Lines, shapes, form, text, and color are basic design elements,
but how do we bring them together?
In this lesson, we introduce key design principles so you can create with confidence.
What's the first thing you see in any design?
We'll give you a hint.
It's the element that's emphasized.
Emphasis is when one element stands out.
It may be bigger, bolder, or brighter than anything around it.
We add emphasis to the parts of our design we'd like people to notice first.
Contrast, movement and white space are some techniques that create emphasis.
Let's run through these one by one.
At its most basic level, contrast is difference.
It's the difference between red and blue, patterned and plain, big and small.
Contrasting elements are opposite elements.
They make designs interesting and is used to add emphasis.
Color, texture, and lines are a few elements that help us to build contrast.
We contrast dark with light colors or thick with thin lines.
Here we can see many examples of contrast in a single image.
The text 'Mingbau Restaurant' is the most important piece of information.
That's why it pops with bold and bright type.
This contrasts with the black background to emphasize the text.
Where else do you see contrast?
How about the white ring surrounding the black circle
or the white lines framing the dark pictures?
The photographs provide further contrast through texture.
The tactile 3D detail of seeds on a burger bun
or steam rising from a hot dish also contrasts with the plain, black circle.
White space applies to any area of design not taken up by other elements
such as text, photos, or illustrations.
Designers love it because it can help create grouping, add emphasis, and improve legibility.
Contrary to the name, white space doesn't just apply to the color white.
Even if our design is blue or yellow, we can still have white space.
It often refers to the background of the design.
Even with a picture in the background, you could still have the benefits of white space.
What we're looking for is an empty patch that gives our design breathing space.
We use white space to prevent our page becoming overcrowded with elements.
It makes our design easier to look at.
White space also helps with emphasis.
In this picture, there's so much white space we're instantly drawn towards the words.
The information is delivered quickly, thanks to white space.
There's plenty of movement in a still image.
Movement is the way our eyes scan the page.
It's how we follow one element to the next.
Line and color direct us towards certain parts of the design in a certain order.
In this book cover, simple shapes and contrasting colors direct our eyes to the center.
Then we notice a semi-circle in the corner which represents the sun.
Doesn't it look like the sun is poised to move across the square or maybe out of it altogether?
There are many ways to achieve movement.
Through contrasting white on black, our eyes are first drawn to the title of the classic book cover
then we make our way down the page to spot the shark lurking beneath.
The empty space prompts our eyes to move between these bold elements
only later do we drift back up to take a closer look at the little object.
Will the swimmer make her escape before the shark moves into her space?
Repetition can bring artistry to our design.
It can make our design look consistent, build a pattern, or emphasize our message.
Let's start with patterns.
If we take a watermelon and repeat this object until it covers the page, we've made a pattern.
This pattern can add texture or provide a background.
Repeating text will keep our design minimal. This means we can focus on the message using
subtler elements such as color and space to give the words their meaning.
Repetition also gives our design a sense of rhythm.
In the same way music gives us a predictable beat, repetition gives us a visual beat.
Using elements in a repeated order gives our design a clean and well-structured look.
If something is out of proportion, it might fall over.
That's how we think about the size and quantity of our elements
and how they relate to each other.
This stops our design feeling heavy, lopsided, or generally off.
When creating a design that features a cup of tea, a spoon, and a book, we need to make sure the cup
is bigger than the spoon and the book should be the biggest object of all.
No matter how many objects or elements we use, they should always be proportionate.
Once we have our objects or elements in proportion,
it's time to look at how they're balanced.
Balance is how we position objects inside our design.
It can also include the amount of white space compared to other design elements.
One way to master balance is to think of each element as having a weight.
From text boxes to images to blocks of color, consider each of their sizes, shapes,
and what weight they have in relation to other elements on the page.
We can also balance our elements symmetrically or asymmetrically.
Symmetrical balance gives our design a sense of security.
Our viewer feels safe knowing our design has been well-structured
and everything looks like it's in the right place.
It's safe, but can also be a bit boring.
Asymmetrical balance is where elements are not balanced in exactly the same way.
For instance, one side of the composition might have
a large emphasized element that is balanced by a couple of lesser elements on the other side.
It's still balanced, but it's not mirrored like in the symmetrical example.
This makes it a little more dynamic and interesting.
Unbalanced design can be its own design technique too.
For example, when we want to make our viewer
feel like something isn't quite right, we make our design look unsteady on purpose.
This is great for unnerving the viewer like on a horror movie poster.
Balance is one of the most important principles.
The final principle to discuss is alignment.
Some people suggest alignment pairs with balance.
As by aligning elements, it can help designs feel more balanced.
Alignment focuses on the relationships between elements, giving structure and order to designs.
You can have edge or center alignment.
Edge alignment can see objects relating to the left, right, top, or bottom of the page.
Center alignment sees objects sticking to the middle either horizontally or vertically
or both if you want it right in the middle of both X and Y axes.
Objects can also be aligned to each other where they both sit on the same X or Y axis.
This implies these objects have a relationship to each other
and therefore should be understood together.
Alignment is incredibly important if you want your design work to feel professional and finished.
Having objects that are not aligned to each other makes your design look random and unplanned.
We've learned a number of design principles in this lesson.
Soon it will become second nature as you work them into your own designs.
But until then, we'll give you a reminder of the theory you've learned today.
Emphasis is the way one element stands out on the page.
Contrast is the difference between two or more elements
such as bright and dark colors or big and small objects.
White space prevents our page becoming overcrowded with elements.
It's the breathing space on the page and it can be any color.
Movement is the way our eyes are directed to scan from one element to the next.
Repetition can bring patterns or rhythms into our designs.
Proportion is the size or quantity of our design elements in relation to each other.
Balance is how we position those multiple objects
and how we can make the overall design symmetrical or asymmetrical.
Alignment is building relationships between objects and the X and Y axis.
Test out each principle in your next design even if you're only using one word on a background.