DFW - Principles of Design [LESSON]

Principles of Design

Why is it important to understand the Principles of Design?

We want you to learn how to create a good design so that your work is attractive and pleasing to the eye. Humans like things that are aesthetically pleasing and are more likely to react positively to good design. From the opposite point of view, if your design isn’t well put together, and you don’t follow the principles of design, people will have a natural negative reaction to your work and are less likely to stay on your website (or view your other work).  There’s a lot that goes into good design; we will start with design principles. These are universally understood and used by designers everywhere.  These same principles of design are used throughout disciplines in art, engineering, digital design, graphic design, and many other areas.

View the Introduction to Design Principles presentation below to learn more about movement, balance, unity, contrast, emphasis, line, and color in the design. Click next to continue the presentation.

 

Principles of Design:

Balance—provides stability and structure to a design. It is the distributed weight in the design by the placement of elements on the page.

Proximity—creates a relationship between elements. Elements should be visually connected in some way.  Provides a focal point.

Alignment—aligning elements creates a visual connection between elements which leads to order and organization.  

Repetition—strengthens a design by tying elements together and creating association and consistency.

Contrast—emphasizes or highlights key elements by contrasting them with other elements.

Space—the distance or area between, around, above, below, or within elements. Positive and negative spaces are important in every design.

Elements of Design:

Line—the linear marks made with a drawing tool or the edge created when two shapes meet.

Shape—a self-contained defined area of geometric (squares and circles), or organic (free-formed) shapes.    

Direction—All lines have direction. Horizontal suggests calmness, stability, and tranquility. Vertical gives a feeling of balance, formality, and alertness. Oblique suggests movement and action.

Size—the relationship of the area occupied by one shape to that of another.

Texture—the surface quality of a shape - rough, smooth, soft, hard, glossy, etc.

Color—light reflected off objects. Three main characteristics: hue (the name--red, green, blue, etc.), value (how light or dark it is), and intensity (how bright or dull it is).

You should always consider the elements and principles of design when working with media and design. The elements used in all designs should be selected to convey the product's message beyond the words or photos used in the design. The placement of those items on the page determines how well our design presents the message that we want to convey. The structure of our design and the overall readability of the page is affected by the placement of our elements.

Practice your knowledge of the Principles of Design by matching the principles to the correct image. 

Practice your knowledge of the Elements of Design by matching the element to the correct image. 

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