Debbie Armbruster
Alumna Team Member
Debbie is excited about working with people to find the “why” underneath the “what” of their vision. In her spare time, she is an avid reader—she once hit the library limit of 125 books checked out at a time!
In our first post, Design for Non-Designers: Intro to Terms, Part 1 we spoke about the first 5 of the 12 basic principles of design. We continue with the next 6 principles in this post. If you’ve found yourself in a situation where you need to create something from nothing, and you feel ill-equipped, we hope these two posts give you a foundation on what to do next.
If no aspect of a design was repeated, the composition would likely feel chaotic. Imagine reading a newspaper that used a different typeface for every article! Repetition of some, but not all design elements, creates a sense of continuity and cohesion in a composition, allowing the viewer to feel at ease.
While we are all aware that the typefaces and fonts used in a design serve the important function of communicating a written message, we might not consider that they also communicate a style, tone, and attitude as well. Typography is the art of selecting the size, spacing, and style of type that will most effectively convey not just the message, but also the spirit of the message. You may not have thought about it before, but typography plays a big role in our ability to recognize brands we encounter. Give this quick typography quiz a whirl!
Proximity in design creates a sense of organization. Additionally, proximity makes it easier for the viewer to take in and remember visual information because it is already arranged in a way that is visually appealing.
Alignment is pretty self-explanatory. It’s the little detail that makes a big impact, and creates a polished and professional-looking final product. Often designers will use grids with varying numbers of rows and columns to help assure that design elements are aligned.
This kind of movement is not about the actual elements of the design appearing to move, but about manipulating each element of the design so that the reader is naturally, but intentionally, led from place to place. Usually, the viewer is drawn to the focal point of the design and is led by elements such as lines, shapes, and colors through the entire composition, hopefully exiting without getting stuck anywhere in the design.
Consistency makes a reader feel at ease. Consistent design assures that the viewer’s experience will be similar no matter what piece of communication he encounters from your organization. For example, consistent color schemes are an important part of branding. If, for example, we were to receive Chick-fil-A coupons in the mail with blue typeface rather than the usual red and white, we would be taken aback. Consistency eliminates confusion because it reduces the amount of new information the reader’s brain has to process.
When all these elements are used together to create a whole design that communicates an idea, designers call it a composition. How that idea is communicated is determined by the particular layout or arrangement of elements on a page. Regardless of the form your visual communication takes, the goal is a visual design that captures your viewer’s attention and effectively communicates your message in a clear and simple manner.
Whew! That was a whirlwind tour of the elements of design. While this is only a starting place, our hope is that this introduction will increase your awareness of and appreciation for what makes for an effective visual composition. Armed with this basic understanding, you can better evaluate designs you see and like, as well as your own communications, to figure out what’s working well and what might be missing. Here’s to excellent designing!
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the design process and would like some help developing effective marketing and communication tools, we’re always happy to help! Contact us, and we’ll set up a meeting to discuss how we might partner with you to move your mission forward.
