Design principles

Design principles are propositions that, when applied to design elements, form a design.^[1]

According to Alex White, author of The Elements of Graphic Design, to achieve visual unity is a main goal of graphic design. When all elements are in agreement, a design is considered unified. No individual part is viewed as more important than the whole design. A good balance between unity and variety must be established to avoid a chaotic or a lifeless design.^[2]

• Perspective: sense of distance between elements.
• Similarity: ability to seem repeatable with other elements.
• Continuation: the sense of having a line or pattern extend.
• Repetition: elements being copied or mimicked numerous times.
• Rhythm: is achieved when recurring position, size, color, and use of a graphic element has a focal point interruption.
• Altering the basic theme achieves unity and helps keep interest.

It is a state of equalized tension and equilibrium, which may not always be calm.^[2]

• Symmetry
• Asymmetrical balance produces an informal balance that is attention attracting and dynamic.
• Radial balance is arranged around a central element. The elements placed in a radial balance seem to 'radiate' out from a central point in a circular fashion.
• Overall is a mosaic form of balance which normally arises from too many elements being put on a page. Due to the lack of hierarchy and contrast, this form of balance can look noisy but sometimes quiet.

A good design contains elements that lead the reader through each element in order of its significance. The type and images should be expressed starting from most important to the least important. Dominance is created by contrasting size, positioning, color, style, or shape. The focal point should dominate the design with scale and contrast without sacrificing the unity of the whole.^[2]

Using the relative size of elements against each other can attract attention to a focal point. When elements are designed larger than life, the scale is being used to show drama.^[2] Scale can be considered both objectively and subjectively. In terms of objective, scale refers to the exact literal physical dimensions of an object in the real world or the coloration between the representation and the real one. Printed maps can be good examples as they have an exact scale representing the real physical world. Subjectively, however, scale refers to one's impression of an object's size. A representation “lacks scale” when there is no exact cause linking it to lived experience, giving it a physical identity. As an example, a book may have a grand or intimate scale based on how it relates to our own body or our knowledge of other books.^[3]

A printed piece can be as small as a postage stamp or as large as a billboard. A logo should be legible both in tiny dimensions as well as from a distance on a screen. Some projects have their specified scale designed for a certain medium or site, while some others need to work in various sizes designed for reproduction in multiple scales. No matter what size the design work is, it should have its own sense of scale.^[3] Increasing an element's scale in a design piece increases its value in terms of hierarchy and makes it to be seen first compared to other elements while decreasing an element's scale reduces its value.

Planning a consistent and similar design is an important aspect of a designer's work to make their focal point visible. Too much similarity is boring but without similarity important elements will not exist and an image without contrast is uneventful so the key is to find the balance between similarity and contrast.^[2]

There are several ways to develop a similar environment:^[2]

• Build a unique internal organization structure.
• Manipulate shapes of images and text to correlate together.
• Express continuity from page to page in publications. Items to watch include headers, themes, borders, and spaces.
• Develop a style manual and adhere to it.

• Space
  • Filled / Empty
  • Near / Far
  • 2-D / 3-D
• Position
  • Left / Right
  • Isolated / Grouped
  • Centered / Off-Center
  • Top / Bottom
• Form
  • Simple / Complex
  • Beauty / Ugly
  • Whole / Broken
• Direction
  • Stability / Movement
• Structure
  • Organized / Chaotic
  • Mechanical / Hand-Drawn
• Size
  • Large / Small
  • Deep / Shallow
  • Fat / Thin
• Color
  • Grey scale / Color
  • Black & White / Color
  • Light / Dark
• Texture
  • Fine / Coarse
  • Smooth / Rough
  • Sharp / Dull
• Density
  • Transparent / Opaque
  • Thick / Thin
  • Liquid / Solid
• Gravity
  • Light / Heavy
  • Stable / Unstable

Movement is the path the viewer's eye takes through the artwork, often to focal areas. Such movement can be directed along lines edges, shape and color within the artwork, and more.

• Composition (visual arts)
• Gestalt laws of grouping
• Interior design
• Landscape design
• Pattern language
• Elements of art
• Principles of art
• Color theory

• Kilmer, R., & Kilmer, W. O. (1992). Designing Interiors. Orland, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. ISBN 978-0-03-032233-4.
• Nielson, K. J., & Taylor, D. A. (2002). Interiors: An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ISBN 978-0-07-296520-9
• Pile, J.F. (1995; fourth edition, 2007). Interior Design. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 978-0-13-232103-7
• Sully, Anthony (2012). Interior Design: Theory and Process. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-4081-5202-7.

• Art, Design, and Visual Thinking. An online, interactive textbook by Charlotte Jirousek at Cornell University.
• The 6 Principles of Design