Before you can effectively communicate visually to your audience, you need to know the basic principles of graphic design. These graphic design principles are the prerequisites that every designer should know before he can achieve creating an effective and attractive visual composition.
Just like every other discipline out there with its various rules guiding them, graphic design isn’t an exemption. It has principles that must be followed if you want to achieve stunning design composition.
Infact, it is upon these graphic design rules that every uniquely made graphic design project is built. Without these rules, the design tends to be weak and ineffective.
What are the 8 basic principles of graphic design?
- Contrast
- Balance
- Alignment
- Proximity
- Hierarchy
- Repetition
- Negative space Or White Space
- Rhythm
Contrast
When two or more elements in a composition have an opposite interaction with each other, then we can see them to have contrast. The contrast between two or more elements is the primary way of standing out. Contrast uses different attributes to showcase itself in an image or composition. There can be contrast in color, size, value, type, etc.
Contrast helps elements in a composition stand out from each other as result enhances readability and legibility. The foreground and background elements in your composition need to oppose each in terms of color, text, or value.
This way the reader could easily identify one element from the other and also know the elements that are more important than the other. Applying contrast to your composition is a clever way you can use to lay emphasis or create a focal point that you really want the reader’s eye to see.
Contrast is one important tactic used when designing posters or flyers containing various information. Especially for movie posters, attention can be made on the protagonist or the main character of the movie by applying contrast between the character and every other element in the image.
This could be by using contrasting colors, values, text, or even negative space.
Balance
Remember how you feel when you climb on a seesaw with your friend and as you swing up and down, and you both become lopsided, that unbalanced feeling also happens in graphic design. Infact, balance is one of the basic principles of graphic design that can’t be hidden.
It will definitely reveal itself and make the design ineffective when not done right. The principle of balance provides visual stability to the design.
There are three types of balance:
- Radial balance
- Symmetrical or formal balance
- Asymmetrical or informal balance
Radial balance
Radial balance is symmetry in multiple directions. It is the arrangement of elements in an image or composition around a central convergence point. Thus, creating an interesting circular illusion of depth and visual motion in an image.
A typical example of this type of balance could be found in our everyday life viz flowers, spiral staircases, and bicycle spokes.
Symmetrical balance (formal balance)
Symmetrical balance is the equal distribution of elements in a composition or an image. It is one of the commonly used types of balance in art which is characterized by simply duplicating elements and distributing them to be centered across the axis.
This is described as having a horizontal or vertical mirror reflection. This form of symmetry can be found in logo design and also on the human face.
Symmetrical balance and radial balance are visually appealing and widely used widely spread across all civilizations. However, when they are used too much they become predictable, tedious and visually uninteresting.
Asymmetrical balance (informal balance)
It is referred to as informal balance for a reason and that is because it breaks the rule of balance. Asymmetrical balance is achieved by deliberately transferring most of the visual weight of a composition to one side.
This is achieved by creating an imaginary center point and placing the basic elements of your composition to one side, this way, elements defy the attribute of mirroring.
While the asymmetrical balance creates a sense of imbalance to viewers because of its unequal distribution of graphic elements, it is seen as the most interesting type of balance because of its lack of tediousness and predictive mirroring.
Alignment
Alignment is the arrangement of various graphic design elements in relation to the border and edges of your canvas. Alignment is subtly distinct from balance, However, they generally try to achieve the same primary function.
Alignment is one of the basic graphic design rules that is often undervalue but can be effective on your design when applied properly.
On our various graphic design software, we are familiar with left alignment which is set by default. However, there are other interesting available alignment options that can help achieve an interesting visual.
arrangement.
These are the four types of visual alignment:
- Left alignment
- Right alignment
- Center alignment
- Justified alignment
Left alignment
This type of alignment positions text or elements to the left margin of a document or design. It creates a clean, organized look that is easy to read and is commonly used in many types of documents.
Right alignment
This type of alignment positions text or elements to the right margin of a document or design. It can be used to create a more formal, traditional look, and is often used in business documents, such as invoices or contracts.
Center alignment
This type of alignment positions text or elements in the center of a document or design. It is often used for headings or titles and can create a sense of balance and symmetry.
Justified alignment
This type of alignment positions text so that it is aligned with both the left and right margins of a document or design. This creates a neat, uniform appearance that can be easier to read, particularly for longer blocks of text. However, it can sometimes create awkward spacing between words or lines.
