Principles of Design

​The Principles of Design

Learn strategies for how to create a unique composition using the Principles of Design

​Emphasis

The 1st thing the eye sees (a.k.a. the focal point)

• Gets the viewer's attention

• ​Makes sure the viewer starts in the correct order

​

Pro Tip: ​When creating a design, as yourself what is the first peice of information your audience needs to know.

Emphasis

Multiple Choice

Which image best represents EMPHASIS

Multiple Choice

Emphasis refers to the part of art which is what?

• The most colorful
• In the center
• The most dominant

Multiple Choice

What is the emphasis of this photograph?

• The green apples around the pepper
• The red pepper in the center
• The little man peeking through the apples

Multiple Select

What are some techniques that can help us create emphasis?

• Contrast

• Rhythm

• Movement

• White Space

• Form

​Contrast

Creates space & difference between elements (A.K.A. Variety)

• ​What people mean when they say a design "pops"

• Sparks interest & excitement

• ​Eg. red & white, square & circles, rough & smooth textures, light & dark.

​Some text here about the topic of discussion.

​Contrast

Multiple Choice

What element of design does this painting us to create contrast?

^{Select the best, most obvious answer.}

• Line

• Colour

• Value

• Texture

• Space

Multiple Choice

This painting demonstrates which principle?

• Contrast of color
• Contrast of shape
• Contrast of color & shape
• Sunset

White Space

​The empty page around the elements in your composition.​

• Gives the composition room to breathe

• Creates hierarchy & organization.​

White Space

​The trick is to use just the right amount of white space so that your design doesn't feel too

• Too cluttered

• Too sparse/uninteresting

​

​Some text here about the topic of discussion.

​​Balancing Your White Space

Multiple Choice

Does the principle of "white space" only relate to white spaces or empty spaces on a design?

• white coloured space only

• any empty or unused space

​Movement

Controlling the elements in a composition so that the eye is led from one to the next.

• Helps dole out information slowly to the viewer.

• Creates a story or narrative in your work

If you look at your design and feel your eye gets "stuck" anywhere, an element is too big, bold, slightly off center, etc. Go back and make adjustments until you find harmony.

Movement

Multiple Choice

Movement

• An element that refers to the lightness or darkness of a color.

• A large difference between two things; for example, rouge and smooth or white and black.

• Area in a work of art that catches and holds the viewer's attention/focal point.

• The path the eye takes as it looks through a composition

​Repetition

Repeating elements in a design

• Unifies & strengthens a composition

• Can help develop a motif or theme

• Can cre​ate a pattern

​When we create our yearbook, we will be repeating elements not just on each page, but throughout the entire book.

​Some text here about the topic of discussion.

Repetition

​

Multiple Choice

Did this architect use repetition in this design?

• yes
• no

​Proportion

The relationship between the sizes & weights of different elements (a.k.a. hierarchy)

• Creates visual impact

• Aids readability​

​​Examples:

• Make your headline larger than body text.

• Exaggerate the size of a​ design element

Proportion

Multiple Choice

How did the designer use proportion to improve the design & make it easier to read?

• Changed the size of the picture

• Changed the colour of the white space

• Changed the size of the fonts

​Balance

• Every element you place on a page has visual weight.

• Weight can come from colour, size, or texture.

• Lay out your designs in such a way that things feel right.​

​

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Balance

Elements are centred or divided equally vertically ​(a.k.a. Formal balance)​​

• Makes the viewer feel safe, secure, & stable

• Can also be a bit boring/cliche

​

Symmetrical Balance

When you have different visual images on either side of a design, yet the image still appears to be balanced ​(a.k.a. Informal balance)​​

• One element will have more visual weight (e.g. be larger) but will be balanced by smaller, less significant objects elsewhere on the page.

• More dynamic & interesting​

​

Asymmetrical Balance

Visual elements are arranged around a central point in the composition - like spokes on a bicycle wheel.

• Often circular

• Can also be squares, hexagons, octagons, starts, etc.​

​

Radial Balance

​

Multiple Choice

When making a horror movie poster, what type of balance might work best?

• Symmetrical Balance

• Asymmetrical Balance

• Radial Balance

• Unbalanced

Multiple Choice

What type of balance do we see in this design?

• Radial

• Asymmetrical

• Symmetrical

Multiple Choice

What type of balance do we see in this poster design?

• Radial

• Asymmetrical

• Symmetrical

Multiple Choice

What type of balance do we see in this movie poster?

• Radial

• Asymmetrical

• Symmetrical

Multiple Choice

What kind of balance does the previous image have?

• Symetrical

• Radial

• Asymetrical

• Formal

Multiple Choice

What Primary type of balance does this design represent?

