Design Principles

1
Design Principles

• from
• The Non-Designers Design Book
• by
• Robin Williams

2
The Four Basic Principles

• Proximity
• Alignment
• Repetition
• Contrast

3
Proximity

• Items relating to each other should be grouped
  close together

4
Proximity basic purpose

• To organize
• If organized, more likely to be read and
  remembered.
• Also creates more appealing white space.

5
Proximity how to get it

• Squint eyes and count number of visual elements
  on the page (each time eye stops).
• If more than three to five items (depending on
  the piece) look for separate elements to group
  together to make one visual unit.

6
Proximity what to avoid

• Avoid too many separate elements on a page.
• Dont stick things in the corners and in the
  middle.
• Avoid leaving equal amounts of white space
  between elements unless each group is part of a
  subset

7
Proximity what to avoid (cont)

• Avoid confusion over whether a headline, a
  subhead, a caption, a graphic, etc. belongs with
  its related material.
• Create relationships among elements with close
  proximity.
• Dont create relationships with elements that
  dont belong together. If not related, move them
  apart.

8
Proximity Examples
Business Card
John Doe 360-757-4589 ACME Inc 916 Elm Ave Bow,
WA 98233
Bad
ACME Inc John Doe 916 Elm Ave Bow, WA 98233
360-757-4589
Good
9
Proximity Examples
Banner
Bad
UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST COOPERATIVE
EXTENSION WHATS HAPPENING IN
REDWOOD COUNTY FORESTRY August - 1998
Whats happening in Redwood County
Forestry University of the West Cooperative
Extension August 1998
10
Proximity Examples
Lists

• CD ROMs
• CD ROMs
• Childrens CDs
• Educational CDs
• Entertainment CDs
• Educational
• Early Learning
• Language Arts
• Math
• Teacher Tools
• Books
• Videos

• CD ROMs
• CD ROMs
• Childrens CDs
• Educational CDs
• Entertainment CDs
• Educational
• Early Learning
• Language Arts
• Math
• Teacher Tools
• Books
• Videos

Bad
Return
11
Alignment

• Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily.
• Every element should have some visual connection
  with another element on the page
• Creates a clean, sophisticated, fresh look.

12
Alignment basic purpose

• To unify and organize the page.
• A strong alignment (with appropriate typeface)
  creates a sophisticated look, or a formal look, a
  fun look, or a serious look.

13
Alignment how to get it

• Be conscious of where you place elements.
• Always find something else on the page to align
  with, even if the objects are physically far
  apart.

14
Alignment what to avoid

• Avoid using more than one text alignment on the
  page.
• Try to break away from a centered alignment
  unless trying to create a more formal, sedate
  (often dull) presentation.
• Choose centered alignment consciously, not by
  default.

15
Alignment Examples
Bad
John Doe 360-757-4589 ACME Inc 916 Elm Ave Bow,
WA 98233
ACME Inc John Doe 916 Elm Ave Bow, WA 98233
360-757-4589
ACME Inc John Doe 916 Elm Ave Bow, WA 98233
360-757-4589
ACME Inc John Doe 916 Elm Ave Bow, WA 98233
360-757-4589
16
Alignment Examples
Bad

• ACME INC
• We pride ourselves on offering the highest
  quality products on the market to deserving
  customers. Depend on us to meet your needs.
• Call one of our agents today to schedule an
  appointment.

17
Alignment Examples
Good
ACME INC We pride ourselves on offering the
highest quality products on the market to
deserving customers. Depend on us to meet your
needs. Call one of our agents today to schedule
an appointment.
18
Alignment Examples
Good
ACME INC We pride ourselves on offering the
highest quality products on the market to
deserving customers. Depend on us to meet your
needs. Call one of our agents today to schedule
an appointment.
Return
19
Repetition

• Repeat visual elements of the design throughout.
• Repetition of visual elements unifies and
  strengthens a piece by tying together the parts.
• You can repeat
• Color
• Shape
• Texture
• Spatial Relationships
• Line thicknesses, size , etc,

20
Repetition basic purpose

• To unify and add visual interest.
• If a piece looks interesting, more likely to be
  read.

21
Repetition how to get it

• Think of repetition as being consistent.
• Look at possibility of adding elements just to
  create repetition a line at bottom, distinctive
  font for numbered items, bullets.
• Find existing repetitive items and strengthen
  size, color, font, etc.
• Is like accenting with your clothes.

22
Repetition what to avoid

• Avoid repeating element too much to the point of
  becoming annoying or overwhelming.
• Be conscious of the value of contrast.
• Too much repetition can confuse the focus.

23
Repetition Examples
ACME Inc John Doe 916 Elm Ave Bow, WA 98233
360-757-4589
Bad
ACME Inc John Doe 916 Elm Ave Bow, WA 98233
360-757-4589
Good
24
Repetition Examples
Good

• Mickey Mouse
• Walt Disney Studios
• Anaheim, CA
• 58 years old, no children
• Employment
• Walt Disney Studios
• Various television studios
• Education
• Walt Disney Studios
• Favorite Activities
• Driving steamboats
• Roping cattle
• Favorite Quote
• Everybody cant be a duck

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25
Contrast

• The idea is to avoid elements on the page that
  are merely similar.
• If the elements (type, color, size, line
  thickness, shape, space, etc.) are not the same,
  then make them very different.
• Often the most important visual attraction on a
  page.

26
Contrast basic purpose

• To create an interest on the page if
  interesting, more likely to be read.
• To aid in the organization of the information.

27
Contrast how to get it

• Add contrast through typeface choices, line
  thicknesses, colors, shapes, sizes, space, etc.
• Important to be strong with contrast make
  distinctively different.

28
Contrast what to avoid

• Dont be a wimp. If going to contrast, do it
  with strength.
• Avoid contrasting a sort-of-heavy line with a
  sort of heavier line.
• Avoid contrasting dark text with similar color
  text brown and black.
• Avoid using two or more typefaces that are
  similar. If items are not exactly the same, make
  them different.

29
Contrast Examples

• Another Newsletter
• Exciting Headline
• This is the story of a man named Brady, who was
  raising three sons. And lady three blonde
  daughters
• Another Headline
• Now sit right back and youll hear a tale of a
  fateful trip that started from a tropic port.
  There were seven stranded passengers on a
  deserted island.

• Another Newsletter
• Exciting Headline
• This is the story of a man named Brady, who was
  raising three sons. And lady three blonde
  daughters
• Another Headline
• Now sit right back and youll hear a tale of a
  fateful trip that started from a tropic port.
  There were seven stranded passengers on a
  deserted island.

Bad
Good
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