The various visual elements, known as elements of design, formal elements, or elements of art, are the vocabulary with which the visual artist composes. These elements in the overall design usually relate to each other and to the whole art work.
The elements of design are:
Line — the visual path that enables the eye to move within the piece
Shape — areas defined by edges within the piece, whether geometric or organic
Color — hues with their various values and intensities
Texture — surface qualities which translate into tactile illusions
Value — Shading used to emphasize form
Form — 3-D length, width, or depth
Space — the space taken up by (positive) or in between (negative) objects
The main competition on most demoparties is the demo compo.
A typical party also includes an intro compo (for demos with a file size restriction), a music compo and a graphics compo. Other common contests include wild compo (for any kind of video material) and game development compo. Compos are often split into subcategories by technical and stylistic restrictions.