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 throughout the entire document.


Describe ways that the principle of repetition helps the composition/audience?
It acts as a visual key that ties your work together, controls the reader's eye, and helps keep their attention on the piece. It also works with patterns to make a composition seem active.


What are ways that you can incorporate repetition into your designs?
You can use things like a bold font, a thick line, color, and a design element.


What should you avoid when working with repetition?
Repeating things so much that it becomes annoying or overwhelming.


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


What is the most universal standard of measure when judging size?
The human body.


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


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


Which kinds of elements/shapes visually weigh heavier/greater?
Large or irregular elements.


What is another name for symmetrical balance?
Formal balance.


Define symmetrical balance?
When the weight of a composition is evenly distributed around a central vertical or horizontal axis.


What is another name for asymmetrical balance?
Informal balance.


Define asymmetrical balance?
When the weight of the composition is not evenly distributed around the axis.


What is the principle of emphasis?
The stressing of a particular area 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?
By making one element dominant or most important visually.


How many components of a composition can be a focal point?
You can make the focal point brighter, larger, or have more detail than the surrounding area.


What ways can emphasis be created in a design?
By creating a focal point, a sudden change of direction, or contrasting the primary element with it's subordinates.


What is the principle of unity?
Unity is the "wholeness" of a composition.



What three ways can unity be obtained?
1. Put objects close to each other in a composition.

2. Make things similar.

3. Direct vision by a line that travels around the composition.

What is the principle of variety?
The differences and diversity in a design.


What ways can a designer add variety to a design?
An artist can very texture, shape, and color and alter their contrast, tone, and intensity.

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


What is figure?
Figure is a form, silhouette, or shape.

What is another name for figure?
The positive shape.


What is ground?
The surrounding area around the positive shape.


What is another name for ground?
The negative space.


When a composition is abstract (has no recognizable subject) what will the figure depend on? What does that mean?
The abstract relationship between visual elements. It is not as effective at drawing the audience to a certain point so they may get lost in the design.


Why must a designer consider the composition as a whole?
They have to see how the negative and positive space interact well together.


What is the principle of rhythm?
rhythm is the continuity, recurrence, or organized movement in space and time.


How is rhythm achieved?
Orderly repetition of any element, line, shape, value, tone, or texture.


What three ways can rhythm occur in a design?
1. When the intervals between the elements are similar in size or length.

2. With a more organic or flowing sense of movement.

3. With a sequence of shapes through a progression of steps.

How does rhythm help a composition/design?
Rhythm can control the viewers eye movement. It can add life and interaction to an otherwise inanimate page layout.

What is the principle of contrast?
When two related elements are different.


How can contrast help a design?
It can draw the viewers eye into the piece and help guide the viewer through it. It also adds visual interest.


What is wrong with having too much or too little contrast in a design?
The design becomes boring if there is too little and too much can be confusing.


What is the key to working with contrast?
Too make sure the differences are obvious.


What are some common ways of creating contrast?
You can create contrast by creating differences in size, value, color, direction, etc.