JEWELRY DESIGN COMPOSITION: PLAYING WITH BUILDING BLOCKSCALLED DESIGN ELEMENTS

Abstract:
Jewelry making is a constructive process of expression. The language of expression begins with the idea of Design Elements. Design Elements are the smallest, meaningful units of design. Design Elements
function in a similar way as vowels and consonants in a language. They have form. They have meaning. They have expression. Some can stand alone, and others are dependent and must be clustered together. Better jewelry designers are aware of and can decode these expressive aspects of design elements and how they are included within any piece. This is one part of learning a disciplinary
literacy in design. This literacy begins with a process of decoding and builds to an intuitive fluency in design. This article focuses on this process of decoding.

Jewelry Design Composition

Jewelry making is a constructive process of expression.

The language of expression begins with the idea of Design Elements. Design Elements are like building blocks and function a bit like the vowel and consonant letters of the alphabet. They have form. They have meaning. They can be assembled into different arrangements which extend their meaning and usefulness in expression.

There is an underlying logic to this process — a vocabulary and grammar, so to speak. Recognizing how this vocabulary and grammar is structured and applied enables the jewelry designer to learn how to be fluent in design. Such recognition is critical in developing a coherent, consistent disciplinary literacy in jewelry design. Such disciplinary literacy is at the heart
of a professional identity for jewelry design artisans. This literacy structure in design has four main components to it:

1) Vocabulary: Design Elements As The Basis Of Composition

2) Grammar: Principles of Construction

3) Strategy: Project Management[1]

4) Context/Culture: Shared Understandings[2]

This article focuses on the first component — Design Elements.

It makes sense for the designer to begin with something like building blocks, which I call…