PROF. ARC.

IBRAHIM ABUBAKAR ALKALI

 Principles of design
• Balance
• Rythm
• Variety
• Unity
• Alignment
• Proximity
• Contrast
• Repetition
• Hierarchy
• Proportion
• Emphasis
• Harmony
Balance
 Balance gives a design its form and stability and helps to distribute
the elements evenly throughout your design; this even spacing will
offer an appearance that is professional and attractive instead of
being jumbled and messy. Balance doesn’t mean elements need to
be the same size, or that they must be distributed evenly across the
page
— it can be symmetrical or asymmetrical.
Symmetrical balance weights
the elements evenly on
either sides of the design,
In symmetrical balance, if an imaginary line is
drawn through the center of the work, both
sides are exactly the same, and balanced in
that way
 Asymmetrical uses contrast to even out the flow of design
(i.e. dark elements are balanced out by light ones).
In asymmetrical balance, the two sides are not identical, but differ from one another.
However, the elements are arranged so that there is a sense of balance.
 Rhythm
Movement or variation characterized by the regular recurrence or alter
nation of different quantities or conditions
 VARIETY
• When two or more
different elements of
design are used to add
interest to a design

• Variety can be achieved

by combining different
style and materials, as
long as they are
compatible

Variety means adding a change to disrupt the monotony of a

composition. It creates visual interest in design. Variety can be achieved
through a number of different factors, listed as
• Repetition and rhythm – unpredictable patterns on design
• Line – different lengths and weights
• Shape and scale – changing up the look of some elements
• Color/Hue – using diversity in the color tones and hues
 With the use of variety in your
design, you can quickly save it from
becoming boring and monotonous.
You can draw attention and entice
your audience with a few simple
It creates visual interest and energy.
changes.
Let’s take a look at this easy
diagram.

1.Variety holds the viewer’s attention on your design.

2.It guides the user’s eye through and around your work.
3.It shows contrast in your design.
4.It adds diversity and prevents your design from getting dull.
5.You are able to direct the user’s attention to the most relevant
aspects of the design.
 Unity
• Unity in a composition is achieved when all of the design principles (balance,
emphasis, proportion, contrast and movement) have been correctly applied and
there is harmony between them.
• Everything selected for use in a composition must complement the key theme
and must also serve some functional purpose within the design.
• Achieving unity in your compositions will only result from practicing, knowing
and selecting the right visual elements and using the best principles of design to
Unity, sometimes referred to as
relate them.
harmony, is the hallmark of a good
design. It's the final result in a
composition when all the design
elements work harmoniously together
giving the viewer a satisfying sense of
belonging; You know unity has been
achieved when all aspects of the
design complement one another
rather than compete for attention. It
serves to reinforce the relationship
between the design elements and
Unity creates a sense of order.
When a design possesses unity
there will be a consistency of sizes
and shapes, as well as a harmony of
colour and pattern. One way this is
accomplished is by repeating the
key elements, balancing them
throughout the composition, and
then adding a little variety so that
the design has its own sense of
personality. Learning to juggle the
elements and principles in such a
way as to achieve the right mix is a
key to good design.
 When Unity is Achieved

• The The individual elements within a

composition will not be competing for attention
• The Key Theme will becommunicated more
clearly
• The design will evoke a sense of completeness
and organization
 Alignment
Alignment refers to placing design elements on a page so they line up. It helps
to create order, organize your elements, create visual connections, and improve
the readability of your design.
There are three types of alignment:
• Vertical,
• Horizontal
• Diagonal
• Different ways of alignment make different effects and designers
should be careful about alignments when they are adding and placing
elements
• In cases of vertical alignment, elements located on the top are usually
perceived as more important
 Proximity
Humans have an innate tendency to organize images and design
elements into logical groups. The design principle of proximity
formalizes this natural inclination and is a valuable tool for helping
graphic designers arrange information in a way that can be easily
communicated to readers.
• The principle of proximity suggests that designers should visually group
similar or related items together to emphasize their relationship.

