Design Principles Rvsd. Feb 2016 3.02 Design Principles revised 9/24/09

Six Principles of Design Balance Proximity/unity Alignment Repetition/consistency Contrast White space 3.02 Design Principles revised 9/24/09

Balance Equal distribution of weight in a design Elements shouldn’t tilt more to one side than the other Graphics don’t overpower text Large element on one side and several small elements on the other side Putting matching text boxes at the top and bottom of a publication Balance 3.02 Design Principles revised 9/24/09

Proximity/Unity Grouping similar items together as a group When grouped together, they become one unit Reduces clutter How close together or far apart elements are placed The relationship or lack of relationship Captions (text) should be next to the related photograph 3.02 Design Principles revised 9/24/09

Alignment Placement illustrates the relationship between elements Left, right, centered, justified Text giving the location, date, time, and cost of an event are all CENTERED on a flyer 3.02 Design Principles revised 9/24/09

Repetition/Consistency Using the same element more than once throughout a space Repeated font, size, and style for headings, subheadings, and body text. Do not mix photographic or digital and cartoon images on the same page. Repetition/Consistency 3.02 Design Principles revised 9/24/09

Repetition/Consistency (continued) Scheme examples: Repeat color Repeat shapes Repeat line thickness, fonts, sizes, graphics In a publication: all the Headings are keyed in 14 pt. Arial font and the Body is keyed in 12 pt. Times New Roman font or all the text is in the same font type/style The graphics that are used all relate to the topic of the publication

Contrast Most important visual attraction on the page Makes the reader look at the page first the use of color and size to emphasize the most important elements on a page for example: Use black font on a light pink colored page Use white font on black paper Use light gray on dark blue 3.02 Design Principles revised 9/24/09

White Space White space is: blank or negative space on a page Used to give the reader’s eyes a break Used to focus the reader’s attention on important details White Space does not have to be white Examples of White Space: Using wide margins to create white space An example of poor use of white space: putting text boxes in the margins of a publication White Space 3.02 Design Principles revised 9/24/09