• Asymmetrical

• Symmetrical

• Radial

• Haphazard

Multiple Choice

What Primary type of balance does this design represent?

• Informal

• Formal

• Radial

• Unbalanced

Multiple Choice

Does this painting by Mrs. Daniels demonstrate Formal or Informal balance?

• Formal
• Informal
• Both Informal & Formal

Multiple Choice

How did the designer balance the picture?

• Formal
• Informal
• Both Informal & Formal

Multiple Choice

How did the designer balance the picture?

• Formal
• Informal
• Both Informal & Formal

Multiple Choice

Balance is the principle where movement leads your eyes to the focal point

• True

• False

​Alignment

The ability to create synergy and consistency on a page.​​

• Provides structure to help organize the components in a composition that is pleasing to the eye

• Designers follow "grid lines" to decide where to place elements. ​​

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Alignment

When done properly, people don't notice it.

​

BUT, when done poorly, it stands out - and not in a good way!

​

Good vs. Bad

• ​Edge alignment: positions elements against a margin that matches up with their outer edges.

  • Can be aligned along the right, left, top, or bottom edges

• Center alignment: places elements so they line up with one another on their centre axes.

  • Can be arranged along the horizontal centre of the page, or even vertically and diagonally.​

Types of Alignment

Text Alignment:​

Text Alignment:​

Multiple Choice

What alignment is employed in this poster?

• left

• horizontal

• right

• centered

Multiple Choice

What type of alignment is used in this business card?

• Center alignment

• Bottom alignment

• Right alignment

• Justified Alignment

Multiple Choice

What type of alignment is used in this business card?

• Center alignment

• Bottom alignment

• Right alignment

• Justified Alignment

Multiple Choice

What alignment is employed in this poster?

• left

• horizontal

• right

• centered

Match

Match the types of Alignment

Right Edge

Horizontal Center

Bottom Edge

Vertical Center

Top Edge

• Right Edge

• Horizontal Center

• Bottom Edge

• Vertical Center

• Top Edge

Time to put it altogether now

Multiple Choice

The principles of design are

• the building blocks of an artwork

• the guides that organize an artwork

• the elements used in an artwork

• what the eye sees when light reflects an object

Multiple Choice

Which principles did Andy Warhol use in his screen print of Marilyn Monroe?

• Emphasis
•  Color
• Variety & Repetition

Multiple Choice

Which principle is prominent in this interior design?

• Formal Balance
• Contrast
• Symmetry
• All of the above

Multiple Choice

This painting by Vincent Van Gogh demonstrates which principle?

• Movement/Rhythm
• Symmetry

Multiple Choice

This poster is good example of the principle of:

• balance

• movement

• alignment

Multiple Choice

What is the distribution of visual weight of elements in a composition?

• Balance

• Alignment

• Contrast

• Emphasis

Multiple Choice

David is making a new dungeon crawler game and wants to differentiate between the Boss Monster and the minor monsters. To do this, he makes the boss significantly larger than other enemies in the game. Which design Principles is he using?

• Contrast & Rhythm

• Balance & Movement

• Alignment

• Scale & Proportion

Multiple Choice

This painting shows which principle?

• Emphasis
• Symmetry
• Movement/Rhythm

Multiple Choice

This design principle refers to lining up text or graphics along a page and with each other.

• Contrast

• Alignment

• Contrast

Multiple Choice

Different sizes; Describes how the sizes of different parts of a piece of art or design relate to each other.

• Value

• Texture

• Proportion

• Line

Multiple Choice

This poster best demonstrates the principles of:

• Alignment

• Balance

• Movement

• All of the above

Multiple Choice

Holds the viewer's attention/focal point.

• Value

• Emphasis

• Pattern

• Contrast

Multiple Choice

A large difference between two things/ opposite

• Form

• Balance

• Value

• Contrast

Multiple Choice

This image is the best representation of

• Pattern

• Balance

• Shape

• Proportion

Multiple Choice

Which design principle do we see in this illustration?

^{Select the best, most obvious answer.}

• Alignment

• Movement

• Repetition

Multiple Choice

This image is the best representation of

• Shape

• Line

• Value

• Contrast

Multiple Choice

Review:

The design principle which makes your project clean, uncluttered, minimalist and easy to read is called:

• balance

• white space

• contrast

Multiple Select

Line elements are used in design to:

(choose two)

• lead the eyes away from important element

• lead the eye towards the most important elements

• create emphasis

Multiple Select

Select all the design principles shown in this composition.

• Alignment

• Rhythm

• Movement

• Repetition

• Form

Multiple Select

This poster demonstrates use of the following design principles:

(select multiple)

• proximity

• balance

• white space

• contrast

Multiple Select

What design principles are demonstrated in this poster?

• white space

• contrast

• alignment