Design Principles ~ Task 1 : Exploration
3 Feb 2025 - 17 Feb 2025 (Week 1 - Week 3)
Justin Cleon (0375523)
Design Principles | Task 1 : Exploration
Table of Contects
1. Instructions
Task 1 :
Describe each of the design principles listed and select suitable design examples to demonstrate your understanding.
2. Lectures
Introduction
Visual communication is about utilising design to convey purposeful messages to a target audience. As such, the design must be well thought-out and executed. To achieve effective communication through design, it is important to learn about and apply the elements and principles of design.
Figure 2.1 Source: Google
Element of Design
Individual "building blocks"
1. Point
• The simplest element of design
• Used as repetitive mark forms a line
• As the point moves in space, 2D and 3D figures and forms are created
2. Line
• Lines can be active or static, aggressive/passive, sensual/mechanical
• Lines can indicate directions, define boundaries of shapes and spaces, imply volumes or solid masses, and suggest motion or emotion
• Lines can be grouped to depict qualities of light and shadow and to form patterns and textures
3. Shape
• The expanse within the outline of 2D area or within the 3D object
• Becomes visible when a line/lines enclose an area or when an apparent change in value (lightness/darkness), colour or texture sets an area apart from its surroundings
2 categories of shapes:
• Geometric: precise and regular (circles, squares, triangles, etc)• Organic: irregular, often curving/rounded, relaxed & more informal
4. Form
• A 3D area
• When form encloses space, it is called volume
• Form is often a major element in sculpture and architecture
• With 2D media (painting, illustration or drawing), also form must be implied
5. Texture
• In visual communication design, texture refers to the tactile qualities of surfaces or to the visual representation of those qualities
• All surfaces have textures that can be experienced by touching or through visual suggestion
Two (2) categories of textures:
• Actual (experienced by touch)
• Simulated or implied (created to look like the real texture)
6. Space
• Space is the indefinable, general receptacle of all things
• In drawings, prints, photographs and paintings, we see the space of the surface all at once
• The actual space of each picture's surface is defined by its edges
• Within these limited boundaries, an infinite number of spatial qualities can be implied
• 3D space is experienced when we are in it, beginning with our own positions in relation to other people, objects surfaces and voids at various distances
• From the outside we experience mass, from the inside we experience volume
• In graphic design, space/depth refers to the area that a shape or form occupies
• Space can be defined as positive (filled space) or negative (empty space)
• The illusion of a 3D space can be suggested through depth
• This can be achieved by overlapping of images, variation of sizes, placement and perspective
7. Colour
• Colour is the visual by product of the spectrum of light as it is either transmitted through a transparent medium, or as it is absorbed and reflected off a surface
• Colour is the light wavelengths that the human eye receives and processes from a reflected source
• Each of the millions of colours human beings can distinguish is identifiable in terms of just three (3) variables:
• Hue: Colours of the spectrum (yellow and green)
• Value: The lightness or darkness from white through greys to black
• Tint: pure hue + white
• Tone: pure hue + grey
• Shade: pure hue + black
• Intensity/Saturation/Chroma: the purity of a hue
A pure hue is the most intense form of a given colour, it is the hue in its highest saturation, in its brightest form. With pigment (black, white or grey) of another hue is added to a pure hue, its intensity diminishes and is dulled.
• Colour schemes: Colour groupings that provide distinct colour harmonies
• Monochromatic colour schemes: based on variations in the value and intensity of a single hue
• Analogous colour schemes: based on colours adjacent to one another on the colour wheel, each containing the same pure hue
• Complementary colour schemes: emphasise 2 hues directly opposite each other on the colour wheel
Figure 2.2 Source: ThoughtCo
Principles of Design
• Contrast
• Gestalt Theory
• Balance
• Emphasis
• Repetition
• Movement
• Hierarchy
• Alignment
• Harmony & Unity
• Scale & Proportion
• Symbol
• Word & Image
3. Task 1 - Exploration
Principles of Design
Gestalt Theory
Gestalt refers to "shape" or "form" in German. The Gestalt principles are guidelines that explain how the human brain perceives the world around them: simplifying, organizing, and rearranging complicated objects so that it can make sense to us improved. Psychologist's theories, which discovered how the human mind perceives the world as an organized whole rather than isolated parts, emphasizing that the "whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Figure 3.1 Principles of Gestalt Principles
These are some Gestalt Laws of Grouping and how our mind understands the relationship between elements:
• Law of Proximity: “They are close, they must be related”
• Law of Similarity: “Are they twins? Well let’s just group them together, they look similar enough”
• Law of Closure: “Let me just fill on the gaps for you”
• Law of Common Fate: “We are all moving in the same direction, let’s go along with the inertia”
• Law of Symmetry: “These are the real twins”
• Law of Continuation: “Oh, I know you work together, but I can still see through you”
• Law of Common Region: “This looks like a nice little neighborhood now”
Contrast
Contrast is a conflict. The word comes from Medieval Latin, combining contra ("against") and stare ("to place"). It is a key element of graphic design, appearing in almost every work (Kreatif Beats, 2021). Contrast helps guide the viewer's attetion and prioritize information. Elements with higher contrast are preceived first and seen as more important.
