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Principles of graphic design
You'll Discover:
- Follow up to our 101 guide on working with graphic designers.
- Dig deep on design principles to get a better understanding of how to develop your brand identity and designs.
Graphic designers have a great eye for detail but as the one commissioning the work, it’s important that you know how to get the best out of your designer. You can achieve this by developing your own “eye for what works visually and what detracts from your message” says Amy Copperman at Adobe Spark. Wether you're working on a gig poster for your band or a trivia night poster for your venue, the basics below will have you assessing design work like a pro!
Before looking at this article, we recommend having a read of our guide on 'Working with a graphic designer’.
1.
Basic principles of design
Depending on where you look, there are six to eight basic design principles. Here are the six that are universally agreed upon:
- Alignment
- Balance
- Contrast
- Proximity
- Repetition
- White space
WikiBooks provides substantial detail on graphic design principles. Check out the book here and read some of their definitions, which we’ve included under each heading below.
1. Alignment
“Alignment is the act of keeping design objects in line - not only vertically or horizontally, but across any linear plane. Alignment can also be done respectively, i.e. one design element is positioned with respect to another element within the same frame.”
2. Balance
“Designs in balance (or equilibrium) have their parts arrangement planned, keeping a coherent visual pattern (colour, shape, space). "Balance" is a concept based on human perception and the complex nature of the human senses of weight and proportion.”
3. Contrast
“Contract is the process of distinguishing by comparing/creating differences. Some ways of creating contrast among elements in the design include using contrasting colours, sizes, shapes, locations, or relationships. For text, contrast is achieved by mixing serif and sans-serif on the page, by using very different type styles, or by using type in surprising or unusual ways. Another way to describe contrast, is to say "a small object next to a large object will look smaller". As contrast in size diminishes, monotony is approached.”
4. Proximity
“Closeness or distance of individual design elements. Close proximity indicates a connection. Proximity means grouping elements together so that you guide the viewer/reader to different parts of the message.”
5. Repetition
“Repeating a sequence; having it occur more than a few times. In design, repetition creates visual consistency in page designs, such as using the same style of headlines, the same style of initial capitals, or repeating the same basic layout from one page to another."
6. White Space
“Areas of a design void of text or graphics. White space includes margins, gutters, space between lines of type (leading), off-set of text from images (text wraps) and any other part of the page that is empty. White space is also analogous to "negative space" where "positive space" is defined as images, blocks of text, and other graphical elements."
Additional elements of design to consider (not universally agreed upon) are used to evaluate the success and failure of a design. These include:
7. Harmony
8. Emphasis
9. Gestalt
10. Pattern
11. Movement
12. Rhythm
13. Proportion
14. Unity
You can read more about these principles here.
2.
Basic elements of design
Along with basic design principles, there are seven to ten elements of design which are key to creating a design which is professional and appealing.
We’ve included all ten below along with a quick cheat sheet (image) for the primary seven. You may want to use these elements when reviewing the artwork that your graphic designer has sent through:
- Line
- Colour
- Shape
- Space
- Texture
- Typography
- Scale
- Dominance and Emphasis
- Balance
- Harmony
Definitions for each of the ten elements below comes from Creative Market:
1. Line
“The first and most basic element of design is that of the line. In drawing, a line is the stroke of the pen or pencil but in graphic design, it’s any two connected points. Lines are useful for dividing space and drawing the eye to a specific location. For example, think about how a magazine uses lines to separate content, headlines and side panels.”
2. Colour
“Colour is one of the most obvious elements of design, for both the user and the designer. Colour creates a mood within the piece and tells a story."
3. Shape
“Shapes, geometric or organic, add interest. Shapes are defined by boundaries, such as lines or colour, and they are often used to emphasise a portion of the page. Everything is ultimately a shape, so you must always think in terms of how the various elements of your design are creating shapes, and how those shapes are interacting.”
4. Space
“Negative space is one of the most commonly under-utilised and misunderstood aspects of designing for the page. The parts of the site that are left blank, whether that’s white or some other colour, help to create an overall image. Use negative space to create shapes as you would any other element.” Check out this article if you're interested in learning more about frequently used design terms like negative space.
5. Texture
“It’s counter-intuitive to think about texture when the piece isn’t ever going to be touched. Websites and graphic design do rely on the look and impression of texture on the screen, however. Textures can create a more three-dimensional appearance on this two-dimensional surface. It also helps build an immersive world.”
6. Typography
“Perhaps the single most important part of graphic and web design is typography. Like colour, texture, and shapes, the fonts you use tell readers you’re a serious online news magazine, a playful food blog or a vintage tea tins shop. Words are important, but the style of the words is equally essential.”
7. Scale
“Playing with the scale and size of your objects, shapes, type and other elements add interest and emphasis. Subtle differences suit professional content, while bold ones prefer creative enterprises.”
8. Dominance and Emphasis
“While you can talk about emphasising one thing or another, the element of emphasis has more to do with an object, colour or style dominating another for a heightened sense of contrast.”
9. Balance
“There are two schools of balance: symmetry and asymmetry. While most designers, artists, and creative folks much prefer asymmetry for its eye-catching nature, symmetry does have its place. Sometimes.”
10. Harmony
“Harmony is “The main goal of graphic design,” according to Alex White, author of “The Elements of Graphic Design.” Harmony is what you get when all the pieces work together.
If you haven’t already, check out our ‘Working with a graphic designer’ guide.