The Avant Communication design team is a group of experts in form and function and are the key architects behind any brand material that require applied art and design solutions.

What constitutes design?

This can range from exhibition stalls and promotional stands, to product packaging, a direct mailer that calls for an innovative opening mechanism or storage solution. Design also extends to point-of-sale material, brochures and leaflets. In simple terms the Avant Communication design team members are engineers in art.

What is design comprised of?

To develop an object or process, our designers take careful consideration of various aspects of the job, including aesthetics and functionality. Often times this requires a great deal of research, brainstorming, modelling and, sometimes, adjustment and re-design. Avant Communication will gladly take care of both the design and production aspects of your project.

What are Avant Communications design capabilities?

During the design process our design team follows a series of steps.

1. Preproduction
2. Production
3. Managing

1. Pre-production
Obtaining design brief collaborating with clients to determine design goals
Research investigating related topics and familiarising ourselves with the current trends in the client’s field.
Strategise Find a unique angle or niche
Brainstorming conceptualising and recording design ideas
Conceptual sketching, digital renderings
Presentation to client

2. Production
Development continuation and refinement of a design. In-situ testing of the design might also take place at this stage.
Construction by highly skilled craftsmen
Applied knowledge of various materials including wood, plastic, solid surfaces and stone, foam, metal, fabric, paint
Exhibit repair and refurbishing
Engineering and Project Management
Concurrent engineering with Design Team
Detailed Drawings and documentation
Latest engineering software and technology
Complete documentation and support
To ensure that your design is executed and implemented to perfection we work with specialist fitters, skilled joiners and metal workers who know the business inside out.

3. Manage
Every design job is overseen by our dedicated in-house production manager. With his vast experience he is able to control every aspect of the job and navigate it to successful completion.
Budget Planning and forecasting
OnSite supervision
Shipping and tracking of components
Documentation

What are the elements and principles of design?

Design refers to the intentional creation of something that satisfies objectives in terms of functional and aesthetics. Where the visual appeal is concerned, our designers draw from a number of elements and principles in order to develop a piece that is engaging for the viewer. These elements and principles of design are the ingredients of a composition (the final object) that has visual impact.

Composition
Composition refers to a structured arrangement of various elements through the application of design principles. A great deal of thought goes into a design piece in terms of the arrangement and application of the elements of design. At Avant Communication we work with the principles of good composition to create a more interesting piece. By developing a strong centre of interest the viewers will not look away, instead, they will be drawn into the work.

Elements of Design
Line articulates a shape or an outline. It can imply texture and can also be thicker or thinner. Lines can vary from actual and implied, to vertical, horizontal, diagonal and contour.
Colour – refers to various hues and consist of 3 varying properties: Chroma, Intensity and Value. A colour wheel shows the chromatic scale of all colours that are produced by mixing the three primary colours. By pairing complimentary colours you can produce a dull and neutral palette. To produce tints, simply add white. By adding black you can create shades and adding grey will result in tones.
Texture refers to the roughness or smoothness of the surface and can either be tactile or visual i.e. the texture can be real to the touch or it can simply be an optical illusion.
Shape – is the result of a 2-dimensional line drawing. Its doesnt have any form or depth. They are simply flat visual objects that can be classified as either geometric of organic.
Form It differs from a shape in that is seems to have volume and thickness. It is a 3-D illusion.
Value refers to level of contrast between light and dark colours in a design.
Size refers to the varying proportions of shapes, objects and lines.
Principles of Design To create a composition with good structure, one should arrange the elements of design according to the principles of design. This allows for the creation of interest, harmony and unity.
Centre of interest – is the focal point of a composition and comes first in the hierarchy of object and elements used. It can be achieved by way of size, placement or use of colours.
Balance is the equilibrium of colour, value, form, shape etc. within a composition. The balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.
Harmony is a sense of unity within a composition. In a harmonious piece you would continue to use wavy lines or organic shapes if that is how you started out and not add one organic shape.
Contrast By utilising varying values within a composition one can create visual discord. Contrast could be applied to develop a background. It allows one to bring emphasis to certain objects and bring them to the front of a design..
Directional Movement directs the eye through a composition. By using the various elements of design you can develop a visual path that leads the attention from one place in the design to another.
Rhythm is created by recurring elements.