The term grammar is used to refer to the system, elements, and structure of an area of knowledge or the language we speak. A language is a methods for humans to communicate either through written or spoken words.

Visual communication also relies completely on the language we speak. Whenever we try to visually communicate with someone, the mutual language knowledge is what helps people know what we are trying to say. This is known as visual langage and the system which controls this language is known as visual grammar.

“The reason for writing a grammar of visual language is the same as for any language: to define its basic elements, describe its patterns and processes, and to understand the relationship between the individual elements in the system. Visual language has no formal syntax or semantics, but the visual objects themselves can be classified.”

-Christian Leborg

Visual grammar can be classified by a number of principles:

• Objects: they are the very basic elements that you have to work with when it comes to visual grammar. These objects can either be concrete or abstract.
• Structures: the patterns which are formed with the help of the basic elements are the structures. These too can be both abstract and concrete.
• Activities: these represent the various processes that you can portray with the help of the previous basic elements and structures.
• Relations: these represent the various relationships between objects, processes and patterns. They are the way each component in your design will relate to one another and the viewer as well.

All design is based off the simple principle of point, line, plane. Design foundations are built around these three simple things. A series of points form a line and as assemblage of points makes a texture, shape or plane. A point is very similar to an atom; it is the smallest particle of a graphical element that can exist on a communication piece.