Design Principles

1. Design Principles Additional Information

2. Six Principles of Design 1.Balance 2.Proximity/unity 3.Alignment 4.Repetition/consistency 5.Contrast 6.White space

3. Balance • Graphics don’t overpower text • Page is not too heavy on one side or the other • Putting matching text boxes at the top and bottom of a publication

4. Proximity and Unity • Distance: • used to demonstrate a relationship or lack thereof • Example: captions on images

5. Proximity and Unity Examples

6. Alignment • Justification of elements • Related items should be justified the same to emphasize their relationship to each other • Example: the text giving the location, date, time, and cost of an event are all CENTERED on a flyer

8. Alignment Examples

9. Repetition and Consistency Three Rules: • Specific font, size, and style for headings, subheadings, and body text. • Do not mix photographic images or digital and cartoon images on the same page. • Consistent pattern of font, color schemes, and graphic types Scheme - a planned combination of elements, such as a combination of font styles and sizes

10. Repetition and Consistency Examples

11. Contrast • The use of color and size to emphasize the most important elements on a page • For example: • Use black fonton a light coloredpage • Use white fonton black paper • Use light grayon dark blue

12. Contrast Examples

13. White Space • White space is: blank or negative space on a page • Used to give the reader’s eyes a break • Used to focus the reader’s attention on important details • White Space does not have to be white • Examples of White Space: • Using wide margins to create white space • An example of poor use of white space: putting text boxes in the margins of a publication

14. White Space Examples