Design is an art form that requires a combination of creativity and technical skill. It is essential to understand the basic principles of design in order to create a visually appealing and effective composition. Alignment, balance, emphasis, unity, contrast, scale, rhythm, and pattern are the eight fundamental principles of design. Alignment is one of the most basic and important principles of design.
It allows us to create order and organization between the elements. Once you understand all the elements of the design, it's easy to be ambitious and want to include multiple shapes, different colors, or types of lines and fonts. But without the principles of design, you'll end up with a disconnected, confusing and difficult to navigate composition. Balance in this case is related to our physical equilibrium, or what we perceive as balanced.
The balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. In both cases, it is intended to provide visual stability. In a two-dimensional design, balance can be understood only in terms of our perception. A symmetrical design shall have all the elements arranged on a central axis (horizontal or vertical), to allow an equal space on both sides.
If we assume this in terms of a layout on a sheet, no matter how wide it is, the amount of empty space left around the design must be equal. An asymmetrical design will be opposite to a symmetrical one and is therefore a little more complex. The objects here balance each other and may not necessarily work around a central axis. However, the balance is achieved however, provided that it is visually composed. The image above provides an example of asymmetrical equilibrium.
The objects are placed below the horizontal central axis, but the other design principles have been used to harmonize the image. In a nutshell, emphasis is used to capture the viewer's attention. One element of the design can be emphasized by using color, gradation, contrast, texture, shape or location compared to the rest of the design. Of course, to emphasize the element, the presence of other elements and design principles is essential. For example, while preparing an architectural design of a building, without the presence of trees in the background, a road in front of the building, and perhaps some human figures, the design of the building cannot be emphasized.
In addition, there may be an aspect of the building itself that needs to be emphasized. In short, emphasis is placed on creating a focal point in the design. The emphasis in the image above is provided by the green object, which stands out clearly against the monotonous background and the other objects. Also note that the emphasized object creates an asymmetrical balance, but the image looks unified. Any design should provoke harmony and should look unified. The various principles, when combined to create a design, must work in harmony with each other.
A splash of unrelated objects or images cannot create unity. Instead, unity is achieved through the use of all or any of the above-mentioned design principles. The use of variety would be disputed against unity. However, it is important to understand that unity can be achieved even in variety. This is where harmony comes into play.
For example, when considering the design of a web page, ultimately, a web page has to be composed in terms of its title, content, sidebars that provide information, and various advertisements posted on it. All design elements must be combined to create and consolidate this design principle. Although at first glance all elements may seem scattered, their proximity adds unity and continuity to the page. Even if you intend to stick to templates it's helpful to know the design principles in order to customize an existing design. While all elements are equally important in creating an overall impact that a graphic design creates; emphasis points towards a main focal point which encourages closer scrutiny. It is also used as a gateway through which you allow viewers to explore your work. Viewers may be distracted when there are two or more equally dominant elements in a design but proper use of emphasis avoids this problem.
What makes some arrangements of design elements harmonious and others cacophonic? It is prudent or reckless use of scale. Scale refers to size taken in relation to various elements that make up a design; it only comes into play when comparing one element with another element or with background. You can also use light and color values to influence scale. Rhythm manipulates movement of viewer's eyes through desired direction of compositional flow; as already mentioned focal point acts as gateway for this flow but it can guide eye through compositional flow by means directional lines; gradation; pattern repetition; implicit action etc. Contrast refers to different elements especially adjacent elements; these differences make several elements stand out; contrast is also very important aspect when creating accessible designs; insufficient contrast can make content very difficult to read especially for visually impaired. Patterns are nothing more than repetition of multiple design elements working together; wallpaper patterns are most ubiquitous example but patterns can also refer established standards for how certain elements are designed; for example top navigation is pattern that most internet users are familiar with. In conclusion understanding these 8 basic principles will help you create visually appealing designs that are effective in conveying your message.
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