• Grouping like items and separating unlike

items reduces design clutter, allowing
designers to create a more organized layout
with a clearer information hierarchy. As
such, proximity has a significant impact on
your design’s readability, as well as the
quality of the experience your reader has
when viewing your design.
How to Implement the Principle of Proximity

1. Grouping
Grouping is the cornerstone of the proximity principle. Organizing similar information
and separating dissimilar information improves the readability of your design, and it
also creates white space between your groups.

2. Embrace White Space

“White space”, also known as “negative space”, refers to the areas of your design that
do not contain content. Basically, white space is the space between grouped elements
in your designs. These spaces prevent your design from appearing over-crowded, and
they help guide your reader’s eye towards key information by contributing to your
visual hierarchy.
3. Create a Visual Hierarchy
Grouping like elements together and creating white space will help you build a visual
hierarchy within your design. Your visual hierarchy will organize relevant information and
improve your design’s flow and readability.
4. Use a Grid
Grids give you a guideline for where to place grouped elements within
your design. They also ensure that you leave an appropriate amount of
white space between design elements.

5. Pay Attention to Distant

Elements
In design, the significance of
proximity becomes even more
apparent when examining the
phenomenon of overlooked
elements. When users fail to notice
a link, button, or vital information
despite its immediate presence, the
culprit often lies in the absence of
proper proximity.
 Contrast
The state of being strikingly different from
something else in juxtaposition or close
association.
• Contrasting a certain element from
others makes it easier to find.
• Contrast also contributes to the
creation of mood

There are multiple ways to achieve contrast.

• One way to make contrast is to use

substantially different colors.
• Another way to achieve contrast is to
use objects of different sizes.

Texture and lines are other opportunities to

create contrast
 Repetition

The principle of repetition simply means the reuse of the same or similar elements
throughout your design. Repetition of certain design elements in a design will bring
a clear sense of unity,

• Repetition is an important design

basic because it helps
strengthen the overall look of
the design. It also ties together
different elements to help them
remain organized and more
consistent.
• Consistency and repetition is especially important in branding because you
want your particular look to be instantly recognizable.
Hierarchy
When you have multiple elements
in a design, you want to make sure
you’re giving extra weight visually
to your most important
message. This is called hierarchy
and it can be accomplished in a
variety of ways—placing your most
important message physically
higher than other pieces of
information, or using shapes to
frame the focal point. Utilizing this
principle in your design starts with your
message first and the goals of your design.
 PROPORTION

Proportion refers to size differences. So that this principle of design is better

understood, when looking at artwork, always pair proportion with scale.

There are three (3) ways to see a sense of proportion.

Forms within the same work of art can be in proportion or out of proportion from
one another.

The scale is what determines whether the forms are larger or smaller than other
forms seen in the work.
The ways in which to see a sense of proportion:

1. between separate parts of a whole object.

2. between an object & its surroundings.

3. between 2 or more objects meant

to be read as a whole unit.
 EMPHASIS
It means having a focal point for your graphic artwork. In the image, it
can be any shape, object, or text area that you deem to be the most
important part of the message. For the viewer, it takes less than a
second for their eye to be drawn to it when they first see your graphic
image. There are several techniques for making this work.
When talking about these terms as design
principles, emphasis is sometimes referred to
as dominance. Emphasis is what designers use
to draw the eye of the reader to specific
elements.

You can use this principle not just to call

attention to important material, but to ensure
the visuals follow other design principles,
like hierarchy, balance and proportion.
 HARMONY
Harmony is the visually satisfying effect of combining similar or
related elements.
Why is emphasis
important?

Emphasis matters
because humans are
naturally distractible,
and our attention can
be drawn to many
different places at
once. Without
emphasis, the eye
wouldn’t know where to
land or what
information the
designer felt was most
important.