Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Principles of Design The Principles are concepts used to organize or arrange the structural elements of design. Again, the way in which these principles are applied affects the expressive content, or the message of the work.

Some of the principles are:

Balance Proportion

Rhythm Emphasis

Unity

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

BalanceBalance is the concept of visual equilibrium, and relates to our physical sense of balance. To understand balance, think of the balance beam. When objects are of equal weight, they are in balance. If you have several small items on one side, they can be balanced by a large object on the other side. Visual balance works in much the same way. It can be affected not only by the size of objects, but also their value (ie. lightness or darkness, termed visual weight).

Most successful compositions achieve balance in one of two ways: symmetrically or asymmetrically. Balance in a three dimensional object is easy to understand; if balance isn't achieved, the object tips over. To understand balance in a two dimensional composition, we must use our imaginations to carry this three dimensional analogy forward to the flat surface.

Symmetrical balance can be described as having equal "weight" on equal sides of a central dividing line. It may also be referred to as formal balance. When the elements are arranged equally on either side of a central axis, the result is Bilateral symmetry. This axis may be horizontal or vertical. It is also possible to build formal balance by arranging elements equally around a central point, resulting in radial symmetry.

There is a variant of symmetrical balance called approximate symmetry in which equivalent but not identical forms are arranged around the fulcrum line.

Asymmetrical balance (also called informal balance) occurs when several smaller items on one side are balanced by a large item on the other side, or smaller items are placed further away from the center of the screen than larger items. One darker item may need to be balanced by several lighter items.

Although asymmetrical balance may appear more casual and less planned, it is usually harder to use because the designer must plan the layout very carefully to ensure that it is still balanced. An unbalanced page or screen creates a feeling of tension, as if the page or screen might tip, or things might slide off the side, just as the unbalanced balance beam would tip to one side

Look at how the small watering can on the left is used to balance the larger dancers to the right

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Asymetrical balance can be achieved in many ways. It can be achieved by use of:

Use of Colour

Our eyes are drawn by color. Small areas of vibrant color can be used to balance larger areas of more neutral colors. The vivid red skirt on the left is balanced by the larger neutral pink dress.

Use of Value

Value refers to the darkness or lightness of objects. Black against white has a much stronger contrast than gray against white. To balance these two colors, you would need a larger area of gray to balance the stronger value of black.

Use of Shape

Large flat areas without much detail can be balanced by smaller irregularly shaped objects since the eye is led towards the more intricate shape.

The front dancer in this painting by Degas stands out in intricate detail compared to the large blurry area behind her.

Use of Position

Using a balance beam, a larger weight closer to the center point can be balanced by a lighter weight further away from the center. This is the basis for balance by position. Sometimes larger elements on one side of the page can be balanced by a smaller element that is positioned by itself at the far end of the other side of the page. This is a very tricky type of asymmetrical balance that often ends up looking out of balance.

Use of Texture

Smaller areas with interesting textures (variegated light and dark, or random fluctuations) can balance larger areas with smoother, untextured looks

Use of Directing the Eye

Your eye can be led to a certain point in a picture depending on how the elements are arranged. If the people in a picture are looking in a certain direction, your eye will be led there as well. Elements in a picture, such as triangles or arrows, will also lead your eye to look to a certain point and maintain the balance of a picture. Look how the eye direction of the dancers and musicians in this painting by Seurat [4] lead your eye to the small gaslights which provide a focal point in this painting.

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Challenge #1

Draw a diagram or picture or create one using a computer program or find a suitable image that illustrates symmetrical balance.

Challenge #2

Draw a diagram or picture or create one using a computer program or find a suitable image that illustrates radial balance (Images that are symmetrical around a central point).

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Challenge #4

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Proportion

Challenge #3

Draw a diagram or picture or create one using a computer program or find a suitable image that illustrates asymmetrical balance using colour.

Challenge #4

Draw a diagram or picture or create one using a computer program or find a suitable image that illustrates asymmetrical balance using value.

Challenge #5

Draw a diagram or picture or create one using a computer program or find a suitable image that illustrates asymmetrical balance using shape.

Challenge #6

Draw a diagram or picture or create one using a computer program or find a suitable image that illustrates asymmetrical balance using position.

