Elements of Design - Mass and Size

From Jacci Howard Bear,
Your Guide to Desktop Publishing.

Mass is one of the basic elements of design. Mass equals size. Each piece you create has a physical mass. Additionally, each element within the design (graphics, photos, lines, text blocks) have their own mass relative to the whole piece.

Defining Mass

Mass equals size. Each piece you create has a physical mass. The physical mass or size is the actual dimensions of the piece, height, width, thickness/weight (of paper), and depth (3D objects).

Additionally, each element within the design (graphics, photos, lines, text blocks) have their own mass relative to the whole piece. For example, a photo that is physically 3 inches by 5 inches can appear smaller or larger depending on the physical size of the paper it is printed on and the size and proximity (closeness) of other items on the page.

Some ways to use mass within your designs:

to accommodate information, content
Example: To present all the desired or needed information comfortably a designer may create a bi-fold rather than the usual single business card

to accommodate normal size restraints or expectations
Example: The postal service has limitations on the height and width of different types of envelopes. If a designer ignores those requirements it could incur additional mailing costs for the client.

to convey a mood or provide emphasis
Example: A place that is physically large (such as an amusement park) or a business that offers a huge assortment of products may use brochures or other marketing pieces that are larger (physical dimensions) or heavier (weight) than normal to carry out the 'bigger' or 'more' theme.

to create contrast
Example: A designer might design a full-page magazine ad using a single small image in the middle of the page with lots of white space. The contrast between the size of the page and the size of the content (image) draws attention to the image and can create a specific mood (depending on other elements) such as conservative, elegant, lonely, or open.

Sometimes bigger isn't always better.

Measuring the Size of Your Design