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Essential Design Principles Explained

The document outlines key design principles including figure and ground, balance, contrast, cropping, hierarchy, scale, proportion, and pattern. Each principle is defined with examples illustrating their application in visual design. These principles serve as foundational concepts for creating effective and visually appealing compositions.

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5 views1 page

Essential Design Principles Explained

The document outlines key design principles including figure and ground, balance, contrast, cropping, hierarchy, scale, proportion, and pattern. Each principle is defined with examples illustrating their application in visual design. These principles serve as foundational concepts for creating effective and visually appealing compositions.

Uploaded by

sbri0001
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

FIGURE/ Figure and ground work together within images to establish the importance

A
of visual information within the picture plane. Figure refers to images that
GROUND are more visually dominant than the ground on which they are placed.
Figure may also be known as “positive space” or “form”. Ground can be
known as “background”, “negative space”or “counter form”.

BALANCE Balance may be “symmetrical” where elements are mirrored on opposite


sides of a visual axis to create a stable and formal composition, or
“asymmetrical” where balanced elements, not mirrored on opposite sides of
a visual axis, create a dymanic informal composition. Examples include
Brunelleschi’s architecture, magazine layouts and furniture designs.

CONTRAST All effective combinations of forms are based on qualititive contrasts.


Contrast should always be thought of in terms of creating tension between
black
opposites: large-small, light-dark, sort-hard, etc. Examples include serif and
white sans serif type, transparency and opacity, matt or gloss surfaces.

CROPPING An image can be modified by selecting an area of interest to emphasise,


create dominance or simply to clarify information. Examples include
viewfinders and Pop art.

A
HIERARCHY Visual information can be arranged in order of importance. Factors
determining the hierarchy may be the size, colour or placement of the visual

b components and/or the arrangement of the information. For example the


focal point of a composition draws attention to specific information.
C Examples include newspaper letterheads, film and TV titles.

SCALE Scale generally refers to the size of the figure on the ground. Its relative size
and scale will determine the hierarchy of visual components within the
presentation. Examples include the work of Andy Goldsworthy (sculpture),
and Piet Mondrian’s paintings.

PROPORTION Proportion is the comparative relationship between the size of components


or parts of components within a presentation. An example is Palladio’s
architecture.

PATTERN Pattern is the repetition or alternation of one or more components to create


a visual unit. Any visual element can create a pattern. Repetition can be
repetition very powerful in creating a sense of order in a design. Alternation can create
alternation more complex patterns than those created by repetition alone. Examples
include textile design, aerial photography and camoflage.

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