Table of Contents
Some combinations of design elements (line, shape, colour, texture, and space) work better than others. Here are some guidelines to help you understand why some combinations work and others do not work as well. These guidelines—rhythm, proportion, emphasis, balance, and unity—are the principles of design.
Rhythm
You have felt the rhythm of the music. Rhythm is also a part of things you see. It allows the eye to move from one part of a design to another part.
Rhythm can be created by:
• Repeating a colour, shape, texture, line, or space when designing.
• Varying the size of objects, shapes, or lines in sequence (small to large).
• Using a progression of colours from tints to shades (light blue to dark blue).
• Shifting from one hue to a neighbouring hue (yellow to yellow-orange to orange to red-orange to red).
Proportion
Proportion refers to the relationship between one part of a design and another part or to the whole design. It is a comparison of sizes, shapes, and quantities. For example, the relationship between the vertical and horizontal measurements of a wall hanging may be pleasing because the unequal lengths produce an interesting contrast.
Emphasis
Every design needs an accent—a point of interest. Emphasis is the quality that draws your attention to a certain part of a design first. There are several ways to create emphasis:
• Use a contrasting colour.
• Use a different or unusual line.
• Make a shape very large or very small. • Use a different shape.
• Use plain background space.
Balance
Balance gives a feeling of stability. There are three types of balance.
Symmetrical, or formal balance, is the simplest kind. An item that is symmetrically balanced is the same on both sides. Our bodies are an example of formal balance. If you draw an imaginary line from your head to your toes dividing your body in half, you will be pretty much the same on both sides.
Designs that have a radial balance have a centre point. A tire, pizza, and a daisy flower are all examples of design with radial balance. When you look through a kaleidoscope, everything you see has a radial balance.
Asymmetrical balance creates a feeling of equal weight on both sides, even though the sides do not look the same. Asymmetrical designs also are called informal designs because they suggest movement and spontaneity. Asymmetrical balance is the hardest type of balance to achieve and often takes experimenting or moving elements around until the balance is achieved.
Unity
When things look right together, you have created unity or harmony. Lines and shapes that repeat each other show unity (curved lines with curved shapes). Colors that have a common hue are harmonious. Textures that have a similar feel add to unity. But too much uniformity sometimes can be boring. At the same time, too much variety destroys unity.