Principles Of Design
The principles of design are a set of rules that designers can follow when creating a composition to create visually
pleasing work. The purpose of these rules is to deliver a message in the most organized and functional way.
list of the main design principles:
•Balance
•Unity
•Contrast
•Emphasis
•Repetition
•Pattern
•Rhythm
•Movement
•Proportion
•Variety
•Harmony
While we’ve seen a fair share of experimental pieces out there, it's important to know the significance of the
fundamentals. Every design piece has a structure below the surface that holds up the design and makes it visually
interesting and balanced. Once designers understand the usage of the principles, they’ll understand better how to
break these rules.
BALANCE
Balance is the distribution of visual weight
in an artwork. The three types of balance
are symmetrical (two sides are the same),
asymmetrical (two sides are different but
visually weighted equally) and radial
(design emerges from center point).
UNITY
Unity is the principle of art that
gives an artwork a feeling of
“oneness”. Unity and harmony
are similar, but unity is more
broad. There are numerous ways
to create unity in art. Some of
those ways are particular to
individual artist’s style.
CONTRAST
The difference between two or more
objects in a design is referred to as
contrast. The difference in objects
could be light and dark, thin and
thick, small and large, bright and
dull, etc.
Contrast is most commonly
associated with readability, legibility,
and accessibility. Like hierarchy, the
most important element in a design
should have the most contrast.
EMPHASIS
Emphasis is a strategy to get the viewer’s
attention to a specific design element. This
can be in any form: a button, a website, or
an image. The purpose is to create
something that will stand out from the rest
of the page. You can use different elements
to highlight a specific part of your design,
like lines, color, positive/negative
relationships, and many more.
REPETITION
Repetition is the recurrence of a
design element, commonly utilized
in patterns or textures. Repetitive
elements can be used in
conjunction with other principles to
create a design that leads a user’s
eye to a focal point, has continuity,
or flow. A repetitive element could
be repeated lines, shapes, forms,
color, or even design elements.
PATTERN
Pattern is the repetition of more than
one design element. While repetition
focuses on a single element being
repeated, pattern refers to multiple
elements repeated throughout a design
(e.g. wallpapers and backgrounds).
RHYTHM
The spaces between repeating
elements can cause a sense of
rhythm to form, similar to the way
the space between notes in a musical
composition create a rhythm. There
are five basic types of visual rhythm
that designers can create: random,
regular, alternating, flowing, and
progressive.
MOVEMENT
Movement refers to the path the viewer’s
eye takes through a composition. In an
image, every element can affect how the
eyes move. Important elements will lead to
secondary elements and so on. Movement
in a composition creates interest and
dynamism that keeps the viewer engaged.
PROPORTION
Proportion is the visual size and
weight of elements in a composition
and how they relate to each other. It
often helps to approach your design
in sections, instead of as a whole.
VARIETY
“Variety is the spice of life”. When an
artist places different visual elements
next to one another, he/she is using
variety. Straight lines next to curvy lines
add variety. Organic shapes
among geometric shapes add variety.
Bright colors next to dull colors add
variety.
HARMONY
A set of colors that relate according to
a specific scheme creates harmony.
One should note that harmony is not
the same as unity. Harmony does,
however, enhance unity in a work of
art.
