Podcast #3 Principles of Design

Define principles of design?
concepts used to arrange the structural elements of a composition
 

What do the principles of design affect?
the expressive content or the message of the work
 

What is the principle of repetition?

 repeating some aspect or element of the design through the entire document

Describe ways that the principle of repetition helps the composition/audience?
acts as a visual key that ties your piece together, controls the reader's eye and helps their attention on the piece
 

What are ways that you can incorporate repetition into your designs?

works with patterns to make a composition seem active, repeating design elements help the viewer navigate through the piece, helps unify and strengthen by tying together seperate parts
 

What should you avoid when working with repetition?
not to repeat so much that it becomes annoying and overwhelming
 

What is the principle of proportion/scale?
relative size and scale of the various elements in a design
 

What is the most universal standard of measure when judging size?
human body, we judge appropriateness of ize by that measure
 

How can the principle of proportion/scale be used as an attention getter?
unusual or unexpected scales
 

What is the principle of balance?
distribution of heavy and light elements on the page
 

Which kinds of elements/shapes visually weigh heavier/greater?
large elements look heavier than small elements
 

What is another name for symmetrical balance?
formal balance
 

Define symmetrical balance?
 when there are identical elements on both sides of the axis

What is another name for asymmetrical balance?
informal balance
 

Define asymmetrical balance?
both sides of central axis are not identical
 

What is the principle of emphasis?
stressing of a particular are of focus rather than the maze of details of equal importance
 

What happens to a design that has no focus?
nothing stands out
 

What is a focal point and how is it created?
creates a center of interest, created by making one element dominant with all other areas contributing but subordinate
 

How many components of a composition can be a focal point?
just one
 

What ways can emphasis be created in a design?
contrasting the primary element with a subordinate; or by sudden change in direction, size, shape, texture, color, tone, and line.
 

What is the principle of unity?

"wholeness" feeling that all elements belong together
 

What three ways can unity be obtained?
1. put objects close to each other

2. make things similar (texture, color, shapes)

3. direct vision by using a line that travels around the design
 

What is the principle of variety?
pertains to the differences and diversity its what makes a work of art interesting
 

What ways can a designer add variety to a design?
can vary textures, colors, and shapes. altering their contrast, tone, and intensity
 

Why is it important to find the right balance between unity and variety?
too much unity can be boring, but too much variety can be crazy
 

What is figure?
shape
 

What is another name for figure?
positive space
 

What is ground?
surrounding area around figure
 

What is another name for ground?
negative space
 

When a composition is abstract (has no recognizable subject) what will the figure depend on? What does that mean?

balancing figure and ground can make the image clearer
 

Why must a designer consider the composition as a whole?
the relationship is so important.  it is a mistake to only plan the figure.
 

What is the principle of rhythm?
organized movement in space and time
 

How is rhythm achieved?
helps move the viewers eyes through layout
 

What three ways can rhythm occur in a design?
1. when elements are similar in shape and size or length

2. with a more organic , flowing sense of movement

3. sequence of shapes through a progression of steps

How does rhythm help a composition/design?
help deliver the message by controlling the viewers eye movement, also adds life and interaction to an otherwise inanimate page layout
 

What is the principle of contrast?
occurs when two related elements are different
 

How can contrast help a design?
can draw the viewers eye, adds visual interest
 

What is wrong with having too much or too little contrast in a design?
too less contrast can become boring, but too much contrast can become confusing
 

What is the key to working with contrast?
to make sure the difference is obvious
 

What are some common ways of creating contrast?

creating differences in size, value, color, size, texture, shape, and movement