Intro to design principles

2. • Design Principles
• Design Elements
• Layout
• Fonts
• Color Pale7e
• Images

3. Design Principles

4. Focal Point
Rhythm
Unity

5. An area of interest that attracts the viewer

6. May be the smallest area or only area of color

7. May be created with proportion = relative size of an object as
measured in comparison to another

8. Focal Point
Rhythm
Unity

9. Engaging the senses: the rhythm of artwork creates a sensation,
evoking sight, sound, touch, motion
Charles Burchfield. The Insect Chorus. 1917. Opaque and transparent
watercolor with ink and crayon on paper, 1 7 7/8 x 1 3 7/8 (50 x 40 cm).
Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute. Museum of Art, Utica, New York (Edward
W. Root Bequest), 58.104. "
Albert Renger-Patzsch. Buchenwald in Herbst (Beech Forest in Autumn).
1936. Silver gelatin print, 8 3/4 x 6 3/8 (22.2 x 16.2 cm). The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, Warner Communications, Inc., purchase fund, 1980;
1980.1063.1. "

11. Philip Guston. Transi?ons. 1975. Oil on Canvas, 5’6” x 6’81/2” (167.6 x 204.5cm). Smithsonian
Amercian Art Museum, Washington, DC. Bequest of Musa Guston.
Hiroshi Sugimoto. U.A. Play House. 1978."
Used to different type of feelings:
• Symmetrical: classicism, stability, formal
• Asymmetrical: dynamism, movement, casual

12. Focal Point
Rhythm
Unity

13. Unity = visual harmony is achieved with whatever elements are used

17. Design Elements

18. Line
Shape
Pattern
Texture
Value
Color
Space
Motion

19. Create interest by interrupting the repetition (image by San Mung, Prism)

21. Add color and you can change the texture, tone and message completely

22. Sue Hettmansperger. Untitled Drawing. 1975. Watercolorand pencil, 1' 11" x 2' 1" (58 x 64 cm). Collection of North Carolina National Bank."
Use value to create form

23. James Turrell. Meeting. 1986. Warm and cool colors for simultaneous contrast

24. Figure / Ground
rela?onships
(Ascending and
Descending by M.C.
Escher)

26. Layout

27. Careful control of visual hierarchy is a key aspect of the
design decisions we have to consider.
1. Most Important
2. Least Important
3. Everything else in between

28. Poster by Rebecca Foster

30. Fonts

31. Limit your font choices to 3
and use fancy fonts for headlines only

36. Color Pale7e

37. Limit your color pale7e to 3

38. You’ll tend to get a more pleasing final result if you stick to three
colors in your color scheme.

39. Many of the masters’ pain?ngs use very limited pale7es

42. If more colors are needed, try using tints or shades of a color

43. Choose colors that are appropriate
and be aware of cultural differences

45. In some countries, yellow has very different connotations. In Egypt, for
example, yellow is for mourning. In Japan, it represents courage, and in
India it’s a color for merchants.

46. Images

47. Use the rule of thirds

48. Horizontal horizontals

49. Framing

50. Fill the frame

51. Try different angles

52. Avoid harsh sunlight and zoom in

53. Uncluttered background

54. Use visual metaphors
and Puns

59. Clean up your mess
Clean Designs Reduce the
Effort Needed to Find Information

60. Consider Alignment, Size, Contrast, and Extras

61. Best Prac?ces
• Create a layout with strong visual hierarchy
• Use the power of 3:
- Layout
- Fonts
- Color Palette
• Image cropping and positioning
• Unity is the ultimate goal