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of DesignProportion refers to the relative size and scale of the various elements in a design. The issue is the relationship between objects, or parts, of a whole. This means that it is necessary to discuss proportion in terms of the context or standard used to determine proportions.

Our most universal standard of measurement is the human body; that is, our experience of living in our own bodies. We judge the appropriateness of size of objects by that measure. For example, a sofa in the form of a hand is startling because of the distortion of expected proportion, and becomes the center of attention in the room. Architectural spaces intended to impress are usually scaled to a size that dwarfs the human viewer. This is a device often used in public spaces, such as churches or centers of government. The same principle is often applied to corporate spaces through which the enterprise wishes to impress customers with its power and invincibility.

In contrast, the proportions of a private home are usually more in scale with human measure, and as a result it appears more friendly, comfortable, less intimidating.

Challenge #7

Draw a diagram or find a picture that uses proportion to “impress”. Repeat this process to show more “comfortable proportion”.

Proximity / Unity

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design In design, proximity or closeness creates a bond between people and between elements on a page. How close together or far apart elements are placed suggests a relationship (or lack of) between otherwise unrelated parts.

Unity is also achieved by using a third element to connect distant parts.

One of the easiest ways to create a visual structure and give your piece an organized feel is to space items according to their relation to one another. This is called the rule of proximity, and it simply means that related items should appear closer together than items that are not related. In this way, the spacing itself serves as a visual clue as to what’s related and what’s not and as to where one piece of information stops and starts. Plus, it makes the piece a hundred times easier to scan and digest.

Sure, you could sprinkle some blank returns into your layout, but a full return is usually too much (or too little) space. A better idea is to use the Space Before and Space After functions built into most software. These controls let you add a very specific amount of space—usually in points—exactly where you want it. Simply place your cursor within the line you want to affect (no need to highlight the text) and locate the Space Before and Space After paragraph attributes in the software you’re using. Here’s where it lives in some popular programs (see Image 1 below):

Are title elements together? Is contact information all in one place? Do frames and boxes tie together or separate related elements in your document?

Consider the following:

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Challenge #8

Using MS Word “fix” the following advertisement so that is demonstrates the principle of “Proximity”.

Here is an example of a similar piece:

Cole Harbour District High PresentsSpring Fever Masquerade Ball

Pier 21May 28, 2012

6:00 – 11:00 pmFeaturing the musical talents of

The CHDHS Jazz BandSonia and the Starlets

Bowie’s Blues BandSpecial Guest on Keyboard, Mr. Upshaw

Refreshments and Snacks on sale by the Safe Grad CommitteeTickets $20

No admission without tickets & CHDHS Student ID

For ticket information see Mr. Powers or any member of the Student Council

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Alignment

Alignment brings order to chaos. How you align type and graphics on a page and in relation to each other can make your layout easier or more difficult to read, foster familiarity, or bring excitement to a stale design.

In this (admittedly exaggerated) layout, left, right, and center text alignments and no overall alignment of text and graphic elements creates a chaotic page. Each type of alignment has its own best use.

Edge alignment lines up text or objects along their top, bottom, left, or right edges. Left-aligned text (with ragged right edges) is one of the most familiar alignments.

The text in this layout example is all left aligned within each column. The headline is aligned with the left edge of the center column of text. The page number in the upper left corner is both left-aligned with the text near the bottom of the column and aligned with the bottom edge of the rule above the headline, an example of horizontal alignment.

Right alignment, another edge alignment method, generally works best for small bits of text, such as posters, some ads, and in this business card layout. Not only are the lines within each of the three blocks of text aligned to the right, all three blocks of text are right-aligned to the same invisible line.

Center alignment may be lines up elements centered on the page. In this example, each line of text and the large graphic are centered horizontally on the page. The main block of text and graphic are also centered vertically on the page. Center alignment generally gives a layout a formal appearance and is often seen in traditional wedding invitations and formal stationery.

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of DesignName: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Challenge #9

Create a piece of print media (brochure, poster, business card or invitation). Use the most appropriate alignment for your chosen piece. Analyze your piece by answering the following questions:

1. Have you used a grid? 2. Is there a common alignment -- top, bottom, left, right, or centered -- between blocks of text and

graphics on the page? 3. Does your text alignment aid or hinder readability? 4. If certain elements are out of alignment, was it done purposefully with a specific design goal in mind?

