If you’ve ever wondered why some websites look better than others or what makes a good
logo, you might want to learn more about design principles. They are a set of visual concepts, biases, and design considerations applied to make a work more aesthetically pleasing.
Essentially, these ‘basic principles of design’ provide guidelines for design professionals to make their art more organised and visually appealing. For example, how to properly use contrast is a design principle that can make a visual appear more distinct and be used for emphasis.
Whether you’re approaching a design project yourself or employing professionals like the AmperBrand branding agency for support, understanding and adhering to the basic principles of design is of utmost importance.
A person’s ability to follow basic design principles, whether they’re designing a website or a logo, can be what separates a successful brand from a failure. Great design is critical for grabbing consumers’ attention and making a positive first impression.
Why is good design important?
A business’s brand is its identity, and also what sets it apart from its competition. While there are many factors that contribute to branding, such as strategy and marketing, the foundation of every company’s brand is its designs.
From the design of the brand’s logo itself to their website and products, they all play a major role in shaping a consumer’s view of a business. For example, 84% of consumers believe that design consistency across all touchpoints reinforces a brand’s consistency.
Breaking down design principles
One of the challenges of breaking down the basic principles of design is figuring out how many there are. When you type in ‘graphic design principles’ on Google, you’re sure to run into thousands of results, all with varying numbers of design fundamentals.
Below, we’ve provided an overview of the most common design principles discussed by industry professionals. Keep in mind that these principles are just guidelines; they are also supposed to be implemented at the designer’s discretion.
An effective designer not only understands the basic principles of design but also when to apply them. There will be times when you may not follow a rule or purposefully set out to break it.
Balance and Alignment
This principle refers to how elements within a design are balanced and aligned with one another. For a two-dimensional design, elements will be placed according to a horizontal and vertical axis.
Alignment refers to the placement of an element on the vertical/horizontal axis, and how it can be strategically placed for ‘balance’. Designers can either go for symmetrical or asymmetrical balance. We’ve described both options below.
- Symmetrical balance requires ‘visual weight’ to be applied equally across all axes.
- Asymmetrical replacement should be intentional, and is when the ‘visual weight’ is purposefully mismatched for composition.
Visual weight describes how much a certain element within a design draws attention from the viewer. In most scenarios, you want the visual weight to be equal and to strike a balance through alignment.
URL: https://unsplash.com/photos/blue-lemon-sliced-into-two-halves-5E5N49RWtbA
Contrast
This design principle refers to the contrast between design elements. It can refer to how one design differs or is opposed to another, or how elements within a design contrast with each other for emphasis, e.g., colour.
Along with emphasis, contrast is commonly used when designing text to ensure a legible reading experience. High contrast colours are also a popular choice to make visuals ‘pop’ and stand out.
Emphasis and Hierarchy
In design, the principles of emphasis and hierarchy usually go together to lead a viewer’s eye to a predetermined path. Emphasis does this through highlighting a focal point, which can be achieved through techniques like contrast with colour or unique shapes.
Hierarchy usually ties in with emphasis, and can be used to lead a viewer through the positioning, order, and scaling of elements. It can also drive home the point of emphasis and place a sense of importance on a design.
Movement and Rhythm
Movement and rhythm are basic principles of design that refer to how viewers’ eyes perceive and move through a design. Ideally, you want a viewer’s attention to go from one point to another in a design with an obvious sense of flow and direction.
There are various strategies a designer can implement to achieve these principles. This could be:
- Using animation within a design to create real movement and flow.
- Using visual elements that suggest motion, like blur.
- Lines, shapes, and colour, when strategically placed, can also be used to lead a viewer’s eye from one visual element to another.
URL: https://unsplash.com/photos/green-fern-plant-inside-clear-glass-vase-9IcKPSQ9G5Q
Negative Space
This principle, also known as ‘white space’, is unique because it isn’t about what you add or adjust in a design—it is about what you don’t add. It’s when there empty space intentionally left between design elements.
For example, a person might decide to leave spaces between illustrations or text elements. This empty space can look visually appealing due to minimalism, and also draw the viewer’s attention to the specific design elements.
Negative space also arose from the strategy to reduce the cognitive load of viewers. It allows them to focus on the design without being bombarded by other visuals. It can also help set a rhythm for how a person views content.
Repetition and Pattern
This principle refers to any elements of a design that are repeated and/or turned into a pattern. Some repetition might be minute, like repeating a certain font or colour, creating a sense of cohesion in a design.
Repetition can also be more prominent and noticeable, like creating intentional patterns and major recurring design elements. Repetition is a strong design tool because it can help with:
- Creating emphasis
- Uniting elements together
- Establishing a motif or theme
Unity
The final basic principle of design is unity, and it refers to how all the elements of the design, including the consideration of the other principles, work together. For a design to have ‘unity’, all the visual elements need to be cohesive and exist in harmony together.
Deciding whether a design has unity is usually one of the final steps in the design process. If a design doesn’t feel harmonic, the designer will have to revisit the other principles and ensure their cohesion.
Unity is the key to an effective design and message. Without it, whether it’s for a website, product, or logo, it will be hard to tell a cohesive story through the visual elements.
