Before I get started, note that this list is what I learned at Savannah College of Art and Design. I don’t have the book anymore, but I took detailed notes and have been working with each of these since my first design class. Believe me, none of these are my idea; I still struggle with most of the list, but agree that each principle is super helpful.
With that out of the way, let me take you back to when I was introduced to graphic design. I had a billion questions, the most asked being “what is it?” In simple terms, everything. Posters, billboards, graphs, banners, labels, images, etc. All of it is graphic design. And it has many forms, from shapes to fonts.
Beginning of my graphic design journey, I had a thousand ideas and wanted to fill every space. Kinda like a coloring book. But where “graphic” describes the imagery, “design” has a meaning as well. Slapping type on a picture doesn’t necessarily make a graphic design image. It’s a graphic, but not quite designed. To implement the design, there’s 7 principles you need to account for.
Movement/Direction
My family used to do ski trips in Vermont. Rather than fly, we drove from Florida to Vermont over a two-day period. Between the start and stop points, we detoured to a city and took a tour of the area. One trip was Washington D.C. Another was New York and Liberty Island.
Now, imagine design as a road trip. The viewer locks onto the starting point, usually the focal or visually closest object. The viewer will stay at the starting point unless an end point and some “landmarks” are added. These objects within the design will then create movement, taking the viewer on a journey throughout the piece.
Balance
This second principle is small, but very important when it comes to visual appeal. For this point, think of scales. A proper design will be even on both sides of the image. What’s being weighed? Visual imagery.
Text, shapes, color. All of it has visual weight. That’s why a simple board with text on one side and a picture on the other is more appealing than either of those sides being empty. Whatever the design, the visual weight needs to be even throughout. Otherwise, it looks lopsided and unflattering.
Rhythm
All good songs have a rhythm, something that holds the words and instrumental crescendos together into one cohesive piece. Usually it’s a repetition of certain sounds, but its always present.
Design has rhythm. From my class notes, rhythm is variation between strong and weak features. Recurrence or repetition is expected in this form. Rhythm can be created by using a color or shape. The form varies, but rhythm connects the entire design.
Emphasis
Remember when I talked about a focal point in movement? Emphasis is what makes the focal point the main focus. Best example is the zoom on a camera. When taking a picture, the zoom will focus on either the closest subject or most centered, leaving the rest blurred. By manually adjusting the zoom, the focal can be changed to something in the background or off to the side.
Emphasis gives preferential treatment to an object in the picture plane. I learned quickly that the best focal is off to the side rather than dead center. No matter where it is, the focal is the first thing someone sees and starts the movement.
Economy
Economy is my design nemesis. I’ve had to retrain my brain because my original design process opposed economy when I really needed it.
Consider a sticky note. When writing a note, only the important information can fit on the surface (unless you write small enough to fit a short story). There’s no room for rabbit trails and extensive grammar. Only the necessities and some smiley faces fit.
Economy is measured restraint, meaning no extra froo-froo. A design, especially for an advertisement, needs to stay on topic and cover the basic information required. Though there might be some space left-over, that’s not room for rabbit trails and over-zealous detailing. That’s breathing room. Don’t overdo the design.
Variety
Any good rainbow is a combination of multiple colors. They all come together in one beautiful ray of light.
Variety is the same way. The elements of design are line, shape, value, texture, color, illusion of depth, and illusion of motion. Combining these in a design creates variety. Repetition is good, but there needs to be some variance in design as well.
Unity
Our last example lies in Chicago. If you’ve never been to downtown Chicago, I suggest looking up pictures of the waterfront. A river runs through the city with tall skyscrapers on either side and bridges across the water. I took a river tour one time and learned about all the intricacies that made such a huge building. For starters, the winds are powerful near the top, so there’s a water system beneath that balances the whole building and prevents swaying. One structure protruded over the water in order to have more square footage.
Each individual part, the balancing system, outer skeletal structure, and curtain walls, create one extravagant whole. That’s unity. When all pieces come together and dissolve into one piece, unity is achieved. No one will see the balancing system, but it still plays a part. No piece is insignificant, so pay attention to each principle and element.