The cover (Figure 3.2) creates contrast because of its bright vs. dark colors, the mix of sharp and rough textures, and the way one image fits inside another.
Figure 3.2 Joker
Emphasis
Emphasis is used to highlight a certain area of the composition to signify its importance, where it could be achieved by using basic design principles such as: contrast, scale, white space, and movement.
The poster (Figure 3.3) makes Miles Morales stand out by using contrast (bright suit vs. cool background), placing him in the center, flipping the buildings for dramatic perspective, adding glowing light around him, and showing movement in his pose to capture attention and make him the focus.
Figure 3.3 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Balance
According to Pluralsight, balance is a vital principle in design. A principle that involves arranging design elements to create a sense of completion, satisfaction, and cohesiveness such as color, texture and space.
There are three (3) main types of balance:
• Symmetrical (formal) Balance
With symmetrical (formal) balance, the weights of visual elements at both sides of the axis is equal. Both sides of the composition (Figure 3.4) bring the same visual rate. Neither side feels heavier than the other. This is a perfectly balanced design because the composition (Figure 3.4) appears stable and creates a more orderly look.
Figure 3.4 Symmetrical (formal) Balance
• Asymmetrical (informal) Balance
Visual balance doesn't represent that every component to be arranged in excellent symmetry. Balance can also be achieved using asymmetry. An asymmetrical composition is designed to intentionally offset the balance of elements within the design. Asymmetrical can create tension and add a dynamic sense of movement to your composition.
In this poster (Figure 3.5), the elements on the bottom feel a bit visually heavier than the top. But it helps to create a dynamic and engaging layout rather than a perfectly symmetrical one. Furthermore, lead the viewer's eyes toward the focus of the composition, which is the "Inside Man" words.
Figure 3.5 Inside Man
• Radial Balance
Balance can be achieved through placing object, color, or texture evenly around a central point, similar to how a seesaw stays level when both sides are equal. This pictures (Figure 3.6) creates a strong point of focus when the bright circular are in the center draws the eye inward.
Figure 3.6 Radial Balance
Repetition
Repetition in design can work in a variety of ways (Designorate, 2016). Repetition is a component is repeated when other components with features similar to it are arranged in a composition. Simply put, that the objects could be used more than 1 time.
For example (Figure 3.7), a great example repetition because it uses repeated illustrated Coca Cola bottles in the advertisement "The Happiest Day on the earth". A form smile shape is created by the creative use of consistent repeating the shape of coca cola bottles.
Figure 3.7 'Coca Cola' Advertisement
Movement
Movement (Figure 3.8) refers to the way a designer guides a viewer's eye through a composition (Inkling Creative, 2017), creating a sense of dynamic and spirit. It's a key principle in graphic design and user experience design. Movement also helps control how users interact with a product and perceive it, guiding users to complete a goal on a page (CorelDRAW).
Figure 3.8 The Great Wave off Kanagawa
Harmony & Unity
Harmony is all about how design elements interact together, whether along a theme, style, aesthetic, or mood to create a visually pleasing and cohesive space. That said, it doesn't mean everything has to match perfectly, just think of it as a well composed piece of music to create a cohesive, flowing symphony and intricate rhythm (Havenly, 2022).
Unity goes hand-in-hand with harmony (Havenly, 2022). It repeats various elements (colors, shapes, materials, texture, or other elements) to make the composition work together.
I took an example of artwork from the game Sky: The Children of the Light (Figure 3.9). This game is a peaceful, award-winning MMO from the creators of Journey. So it can explore a beautifully animated kingdom across seven (7) realms and create enriching memories with other players in this delightful puzzle adventure game. Unity is achieved when the character, decoration and environment use identical characteristics for the architectural style (Chinese culture).