype. Low-fidelity prototypes (paper, sketches) are cheap for testing concepts; high-fidelity ones test detailed interaction but cost more to build.

MVP in design

Minimum viable product: the smallest version of a solution that still delivers core value, released to gather real user feedback and guide further iteration.

Type anatomy: x-height

The height of lowercase letters such as x, o and e, measured from baseline to the top of the main body. A larger x-height generally improves legibility at small sizes.

Tracking versus kerning

Tracking adjusts uniform spacing across a whole word or text block; kerning adjusts spacing between individual letter pairs, such as A and V, to correct optical gaps.

Bleed in print production

Extra artwork extending beyond the trim edge, typically 3 mm, so slight cutting misalignment leaves no unprinted white edge on the finished piece.

Modular grid system

A layout structure dividing the page into columns and rows with gutters, creating consistent modules for placing text and images across multiple formats and pages.

Wordmark versus lettermark

A wordmark is a logo built from the full name of the brand in distinctive typography; a lettermark uses initials or a few letters only, useful for long names.

Wayfinding decision points

Locations where a user must choose a direction, such as junctions or entrances. Signage is placed there with clear sightlines and consistent height for visibility.

Dieter Rams' ten principles

Rams' criteria for good design include innovative, useful, aesthetic, understandable, unobtrusive, honest, long-lasting, thorough, environmentally friendly and as little design as possible.

Thermoplastic versus thermoset

Thermoplastics soften and can be reshaped when reheated, making them recyclable and suited to injection moulding. Thermosets cure permanently and cannot be remelted.

Anthropometric percentile design

Designing to body-size data ranges, often from the 5th percentile female to the 95th percentile male, so products fit most users without excessive adjustment.

Life-cycle assessment (LCA)

A method that evaluates environmental impact across a product's stages: raw material extraction, manufacture, distribution, use and end-of-life disposal or recycling.

Cradle to Cradle

A design framework by McDonough and Braungart where materials circulate in biological or technical nutrient cycles, eliminating waste rather than merely reducing it.

Bauhaus school

A German school founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, active in Weimar and Dessau until 1933. It united art and craft, emphasised functionalism and influenced modern design education.

Swiss style typography

An International Style movement of the 1950s based on grid systems, sans-serif type, asymmetric layouts and objective clarity. Key figures include Josef Müller-Brockmann and Armin Hofmann.

Memphis Group

An Italian postmodern design collective founded by Ettore Sottsass in 1981, known for bold colours, playful geometry and anti-functional furniture that rejected modernist restraint.

De Stijl movement

A Dutch movement founded in 1917 by Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian, using primary colours, black, white and rectangular geometry to express universal harmony.

Seven principles of universal design

Equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive use, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and size and space for approach and use.

POUR accessibility principles

The four WCAG principles: content must be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust, so it works with assistive technologies such as screen readers.

Colour-vision deficiency prevalence

About 8% of men and 0.5% of women have some colour-vision deficiency. Meaning should never rely on colour alone; add shape, text or pattern cues.

Peirce's sign types

Charles Sanders Peirce classified signs as icon (resembles the object), index (points to or is caused by it), and symbol (linked by convention, like words or flags).

Minimum touch target size

Accessibility guidance recommends interactive touch targets of at least about 44 by 44 CSS pixels so users with limited dexterity can tap accurately.

Practical exercise justification structure

State the user need and constraints, present alternative concepts with trade-offs, select one with explicit criteria, then describe the prototype, testing plan and evaluation metrics.