Proximity
The closeness of elements in an image or composition can tell the viewer the relationship between them.
Proximity is one of the basic principles of graphic design that play a very big role in telling the reader that elements that are close to each other are of the same group while separated elements are of a different group.
Basically, the closer the proximity, the stronger the relationship between items. The farther the proximity, the weaker the relationship.
Proximity is an important aspect of graphic design because it helps to create a visual hierarchy, which allows viewers to quickly and easily understand the relationships between different elements in a design.
When elements are grouped together based on their relationship to each other, it helps to create a sense of organization and coherence in the design.
Hierarchy
Graphic is the skillful art and craft of professionally using visual elements to send a message or information to an audience. It is also true that elements on an artboard have various levels of importance attributed to them, which is why you should make the key elements you want your audience to pay attention to be clearly visible.
Hierarchy in graphics uses other principles of graphic design to achieve its goal on a piece: Viz color, value, emphasis, contrast, and typography. It uses the elements and principles of graphic design to emphasize the importance in a design, it arrests the viewer’s attention from point A to point B, thus helping the viewer to satisfyingly assimilate the information in the design.
Repetition
Repetition is the recurring usage of an element over and over in a composition or throughout a design layout which as a result create a sense of coherence and consistency across your design. When design elements are coherently sprinkled around your design, it validates the sense of unity and coherence in your composition.
For instance, the ideal number of font usage in a design is 2-3 fonts. When a particular font is sprinkled around your design and used for maybe a descriptive purpose or used as a body text in several places, the reader could easily remember and tell its purpose when seen in another area of the design.
Repetition could be applied using various elements: shapes, images, or even patterns. Repetition is a clever way to draw attention to a particular area of your design, achieve realism, or create an emotional reaction.
Negative or White Space
Firstly, Space is the usable area in your design canvas where graphic design elements are put together to create a composition. But we also have negative as we graphic designers know it.
But wait a minute, hope you aren’t thinking it’s a space that is negative or necessarily has to be white. However, negative space is the space that surrounds your design that has no elements on them. This included the tiny spaces between the letters in your composition.
Negative space is considered as one of the most effective basic principles of graphic design that is capable of performing wonders in your composition. They can be used on posters to create illusion, on logos, flyers and we can also be used on texts too.
Before we move on it is worth knowing that there are two types of negative space in graphic design:
- Passive space
- Active space
Passive space
This is the type of space between elements in your design that ordinarily draws the viewer’s eye to flow naturally with the elements. It has no deliberate intent to impact actively on the general look of the design.
Active space
On the other hand, we have active white space which is a larger segment of the negative space. The active spaces on your canvas are spaces that are deliberately crafted to emphasize or draw attention to a particular idea. This type of space significantly enhances a particular area or item in your image to stand out.
Rhythm
In graphic design, rhythm refers to the repetition or alternation of visual elements, such as colors, shapes, textures, lines, and patterns, to create a sense of movement and flow within a composition. Just like in music, where rhythm refers to the pattern of sounds and beats that create a sense of tempo and harmony, rhythm in graphic design helps to unify different elements and create a cohesive design.
There are different types of rhythm in graphic design, such as:
- Regular rhythm
- Progressive rhythm
- Random rhythm
- Flowing rhythm
- Interrupted rhythm
- Alternating rhythm
Regular rhythm
In this type of rhythm, visual elements are repeated at equal intervals, creating a predictable pattern that can be used to establish a sense of order and structure within the design.
Progressive rhythm
In progressive rhythm, the visual elements are repeated but in a way that gradually changes or increases over time, creating a sense of growth or development within the composition.
Random rhythm
As the name suggests, random rhythm involves the use of visual elements that are arranged in a seemingly random pattern, without any specific order or repetition.
Flowing rhythm
This type of rhythm involves the use of curved or flowing lines and shapes to create a sense of movement and continuity within the design.
Interrupted rhythm
In this type of rhythm, there is a deliberate interruption or break in the pattern of visual elements, which can be used to create contrast or draw attention to a particular area of the design.
Alternating rhythm
Alternating rhythm involves the use of two or more different visual elements that are repeated in a pattern, creating a sense of variety and interest within the composition.
Rhythm is an important aspect of graphic design, as it can add interest and dynamism to composition, and make it more visually engaging and memorable.
The use of rhythm can also create a sense of hierarchy, emphasizing certain elements over others, and guiding the viewer’s eye through the design.