Principles and Elements of Design

The Principles of Design

•Balance▫Symmetrical▫Asymmetrical

•Rhythm•Proportion•Emphasis•Unity

BalanceVisual interest is what you balance in design. Different colors, shapes, sizes, etc. create different degrees of interest. It is the distribution of this interest that you need to control.

Symmetrical Balance

•Symmetry means a mirror image -- one side is the mirror image of the other. Symmetry can occur in any orientation as long as the image is the same on either side of the central axis.

Symmetrical Balance

•Symmetrical balance is good for more formal, orderly layouts. It gives a sense of stability and steadiness to a design.

Asymmetrical Balance

•Asymmetrical design is typically off-center. The visual weight of a design is not evenly distributed around an axis. Usually there is one dominant form supported by many smaller forms.

Asymmetrical Balance

•Asymmetrical balance is good for more dynamic, exciting designs. It gives a sense of movement and action, or one of tension.

Rhythm

•Rhythm is the repetition or alternation of elements, often with defined intervals between them. Rhythm can create a sense of movement, and can establish pattern and texture.

Rhythm

Emphasis

•Some aspects of a design are more important than others. There is usually one thing that we want to stand out. That object has emphasis.

Emphasis

•Emphasis can be created in many different ways, such as the bright orange color in this poster.

Emphasis

•Each of the elements of design can be used to create emphasis. In this example, texture, shape, and color are used to draw the eye to the text on the right.

Proportion

•Proportion is a comparison between objects. It can be about size, color, shape, etc. It usually isn’t noticed until something is out of proportion.

Unity

•Unity is how the entire project fits together. A unified design uses similar elements to give a design a sense of wholeness.

•Breaking unity can create emphasis, like in this example