Principles of Design
The principles of design suggest how a designer can best arrange the various components of a page layout in connection to the overall design and to each other.
Generally, all the principles of design, also known as principles of composition, apply to any piece you may create. How you apply those principles determines how effective your design is in conveying the desired message and how attractive it appears. There is seldom only one correct way to apply each principle but check your documents to see how well you have applied each of these six principles of design.
Generally, all the principles of design, also known as principles of composition, apply to any piece you may create. How you apply those principles determines how effective your design is in conveying the desired message and how attractive it appears. There is seldom only one correct way to apply each principle but check your documents to see how well you have applied each of these six principles of design.
Balance
Visual balance comes from arranging elements on the page so that no one section is heavier than the other. Or, a designer may intentionally throw elements out of balance to create tension or a certain mood. Are your page elements all over the place or does each portion of the page balance out the rest? If out of balance, is it done purposely and with a specific intention in mind? Check Your Use of the Principle of Balance.
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Proximity/Unity
In design, proximity or closeness creates a bond between people and between elements on a page. How close together or far apart elements are placed suggests a relationship (or lack of) between otherwise disparate parts. Unity is also achieved by using a third element to connect distant parts. Are title elements together? Is contact information all in one place? Do frames and boxes tie together?
Alignment
Alignment brings order to chaos. How you align type and graphics on a page and in relation to each other can make your layout easier or more difficult to read, foster familiarity, or bring excitement to a stale design. Have you used a grid? Is there a common alignment -- top, bottom, left, right, or centered -- between blocks of text and graphics on the page? Does your text alignment aid or hinder readability? If certain elements are out of alignment, was it done purposefully with a specific design goal in mind?
Repetition/Consistency
Repeating design elements and consistent use of type and graphics styles within a document shows a reader where to go and helps them navigate your designs and layouts safely. Insure that your document utilizes the principles of repetition, consistency, and unity in page design. Do page numbers appear in the same location from page to page? Are major and minor headlines consistent in size, style, or placement? Have you used a consistent graphic or illustration style throughout? Look at the Sports Illustrated covers...what consistencies do you see?
Contrast
In design, big and small elements, black and white text, squares and circles, can all create contrast in design. Contrast helps different design elements stand out. Is there enough contrast between your text (size and colour) and background (colour and pattern) to keep text readable? Is everything all the same size even when some elements are more important than others?
White Space
Designs that try to cram too much text and graphics onto the page are uncomfortable and may be impossible to read. White space gives your design breathing room. Usage of white space is especially important in web applications. Do you have enough space between columns of text? Does text run into frames or graphics? Do you have a generous margin? You can also have too much white space if items float on the page without any anchor. Note: white space doesn’t always have to be white!
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Additional Principles of Design
In addition to or in place of some of these principles of design, other designers and instructors may include principles such as harmony, flow, or hierarchy. Some principles may be combined or go by other names such as grouping (proximity), emphasis (use of various other principles to create a focal point). These are really different ways of expressing the same basic good page layout practices.
Your Task
Use the internet to do some research and create a 3-column document in Word/Google Doc.
On the left, write one of the four principles of design and a brief explanation of what it means, and in the middle, you must find 2 examples of that principle. These examples must be pulled from a publication such as a magazine, book cover, website home page, etc. Do NOT use random Google images!
Once that is complete, briefly explain how the image you chose relates to the principle discussed in class - be specific and mention colours, patterns or other identifying information that will help your case.
Sum up:
- 3 column document
Far left Column:
- Principle along with its description
Middle Column:
- 2 examples sourced from a reliable publication, book cover, website home page, etc.
Far right Column:
- Briefly explain how the images you chose relate to the principle.
On the left, write one of the four principles of design and a brief explanation of what it means, and in the middle, you must find 2 examples of that principle. These examples must be pulled from a publication such as a magazine, book cover, website home page, etc. Do NOT use random Google images!
Once that is complete, briefly explain how the image you chose relates to the principle discussed in class - be specific and mention colours, patterns or other identifying information that will help your case.
Sum up:
- 3 column document
Far left Column:
- Principle along with its description
Middle Column:
- 2 examples sourced from a reliable publication, book cover, website home page, etc.
Far right Column:
- Briefly explain how the images you chose relate to the principle.
/20 Th. Inq. Marks