Give the gift of beautiful design this holiday season with these modern holiday gift ideas, from glassware and decor to games and speakers.

Texture is the physical quality of a surface. Like form, it can be part of a three-dimensional object, as in the example below (a small prickly cactus in a shiny ceramic pot).

In design, texture adds depth and tactility to otherwise flat images. Objects can appear smooth, rough, hard, or soft, depending on the elements at play.

Give the gift of beautiful design this holiday season with these modern holiday gift ideas, from glassware and decor to games and speakers.

Balance is the equal distribution of visual weight (more specifically, how much any one element attracts the viewer’s eye). Balance can be affected by many things, including color, size, number, and negative space.

Balance is the equal distribution of visual weight (more specifically, how much any one element attracts the viewer’s eye). Balance can be affected by many things, including color, size, number, and negative space.

Many people, including designers and photographers, use a strategy called the rule of thirds. This imagines your work area divided into a 3x3 grid.

Many people, including designers and photographers, use a strategy called the rule of thirds. This imagines your work area divided into a 3x3 grid.

Many people, including designers and photographers, use a strategy called the rule of thirds. This imagines your work area divided into a 3x3 grid.

Many people, including designers and photographers, use a strategy called the rule of thirds. This imagines your work area divided into a 3x3 grid.