The document discusses the basics of design including definitions of what design is, key aspects of 2D design, the Bauhaus school of art and design, Gestalt theory of visual perception, and the evolution of design principles over time. Specifically, it defines design as the purposeful arrangement of visual elements to create meaning or function. It outlines the traditional focus of design disciplines and how design now permeates culture. Bauhaus had a major influence on modernist art and design with its focus on clean lines, geometry and functionalism. Gestalt theory holds that humans perceive unified structures and patterns through principles like proximity, similarity, closure and continuity. Contemporary design has added contextual and conceptual elements and principles like fragmentation and layering.

9. Bauhaus

15. closure similarity continuity