The Four Design Principles

Graphic Design is a study of relationships within a composition or project. The following four aspects speak to different relationships and dynamics within compostions and page layouts. A keen understanding and a developed sensibilty to these ideas will prove to be a fundamental value through career as a graphic designer.

Contrast

The concept of contrast is to avoid making objects in a design visually the same or equal. Making the elements on a page different causes them to visually stand out. There are three basic ways to achieve contrast in a design.

Size
Big vs. Small, Distant vs. Near, Primary vs. Secondary

Color
Hot vs. Cold, Vibrant vs. Faded,

Alignment
Right vs. Left, Top vs. Bottom, Formal vs. Informal, Tight vs. Loose

Value
Heavy vs. Light, Dark vs. Light, Thick vs. Thin, Open vs. Closed

Repetition

Repeating visual elements throughout a design – or a series of designs – creates organization, establishes visual rules, increases usability and functionality, and strengthens the unity of the piece(s).

Repetition is often found in
• Alignment & Positioning (i.e. page numbers in a book)
• Color (i.e. green and red buttons on a cell phone)
• Typography (i.e. Fast-Food menus, street signs…)

Alignment

Every element should be strategically placed on the page in order to create a connection with other elements and unity and order throughout the piece. Alignment is often associated as an aspect of typography, aligning blocks of text left aligned, right aligned, center aligned, or justified.

Proximity

Visual elements whose purpose or information is related should be grouped together in order to reduce confusion and increase the user’s intuitive response. Of the four design principles listed here, proximity has the most over-arching application.

Designing With Type

Effective Type

Type Hierarchy: For more information visit, Type Hierarchy Lecture
Contrasting Typefaces: Using different Typefaces for different types of information helps readers organize and understand information. Too many typefaces however, will detract from the presentation and clarity.

Basic Functions of Type

Kerning: The amount of space between letters.
Leading: The amount of space between lines (baselines) of type.
Alignment: The horizontal orientation of a block of type. Left, right, or center aligned are a designers basic options.
Justification: Similar to alignment, justification refers to the allowed alignment of a line of type. Force Justified, “rag right, rag left, flush left, flush right” are all popular options for designers. – For more on Type Alignment, See: The Web Style Guide, Alignment

Handout

Read:rulesoftype.pdf