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The building blocks of graphic design include:
Good design requires that you apply some basic principles to how you use the elements in your composition.
Some principles of design are:
How those elements, whether consciously used or not, will imbue your composition with a particular quality. Let's look at each one.
Function is defined as the primary message or objective communicated in a piece of work and the reason for communicating this message. Most graphic designers are hired to create an artistic composition by a client that wants to promote a product, a brand, or a public message. Fully understanding the intended function of a project will help guide the design process.
Alignment refers to how different visual elements are arranged in such a way that they line up in the composition. These can be diagonal, horizontal, or vertical lines, including text along the top, bottom, left, or right edge of a page as well as across a center line.
Balance refers to the placement of the elements in such a way that their visual weight is equal across the composition. Visual weight is the amount of attention an object will command from the viewer, such as darker objects attracting more attention than lighter objects.
There are three kinds of balance commonly used in design:
Hierarchy in graphic design uses the visual weight of objects in a composition to establish an order of importance. It guides the viewer's eye through the information in the specific order the designer intends.
We create contrast when two or more elements in a design are different. The degree of difference will determine the noticeability of the contrast. One of the most common examples of contrast involves color. Certain colors almost blend into each other when placed in close proximity. Others distinguish themselves from each other and can therefore be even noticeable in a composition. These contrasting colors are located directly across from each other on a color wheel.
Proximity simply refers to how close together or far apart two objects are placed in a composition. The reason proximity matters, and it matters quite a bit, is that distance helps determine the relationship between the objects.
White space refers to the empty space in a composition. If a piece feels cluttered, adding a bit of white space can help relax the feel of it. Then again, if you have too much white space you may lose the viewer. This is particularly true in a website whose white space requires a lot of scrolling to get to the next item of interest.
The principle of repetition involves reusing the same or similar elements throughout a composition as a way to accent certain features or tie the different areas of a work into a unified whole. The regularity and spacing between repeating elements is what gives each work a unique rhythm.
In graphic design, the principle of simplicity is the disciplined practice of minimizing or editing excessive information from a design and keeping it focused on its primary message. This allows a piece to create a clear and lasting impression. Simplicity is often described as one of the most difficult principles to master; however, when executed well, it produces the most striking pieces of graphic design work.
The principles of design imbue a composition with a particular quality. Here are some of them:
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Fundamentals of Graphic Design12 chapters | 84 lessons
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