First impression of design: the most important feature goes in the center. Problem with said impression: zero movement, static design, and lacks imagination. Finding this out hurt me because it seemed so obvious; center of attention works every time. Except for the few who excel at great central designs, designers avoid the center. So, where else do you put the important information?
Out of all the design tools I’ve learned about so far, the Rule of Thirds is a must for any tool belt. This simple tool has multiple variations and is perfect for making any project ten times better. But first, I should probably explain what it is, how to use it, and give a few examples.
What is the Rule of Thirds?
The Rule of Thirds uses a grid. Divide the canvas, physical or digital, into three sections vertically and horizontally. I’ve used this method for increasing the size of a project, but the primary use is finding the hot spots on your canvas.
A hot spot is a focal point. They attract the eye more because of the intersection between columns/rows. These focal points can be used to structure photography and graphics for interesting layouts.
How to Use it
These hot spots are the perfect place for important info. But simply using one is still lackluster. That’s why there’s four to play with and tons of combinations. The following are the ones I’ve used and prefer:
Feel free to experiment. Hot spots can be combined in many different ways. These are the most common and are easy to spot. Their placement can be shifted from these points.
Examples
I just finished my final comic for Sequential Art class and my main focus was creating as much impact in each panel as possible. I used the rule of thirds to plan out panels like these in Flight of Wright. The first panel shown (second panel on Page 1) was originally focused as two hot spots on the Wright brothers, but I found a third on the bike. Second panel shown has the two brothers focused on the alternate pairs.
Next up is a social media post I did a few months ago. I was quite proud of this because I was able to line up all my elements so they fit on a Rule of Thirds grid. Most important thing to note here is the movement from the bear to the book to the chocolate. Hierarchy of scale plays as big a role as thirds.
Since things should be in threes, I have another project that ended up becoming a rough circular layout. Despite some bad judgement in regards to creating depth through values, the figures are individual spots that form a circle. At least three sit on an actual hot spot, but two works also.
Final Thoughts
The Rule of Thirds didn’t come onto my radar until freshman year at SCAD. By then, I’d played with a few projects and ideas that used this method. Similar to how I only just realized the placement of the bike in Flight of Wright, you’ve probably dabbled in this method unintentionally. Imagine what you can create now that you know. Intention strengthens a design more and gives the opportunity for growth and discovery.
