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It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it.” This is why good design is tricky to define. In addition to these, some sources—including this post—may include other principles like Alignment, White Space, Hierarchy, Variety, and Texture. Think of design as carpentry and these principles as your toolbox. You can use them to help you during the design process, and unlike hammers, nails, and screwdrivers, they can exist entirely inside your head.

How is emphasis achieved in design?
Design and the circular economy – deep dive - ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
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Objects of different sizes draw varying levels of attention, guiding the viewer’s focus and shaping their perception of the composition’s focal points and overall structure. Illustration of visual design elements and principles that include unity, Gestalt, hierarchy, balance, contrast, scale and dominance. Variety mixes various elements and principles to add complexity yet visually appealing designs. It creates interest and detail in images and artwork to engage the audience. As a principle of art, contrast refers to the arrangement of opposite elements and effects. For example, light and dark colors, smooth and rough textures, large and small shapes.
How harmony completes unity
Offer few options – don’t hinder users with nice-to-haves; give them needed alternatives instead. This picture of an evening-lit city street encapsulates rhythm perfectly. The digital design feels lively, as though dancing or vibing to its virtual music. This painting of these flowers is a perfect example of symmetrical balance, where everything is a mirror reflection from left to right.
Dare to be different: Asymmetrical balance
The first principle of design that we are going to discuss is alignment. However, you don’t have to show variety, just because you need to have it in your design. It should come naturally and make up an aesthetically-pleasing composition. The way a viewer’s eye travels over the design, the way they “read” it, is told by movement. These days, using patterns and repetition of the same elements is trendy both for print and fashion. To have a perfect emphasis on your design you need to have a clear understanding of what’s important in your composition.
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We often judge art by how effectively the artist used these design fundamentals even before we learn about them. So these were the seven basic elements of design – form, shape, line, color, texture, typography, and space. These various elements can make your piece successful when used right. To do that, you’ll need to practice, experiment, and learn the rules of applying them, known as the principles of design.
Some definitely fit the definition of “principles” while others are more like elements of design. Many beginning designers feel the need to pack every pixel with some type of “design” and overlook the value of white space. But white space serves many important purposes in a design, foremost being giving elements of the design room to breathe. Negative space can also help highlight specific content or specific parts of a design. Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the viewer’s attention.
Break the monotony: Using emphasis to add interest
A line is a basic design element consisting of two connected points. In geometry, this element would be called a line segment, but in design, we just call it a line. Lines can be used on their own or to form other shapes, such as a circle, or combined together to form shapes like a square or triangle.
Typography
While there are a few main principles of design, each listed here has its place within the design process. Disregarding these principles of design should be done with caution, and only after you have a thorough understanding of them and the purposes they serve. A complete lack of contrast would result in a design that’s simply a single background color with no other visible elements — not exactly a functional design. A design where you can see different elements automatically has some level of contrast. Emphasis is the part of a design that catches the eye of the user—a focal point, in other words.
All open-source articles on design principles
Variety can prevent monotony by breaking up uniformity and introducing unexpected, yet harmonious, elements that captivate the viewer's attention. It allows for creative flexibility and can be used to enhance the theme or message of the design. By effectively employing variety, designers can appeal to diverse tastes and preferences, ensuring that the design communicates effectively with a broader audience. Ultimately, variety enriches the visual experience, providing depth and complexity that keeps the viewer interested and engaged. Movement is a dynamic principle of design that guides the viewer's eye through a composition in a deliberate and intentional way.
It’s important to note that emphasis is closely linked to other principles of design. For example, the Jurassic Park poster uses contrast and space to create emphasis. Other posters, like this one for Gravity, use movement, space, and contrast to do the same thing. White space gives breathing space to design elements and helps to improve the visual hierarchy, the way the eyes navigate through your design.
When you use it strategically, you can genuinely create stunning designs that draw people’s attention. By skillfully balancing positive and negative space, designers can create compositions that are visually compelling and dynamic, capturing the viewer’s interest and imagination. The principles of design are fundamental concepts that guide the arrangement and organization of elements within a visual composition.
By applying these principles, designers ensure that every part of their work contributes to a cohesive whole. This not only enhances the beauty of a design but also boosts its functionality and effectiveness. Understanding and utilizing these design principles is essential for creating compelling and impactful visual communications. The visual art terms separate into the elements and principles of art.
These tools give you a better understanding—and appreciation—of what goes into the designs we see every day. As you become acquainted with them, you’ll start to see what does and doesn’t work (and why), as well as how you can apply these principles to your own creative work. Whether you’re just starting your design career or have been in the design industry for a while, you'll always find something to learn at Uxcel. When selecting and arranging typefaces in designs, designers should consider different factors like legibility, readability, hierarchy, contrast, and alignment. Discover the psychological aspects of color and learn how to use it to create a more delightful user experience with our Color Psychology course. Overall, the purpose of white space in design is to help create a sense of order and clarity.
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