Design Principles

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Design Principles Part II
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Design Principles Reviewed

• While design elements consist of the nouns (form
  generators) and adjectives (form attributes) of
  design, design principles are the adverbs of
  design. That is, design principles dictate HOW
  the form generators are arranged in a
  composition.
• Design principles allow us to create composition
  in unlimited configurations because you can mix
  and match them to suit your needs.

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Design Principles Continued

• There are many design principles, but we will
  concentrate on the following for now
• Emphasis
• Hierarchy
• Flow
• Position
• Balance
• Grouping
• Variety

• Unity
• Repetition
• Rhythm
• Pattern

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Unity
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Unity Defined
Unity is achieved when elements of a composition
agree with each other to create a feel of
wholeness. It is the opposite of variety though
most compositions strive to create a balance of
the two.
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32 Campbells Soup Cans Andy Worhol Silkscreen,
1962
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Creating Unity

• Unity is typically accomplished in a composition
  by echoing elements in some manner. For example
• Using tints, shades and tones of the same hue
• Using agreeable color harmonies
• The repetition of similar shapes and lines
• Using images that are thematically related
• Repeating a texture

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Creating Unity Cont.

• Unity is typically accomplished in a composition
  by echoing elements in some manner. For example
• When all elements agree with the theme and tone
• Shapes flow in a similar direction
• Using typefaces that thematically agree
• Placing elements equal distant from each other
  and from edges of the format
• Consistent sizing of type at varying levels of
  importance
• Grouping related information together in clusters

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Variety
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Variety Defined
Variety is change added to a composition for the
purpose of increasing visual interest. It is the
opposite of unity though most compositions strive
to create a balance of the two. Q What happens
if a composition has too much variety? Q What
happens if a composition has too little variety
(too much unity)?
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Creating Variety

• Variety can be created by incorporating one or
  more of the following
• Using multiple hues
• Incorporating tints, shades and tones of the
  same hue
• Using multiple typefaces
• Incorporating depth (foreground, midground,
  background)
• Using dissimilar shapes and lines
• Variations in flow of reads

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Creating Variety Cont.

• Variety can be created by incorporating one or
  more of the following
• Positioning using the Law of Unequal Spacing
• Orienting elements at varying angles
  (non-architectonically)
• Adding variations to structured repetition
• Using the principle of contrast
• Gradations in size

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Book Cover Harper Collins, 2007
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Package Design Templin Brink Design, 2006
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Ballet Tech Poster Paula Scher 2000
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Grouping
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Grouping Defined
When elements are perceived as a group they are
perceived as belonging together. Grouping
simplifies the visual field making it easier for
the audience to interpret and navigate the
composition.
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Creating Groups

• In order to understand how to create groups it is
  necessary to understand how we as humans perceive
  them.
• There are four ways that we as humans
  perceptually associate things as being grouped
  together
• Grouping by proximity
• Grouping by similarity
• Grouping by common direction
• Grouping by closure

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Grouping by Proximity
Elements that are clustered together are
perceived as belonging to the same group. A
cluster is typically characterized by having
elements within the cluster equally spaced, yet
having a larger (and consistent) space between
other clusters.
3 groups
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Grouping by Similarity
Elements that share a common visual
characteristic (such as shape, color or texture)
are perceived as belonging to the same
group. Grouping by similarity is not as
perceptually strong as grouping by proximity.
3 groups
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Identity Design Anthony Russell Associates,
Inc., 1989
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Grouping by Common Direction
Elements that appear to be moving in the same
direction or toward a common vanishing point are
perceived as belonging to the same
group. Grouping by common direction is not as
perceptually strong as grouping by proximity.
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Book Cover Simon Schuster, 2006
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Corporate Identity Jason Schulte Design, 2006
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Grouping by Closure
Our perceptual system will fill in missing
information in order to associate disjointed
parts as a group.
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Promotional Material Target, 2006
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Repetition
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Repetition Defined
Repetition is a recurrence of a design element
within a composition. Repetition is a unifying
principle aimed to increase visual interest but
can also contribute to flow by leading the eye.
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What can be repeated?
Any design element can be repeated in order to
unify the composition shape, hue, type, texture,
image, etc.
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Shape Repetition

• There are several ways that shape repetition can
  be created. These include
• Linear
• Radial
• Rows and Columns
• Random

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Book Cover Gabriele Wilson, 2006 Example of
Linear shape repetition
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Book Cover Penguin Group, 2006 Example of Row
column shape repetition
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Book Cover McSweeneys Publishing, 2006 Example
of Radial repetition
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Christmas Card Dennard Creative Inc.,
1985 Example of Random shape repetition
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Rhythm
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Rhythm Defined
Rhythm is a more interesting form of repetition
that arises from introducing a predictable and
often reoccurring change or gradation to the
elements being repeated. Rhythm in graphic design
is very similar to how chords and scales are used
in music. Where as repetition visual creates
beats such as 3,3,3,3,3 or 3,7,6,4,1,3,2,9,
rhythm creates beats such as 3,5,3,5,3,5 or
3,4,5,4,3or 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 etc.
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Repetition or Rhythm?
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Repetition or Rhythm?
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Repetition or Rhythm?
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Book Cover Poul Lang Design, 2008
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Creating Rhythm

• Rhythm is created by a predictable change or
  gradation in one or more of the following
• Shape
• Size
• Spacing between shapes
• Hue
• Tint, shade or tone of a hue
• Value (lightness or darkness)
• Shape orientation (rotation)
• Shape direction (flow direction)
• Shape opacity

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Book Cover Aperture Foundation, 2006 Example of
Rhythm by hue shift
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Promotional Design Urban Inks, 2006 Example of
Rhythm by size gradation and hue change
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Promotional Design 2x4 inc., 2006 Example of
Rhythm by hue and shape change
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Brand Design Hohn Smith Design, 2006 Example of
Rhythm by shape change
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Corporate Identity Jason Schulte Design,
2006 Example of Rhythm by size change
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Pattern
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Pattern Defined
Pattern is created when an entire shape or
background (backdrop) is filled with a repetition
or rhythm. Patterns are used to create visual
interest. The three-dimensional effect of
patterns creates visual texture. A repeating
cluster or configuration of shapes is referred to
a motif.
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Where do we see patterns?

• Patterns are seen and used everywhere in the
  natural and manmade world. Some common places we
  see patterns include
• Textiles
• Construction materials (e.g. fences, carpet,
  tiling, bricks)
• Wallpaper
• Wrapping paper
• Backdrops of web pages or printed material
• Animal fur
• Sea shells
• Stones

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Corporate Communication Design Malcolm Grear
Designers, Inc., 1975
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Book Design Studio A, 2006
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The End
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