Analysis:

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Repetition / Consistency?

Repeating design elements and consistent use of type and graphics styles within a document shows a reader where to go and helps them navigate your designs and layouts safely.

Repetition and consistency go hand-in-hand in page layout. Repetition is repeating the same elements (such as multiple uses of the same image) or the same style within a single composition or across multiple pages of a document. Consistency is the uniform use of an element or style. It's hard to separate the two so we'll call it consistent repetition.

Readers gain comfort from having certain elements repeat themselves at consistent intervals or in the same position. It is much easier to flip to the desired page of a magazine if the reader knows that the page number will be in the same location on every page. Specific columns or special sections of a newspaper are more readily recognized, even when they change location, if they look the same from issue to issue.

Insure that your document uses the principles of repetition, consistency, and unity in page design.

Challenge #10

Find an ad or print media that illustrates the use of repetition and consistency. Attach the ad to this page.

Analyze the piece for repetition and consistency by answering the following:

1. What element in this piece is repeated?

2. Are major and minor headlines consistent in size, style, or placement?

3. Does the piece use a consistent graphic or illustration style throughout?

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Contrast

In design, big and small elements, black and white text, squares and circles, can all create contrast in design. Contrast helps different design elements stand out.

Contrast occurs when two elements are different. The greater the difference, the greater the contrast. The key to working with contrast is to make sure the differences are obvious. Four common methods of creating contrast are by using differences in size, value, color, and type.

Contrast adds interest to the page and provides a means of emphasizing what is important or directing the reader's eye. On a page without contrast, the reader doesn't know where to look first or what is important. Contrast makes a page more interesting so the reader is more apt to pay attention to what is on the page. Contrast aids in readability by making headlines and subheadings stand out. Contrast shows what is important by making smaller or lighter elements recede on the page to allow other elements to take center stage.

However, contrast can be overdone. Choose carefully. If everything contrasts highly with everything else you end up with competing elements and once again the reader won't know where to look first.

Contrast with Size Contrast with Value

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Contrast with Colour Contrast with Type

Challenge #11

Find an ad or print media that illustrates the use of contrast. Attach the ad to this page.

Analyze the piece for repetition and consistency by answering the following:

1. Which elements in your piece illustrate contrast?

2. Is there enough contrast between the text (size and color) and background (color and pattern) to keep text readable?

3. Which form of contrast is used in this piece (size, value, colour or type or multiple)?

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

White Space

Designs that try to cram too much text and graphics onto the page are uncomfortable and may be impossible to read. White space gives your design breathing room. White space isn't white, literally, unless your paper is white. If the paper is yellow, the white space is yellow. White space is simply empty space - that area devoid of text and graphics.

Here's How:

1. Increase paragraph spacing.Use a line of space or a deep indent (but not both) to put white space between paragraphs.

Increase space between columns of text.Alleys or gutters that are too narrow cause the eye to skip over to the next column. Put white space between columns with adequate alleys.

2. Put space at the end of lines of text.Use ragged-right alignment to add white space between co lumns and at the end of lines of text.

3. Put more space around outer edges of page.If space is necessarily cramped within the body of the publication, add white space with generous margins or gutters.

4. Leave more room around graphics.When wrapping text around graphics or wherever text and graphics meet, provide plenty of standoff white space. Don't run text right up to the edge of graphics.

5. Increase space around headlines.Add white space between headlines or subheads and the preceding copy and a bit below as well.

6. Increase space between lines of type and individual characters.Add typographic white space by increasing the leading of body text, using lighter type, avoiding letterspacing that is too tight, and avoiding unending condensed or heavy type.

Principles of Design

Exploration #5 – Principles of Design

Name: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________

Create a poster or an ad/brochure that illustrates the poor use of white space. Fix your piece to show the appropriate use of white space. Attach the ad to this page.

Consider the following in the creation of your “good” piece:

1. Do you have enough space between columns of text?

2. Does text run into frames or graphics?

3. Do you have a generous margin?

4. You can also have too much white space if items float on the page without any anchor.