design principles

design pr incipleswhat you need to know

•Basic principles of design

•Basic elements of design

•Layout and composition

•Communication

Contents at a glance

•Balance

•Rhythm

•Proportion

•Dominance

•Unity

Basic principles of design

•Relation of elements in composition with regards to their visual weight.

•Relation to ideas of physical structure.

•Mass, gravity, edge.

•Symmetrical and Asymmetrical.

Balance

Balance

Horizontal Symmetry

Balance

Approximate Horizontal Symmetry

Balance

Asymmetry

•Repitition of elements with set intervals.

•Create a sense of movement.

•Regular,flowingandprogressiverhythm.

Rhythm

Rhythm

Regular

Rhythm

Flowing

Rhythm

Progressive

•Relative size of different elements in terms of scale.

•Also relates to balance and symmetry.

•Can also be used to describe depth.

Proportion

Proportion

Proportion

Proportion

Proportion - Depth

•Can also be described as emphasis.

•Distribution of weight through various elements.

Dominance

Dominance

Dominance

Dominance

Dominance

•Relation between elements of a design and the compostition as a whole.

•Tie it together to show wholeness.

•Break it apart to show variety.

•Principles based on Gestalt theory of how our mind organizes visual information.

Unity

Unity

Unity Gestalt

Basic principles of design

•Color

•Line

•Shape

•Form

•Texture

Basic elements of design

•Color ◦ Meaning in different contexts and cultures.

◦ Red = Love OR Red = Danger/Warning

◦ Statistical preferences according to how the eye works.

•Line ◦ Direction, purpose, intent.

◦ Lead gaze or obstruct gaze.

Color and Line

•Shape ◦ The two dimensional shape of an object.

◦ Recognition of objects and weight.

•Form ◦ Three dimensional shape of an object.

◦ Shows volume and depth.

◦ Relation to real world - like in greyscale.

Shape and Form

•Relates to the tactile response of touching physical objects.

•Design of some software applications.

•Sense of realness.

Texture

•Rule of thirds ◦ If dividing a frame into thirds horizontally and vertically.

◦ The focus should be place on one of the intersections of those lines.

◦ The focus element should be differentiated from the background by contrast in either colour, shape, or form.

◦ There should be elements leading the gaze into that position.

Layout and composition

•Grid based layout ◦ Baseduponlayingoutitemstoaligntoapre-definedgrid

to ensure balance, unity, and harmony.

Layout and composition

Layout and composition

◦ Editorial layout

◦ Applicable to content heavy designs

Layout and composition

•Typography ◦ Legibility vs Readability

◦ Design elements at the root.

◦ What are you saying?

•Separation of concern ◦ What is the job?

◦ Keep elements grouped logically in consumable “chunks”.

◦ Focus on the purpose in choosing content.

Communication