The Principles and Elements of Design

The principles of design are concepts which are used to organise the structure and elements in the design of products. The principles and elements within this area are; Balance, Proportion, Rhythm, Emphasis and Unity.



I am going to give a short list with what each principle involves;-



Balance:

• Symmetrical
• Asymmetrical
• Radial
• All over pattern

Proportion:

• Two-dimensional
• Three-dimensional

Rhythm:

• Repetition
• Consistency
• Stability
• Visualisation

Emphasis:

• Focal Point
• Contrast (Putting opposites together)
• Isolation
• Placement
• Absence of focal point

Unity:

• Repetition (keeping this consistent)
• Continuation
• Closure

Balance



First of all, balance is an important element in the principles of design. Balance is the concept of visualisation and stability, this relates to our physical sense of balance. This element can be successfully achieved in two ways, symmetrically and asymmetrically.



Symmetrical/formal balance is having equal weight on both equal sides, which are organised equally on either side of the central axis. However, if balance is not achieved, the image will be over powered on one side of the design and will be unbalanced. If the elements are arranged equally around a central point, then this will result in a radial symmetrical balanced design. Basically, symmetrical balance is the balance of the elements within itself such as, colour, texture, shape etc.



Shapes: This is where the root of the design begins. Shapes are used to create and layouts, patterns and to build endless concepts.
Lines: This element is also important in the use of balance. It is used to divide space and to split it up into sections. This directs the eye into the correct visuals and creates forms.
Colour: This is an interesting element in design and balance as it can be changed dramatically which can create an effect of making an image stand out, create character and emotions.
Texture: This relates to the visual appearence and surface of a design. This generally creates balanced visualisation of the audience being able to actually 'feel' the texture, which makes it unique and different from the other elements in design.



Asymmetrical/informal balance is the placement of objects which have a variety of visual weights to balance eachother around a central point. Unequal weights can be balanced by adjusting the central point on our imaginery scale. For example, a large object can be balanced out by a number of small objects.



Proportion



Proportion is the size and scales of a variety of elements in design. Artists regularly take natural proportions of the human body to achieve and progress their desirable goals. It is a two - dimensional and a three - dimensional element by other elements. Proportion is also the relationship between various objects in design as they are one part to another or to the whole. However, you can define proportion in the terms of size, quantity or degree. As the size of an object is influenced by other parts in it's environment, it could easily appear 'out of proportion'. For example as an interior designer, if they placed a small image onto a large wall, it wouldnt appear 'in proportion'. Whereas if a large image or a repetition of small ones was placed onto a large wall, it would achieve the proportion principle.


Shape and proportion are elements which help to make the image feel 'balanced and 'in proportion' as if the objects are 'working together'. The shapes must be as interesting as possible and for whatever image the shapes are made into, they must be in proportion with eachother. For, example the relationship between a basket ball net and a basket ball itself would have to be in proportion. The net would have to be a much larger size than the ball itself, otherwise the balance between the two objects wouldnt work together and they would be 'out of proportion'.


Parallax also relates to proportion. It is the displacement or different position of an object which we see at a specific angle. For example if we was to look at the time (1:30) on a clock and someone was looking at it directly infront of them, they would see the two arms pointing at the correct time. However, if someone was viewing the clock at a 90 degree angle from the left, the arms of the clock may not be seen exactly on the correct reading time. Another example of parallax is if you was to travel down a street of houses and the buildings appear as though they are going from bigger to smaller. This is because objects have a larger parallax when nearby, to objects that are at a distance which is why they appear smaller the further away you are. Parallax can be used to identify distances or what the eye can see. Our eyes have overlapping visual fields which is to gain depth perception and they way we see things. In computer vision the effect called stereopsis that our eyes create is used for computer stereo vision.



Rhythm



Rhythm is the repetition of one or more elements thats within a visual format, this creates consistency and stability. Rhythm is achieved in visual design by the repetition of elements in a design such as image, layout, type and shape. This is what creates pattern with a repetitive arrangement. Rhythm creates visual unity and organised movement which leads and draws the attention  of the eye and mind to the space surrounding the rhythmic pattern.


Rhythm can make a large area or even small, interesting. Such as the simplest form of repetition or a regular placement of the same element. For example, consistent placement of the same dining chairs or even a repetition of the same brick pattern and window panes can create a rhythmic building pattern.


In the terms of 'visual rhythm' you can repeat a colour, pattern or shape with other elements. For example, a repetition of colour throughout a room, will immediately direct the visual eye through the whole of the elements in the image.
Pattern can be made more rhythmically interesting by varing the space or characteristics of a reacurring element to create visual interest. For example, if you have a repeated object you can keep the shape and size consistent, but have a variety of textures/materials, colour and tone.



Emphasis



Emphasis is used by artists to ultimately draw attention  to a certain element of the image, a focal point. Contrast is also used to create emphasis as it dramatically divides the elements within the image to make the audiences eye notice the effect. For example, something neautral against an object that has a high saturation, simply isolates the two from one another. However, there are several techniques used to emphasise the most important object on an image. For example, larger or opposite facing objects placed in the foreground creates a focal point to the eye.


Shapes are also used to create emphasis such as a group of unusual shapes with an odd geometric shape, immediately draws attention to itself.

Colour is also a big part of emphasis as an element. If most elements in the image are generally dark or grey scale, a splash or outburst of colour will contrast from its background and the rest of the elements within the image. This will immediately 'jump out' the page.

Isolation also creates emphasis in an image. For example, if most of the elements in an image are grouped together and there is an object by itself, the object that is alone will stand out to the eye as a focal point.

Placement is also used to create emphasis in an image. If an object is placed in the center of other elements, this will often be in perspective of a focal point. This is because of the way our eye sees things, as though the element in the center of others is in the 'spotlight'.



Unity



Unity is the placement and position which the elements are to eachother. It is the element that sums up the whole of the other elements in design and it is all of the elements working together to get the achievable result. Unity is also a concept which can be achieved by keeping consistent using repetition, proximity, continuation and closure.


Repetition is a method which is used to achieve unity. The repetition of colour, shape, texture or objects can be used to tie all of the elements together. For example, in an image with a row of houses, to create unity there could be a repetition in colour of the doors, bricks, style of the objects and pattern. This would achieve the sense of unity and would immediately bring the whole image together.


Proximity is the most simple method of making objects and elements belong together. This can be achieved by simply grouping the objects together to unify the image and create a visual pattern.


Unity also involves the continuation of lines, edges and the direction of an object to another. Continuations is generally used in images, graphics, books, magazines, brochures etc. which is usually used to group the elements of a page together.