The Four Basic Design Principles
Aug 08, 2018
Effective design centres on four basic principles: contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity. These appear in every design.
This article provides a brief overview of the basic principles discussed in this series. Although the companion articles explore each principle separately, they are all interconnected. Design projects rarely apply one principle.
Contrast
When a design uses several elements (e.g., type, colour, size, line, shape, thickness), the goal is to make each one distinct. When elements look too similar, none stand out (left). Contrast allows designers to assign characteristics that set elements apart from each other. The dissimilarity, or contrast, piques people’s interest and draws them in (right). This is the reason contrast is often considered the most important design principle.
Repetition
Repetition helps designers establish relationships, develop organization and strengthen unity.
As this Asian-inspired motif illustrates, any number of elements can be repeated, including:
- Sizes
- Fonts
- Shapes
- Colours
- Textures
- Line Thicknesses
- Graphic Concepts
- Spatial Relationship
Alignment
Skilled designers never place anything arbitrarily. All elements should relate to all others in some way.
Alignment creates a clean, sophisticated look. In some cases, it can also suggest information hierarchy. Elements out of alignment can be jarring, as with the windows in the bottom row.
Proximity
When items are grouped or appear close together, they become a single visual unit, rather than several separate entities.
Proximity helps organize information, reduces clutter and gives people a clear structure. When looking at this photo of a stained glass window, do you see a series of disjointed shapes, or do you see a series of concentric circles?
Failure to apply these principles
Mnemonic devices, or acronyms, often help people remember concepts. Although perhaps inappropriate, we’d like to impress upon readers how important these four design principles are. Failure to apply them results in … well, we think you get the gist.
Keeping family and friends close
This year of 2020 is proving to be a year of an unknown type. Protecting our health and those of the ones we love is a great responsibility so social distancing is worth it. There is also the snow. When will it end here in Edmonton area? At a time of social distancing for healthy and safety, what can we do when a weekend like Easter is near? Well, it might be time to get creative and learn more about technology at our fingertips to be sure connection happens regularly. Here are some ideas to get you started if you are a bit rusty like me. Knock Knock jokes Knock Knock jokes are a video opportunity waiting to happen. I recently rediscovered these corny sources of humor while searching the Internet. Inspired, I video recorded myself saying “knock, knock,” and sent to my almost five-year-old great nephew via his Mom’s smartphone. In a little while, he responded with “Who’s there?” in his own video. From there, we traded short videos until hitting the punch line. It was a much-needed connection in the middle of a day for me. My great nephew and his parents, who are working from home and entertaining their two young active boys, appreciated the diversion, too.
DPI vs. PPI
24 Jan, 2019 •
If you’re going to print a photo or digital design, chances are you’ll want it to be in the highest resolution possible. Unfortunately, figuring out the correct resolution and graphic size can be complicated. There are several units which are used to measure resolution including PPI, DPI, LPI, and SPI. However, to keep it simple, we’ll only focus on the two units which are frequently used: DPI and PPI. What is DPI and PPI? Contrary to popular belief, DPI and PPI are not the same thing and cannot be used interchangeably. While DPI and PPI describe the resolution of an image, each term refers to something completely different. Dots per inch (DPI) is used to describe the number of dots per inch in a digital print. DPI determines how many dots the printer drops onto every square inch of the image. This sets the print resolution of the image. On the other hand, PPI refers to pixels per inch. Many designers rely on PPI as it involves the smallest unit of a digital display device which we are able to see. Pixels are used to create the overall image on your computer or television. The confusion between DPI and PPI lies in the fact that the pixels in PPI are made up of red, green, and blue light elements which roughly correspond to the CMYK dots on a printer. Therefore, people assume that DPI and PPI are the same. Simply put, PPI is the input resolution while DPI is essentially the output resolution. How does DPI and PPI affect your prints? As previously mentioned, PPI is only meant to affect what is on your digital display. For instance, you can use PPI to determine the resolution of an image file. If an image is 350×350 in a 1-inch square, then you can assume the image will have a resolution of 350 pixels per inch. Many digital display formats are set at 72 ppi, which determines how big the image will appear on the screen. By increasing the image by 150%, the pixels will become larger and display a blurrier image. Using PPI to print your image may result in it looking incredibly pixelated or smaller than you want it to be. DPI is the resolution of the printed image and determines how high of quality your print will be. While most printers are capable of printing at 300 dpi, professional printers can produce higher quality prints. When the DPI is increased, it will create a smoother transition between colours, removing the blocky look that a lower DPI will produce. Printing an image that is high quality is a balancing act, requiring you to determine whether the size or the quality is more important. However, if it is an image that is meant to be viewed from further away, you might find that a lower resolution will work best. Some billboard posters are printed as low as 20 dpi! We know, it’s a lot to wrap your head around, and that’s fine! Resolution is already a complicated concept, and only becomes more difficult to understand when different units are added. However, it becomes a little easier when you keep the differences between DPI and PPI in mind.
Creating the Perfect Colour Palette
16 Jan, 2019 •
By now, you’ve probably realized how important colour is within design. Many companies and businesses build their brand around certain colours, with some going as far to trademark it such as Tiffany & Co. Creating a strong colour palette is crucial for any business. Using a consistent colour palette will influence people to associate those specific colours with your business. If you’re not sure where to start in creating a colour palette, we’re prepared to guide you through it. Keep Colour Theory in Mind Prior to picking colours for your palette, you need to understand basic colour theory and the relationships between colours. If you don’t understand either, then attempting to create the perfect colour palette will be quite difficult. As we’ve previously discussed, colour can affect a person’s emotions, subconsciously or not. Colour palettes consisting of shades of blue will create a sense of tranquility, while shades of red may grab a person’s attention. You’ll have to consider how you want people to feel about your brand. Creating a Colour Palette Creating a colour palette from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and intimidating. There are little tricks that can make the process a little easier, and we’re happy to share them with you. If you read our post on colour harmony , you’ll know there are several basic colour schemes you can use: complementary, analogous, triadic, and monochromatic. However, while these traditional schemes make creating a palette easy, they’re not exactly original. For an original colour palette, you’ll have to get a little creative. Trends: Take a look at current design trends to get inspiration for your colour palette. Lately, there’s been a resurgence in using bright and bold colours to balance the minimalism look. Using bold colours on simple backgrounds will guide the viewer’s attention to what’s important and make your design more memorable. Build from images: Photographs are full of colour. By using an image that you feel represents your business or brand, you’ll be able to pull sample colours from it to help create a new palette. There are several ways you can pull colour from images, such as using Photoshop or Canva’s Color Palette Generator . From one image, you can build several colour palettes. Play with shades, tones, and tints : If you have a colour that you feel fits your brand perfectly, feel free to use it. You can create a colour palette using only one colour by playing with varying shades of that colour. Include more neutral colours as well, such as greys. These can create a balance between your original colour and its varying shades.