Design language

A design language or design vocabulary is an overarching scheme or style that guides the design of a complement of products or architectural settings. Designers wishing to give their suite of products a unique but consistent look and feel define a design language for it, which can describe choices for design aspects such as materials, colour schemes, shapes, patterns, textures, or layouts. They then follow the scheme in the design of each object in the suite.^[1]

Usually, design languages are not rigorously defined; the designer basically makes one thing in a similar manner as another. In other cases, they are followed strictly, so that the products gain a strong thematic quality. For example, although there is a great variety of unusual chess set designs, the pieces within a set are usually thematically consistent.

Sometimes, designers encourage others to follow their design languages when decorating or accessorizing. In the context of graphical user interfaces, for example, human interface guidelines can be thought of as design languages for applications.^[2]

In automobiles, the design language is often in the grille design. For instance, many BMW vehicles share a design language,^[1] including front-end styling consisting of a split kidney and four circular headlights. Some manufacturers have appropriated design language cues from rival firms.^[3]

Software

In software architecture, design languages are related to architecture description languages. The most well known design language is Unified Modeling Language.

Examples

References

1 2 Brunner, Robert; Emery, Stewart; Hall, Russ (2009). Do You Matter?: How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company. Pearson Education. pp. 157–72. ISBN 978-0-13-714244-6.
↑ Winograd, Terry (1996). "Bringing Design to Software". Stanford HCI Group. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
↑ "Car Design News Car Design Gallery on Form Language".

Design

Outline
Portal
Designer

Disciplines

Communication design	Advertising Book design Corporate design Exhibit design Film title design Graphic design Environmental Motion Postage stamp design Print design Illustration Information design Instructional design News design Photography Retail design Signage / Traffic sign design Typography / Type design Video design Visual merchandising

Environmental design	Architecture Architectural lighting design Building design Passive solar Ecological design Environmental impact design Garden design Computer-aided Healthy community design Hotel design Interior architecture Interior design EID Keyline design Landscape architecture Sustainable Landscape design Spatial design Transition design Urban design

Industrial design	Automotive design Automotive suspension design CMF design Corrugated box design Electric guitar design Furniture design Sustainable Hardware interface design Motorcycle design Packaging and labeling Photographic lens design Product design Production design Sensory design Service design

Interaction design	Experience design EED Game design Level design Video game design Hardware interface design Icon design Immersive design Information design Sonic interaction design User experience design User interface design Web design

Other applied arts	Public art design Ceramic / glass design Fashion design Costume design Jewelry design Floral design Game art design Property design Scenic design Sound design Stage/set lighting design Textile design

Other design & engineering	Algorithm design Boiler design Conceptual design Database design Drug design Electrical system design Experimental design Filter design Job design Integrated circuit design Circuit design Physical design Power network design Nuclear weapon design Nucleic acid design Organization design Process design Processor design Protein design Research design Social design Software design Spacecraft design Strategic design Systems design

Approaches

Tools
Intellectual property
Organizations
Awards

Tools	AAD Architectural model Blueprint Comprehensive layout CAD CAID Virtual home design software CAutoD Design quality indicator Electronic design automation Flowchart Mockup Product design specification Prototype Sketch Storyboard Technical drawing Web design program Website wireframe

Intellectual property	Community design Design around Design patent Geschmacksmuster Industrial design rights European Union

Organizations	AIGA Chartered Society of Designers Design and Industries Association Design Council International Forum Design The Design Society Design Research Society

Awards	European Design Award German Design Award Good Design Award (Chicago) Good Design Award (Japan) Graphex IF product design award James Dyson Award Prince Philip Designers Prize

Design language

Software

Examples

See also

References