The principles of design are the rules a designer must follow to create an effective and attractive composition. The fundamental principles of design are Emphasis, Balance and Alignment, Contrast, Repetition, Proportion, Movement and White Space.<\/p>\n
Design differs from art in that it has to have a purpose. Visually, this functionality is interpreted by making sure an image has a center of attention, a point of focus. Maybe you\u2019re thinking, \u2018But wait! I thought design was all about creativity?\u2019 If you\u2019re an entrepreneur or designer who\u2019s just starting out, you might be tempted to go wild and combine the first five typefaces and colors that catch your eye, believing you\u2019re creating something fresh and new. You will probably find yourself with a design that is muddled, unfinished, or well, just plain ugly.<\/p>\n
Graphic\u00a0design, like any discipline, adheres to strict rules that work beneath the surface to make the work stable and balanced. If the work is missing that balance, it will be weak and ineffective.<\/p>\n
This article will take you through 7 basic principles of design that will make your next project stand out.<\/p>\n
Say you\u2019re creating a poster for a concert. You should ask yourself: what is the first piece of information my audience needs to know? Is it the band? Or the concert venue? What about the day and the cost of attending?<\/p>\n
Make a mental outline. Let your brain organize the information and then lay out your design in a way that communicates that order. If the band\u2019s name is the most essential information, place it in the center or make it the biggest element on the poster. Or you could put it in the strongest, boldest type. Learn about\u00a0color theory<\/a>\u00a0and use strong color combinations to make the band name pop.<\/p>\n Like writing without an outline or building without a blueprint, if you start your composition without a clear idea of what you\u2019re trying to communicate, your design will not succeed<\/p>\n Never forget that every element you place on a page has a weight. The weight can come from color, size, or texture. Just like you wouldn\u2019t put all your furniture in one corner of a room, you can\u2019t crowd all your heavy elements in one area of your composition. Without balance, your audience will feel as if their eye is sliding off the page.<\/p>\n Symmetrical design creates balance through equally weighted elements aligned on either side of a center line. On the other hand, asymmetrical design uses opposite weights (like contrasting one large element with several smaller elements) to create a composition that is not even, but still has equilibrium.<\/p>\n Symmetrical designs are always pleasing, if not occasionally boring. Asymmetrical designs are bolder and can bring real visual interest and movement (more on that later!) to your composition<\/p>\n Contrast is what people mean when they say a design \u201cpops.\u201d It comes away from the page and sticks in your memory. Contrast creates space and difference between elements in your design. Your background needs to be significantly different from the color of your elements so they work harmoniously together and are readable.<\/p>\n If you plan to work with type, understanding contrast is incredibly essential because it means the weight and size of your type are balanced. How will your audience know what is most important if everything is in bold?<\/p>\n As you seek out examples of really strong, effective design, you\u2019ll notice most designs only feature one or two typefaces. That\u2019s because contrast can be effectively achieved with two strong fonts (or even one strong typeface in different weights). As you add fonts, you dilute and confuse the purpose of your design.<\/p>\n If you limit yourself to two strong typefaces or three strong colors, you\u2019ll soon find you\u2019ll have to repeat some things. That\u2019s ok! It\u2019s often said that repetition unifies and strengthens a design. If only one thing on your band poster is in blue italic sans-serif, it can read like an error. If three things are in blue italic sans-serif, you\u2019ve created a motif and are back in control of your design.<\/p>\n2. Balance and alignment<\/h2>\n
3. Contrast<\/h2>\n
4. Repetition<\/h2>\n