Principles of Visual Design 2720 Principles of Visual Design LCC 2720 Instructor: Brian Schrank...

Principles of Visual Design 2720

Principles of Visual Design LCC 2720Instructor: Brian Schrank

Intro to Design


What is Design?


Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as to accomplish a particular purpose.

-Charles Eames


Architectural Design


Children’s Book Illustration


Design is like Beauty

Beauty—the adjustment of parts so that one cannot add, subtract or change them without impairing the harmony of the whole.

—Leon Battista Alberti


Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

—Antoine de St-Exupery

Design is like Beauty


Soooo... is design like art, then?


Absolutely Not!


Art is broader than design.

Art questions its own purpose.

Design only serves a purpose.

Absolutely Not!


Soooo... art is… um, crap?


Art is broader than design.Art questions itself.Art breaks design rules.


Design

Art


Art breaks design rules.

William Blake was a sloppy designer with awkward compositions and distracting choices of cropping and framing...

But he was a brilliant artist in his ability to transcribe his vision.


William Blake was a sloppy designer with awkward compositions and distracting choices of cropping and framing...

But he was a brilliant artist in his ability to transcribe his vision.

Art breaks design rules.


Design is about clearly leading the audience toward your

predetermined conclusion.


Good Design versus Bad Design


Good Design versus Bad Design

Good DesignAchieves its Objective

Bad DesignFails its Objective


Good Design is Relative to Audience


All Design Serves a Purpose—although its purpose will vary:


All Design Serves a Purpose—although its purpose will vary:

MajestyAusterity


What are the rules of design?


Basic Rules of Design:

• Contrast

• Repetition

• Alignment

• Proximity



• Contrast


Contrast


Tools for Contrast

sizevalue hue orientationtexture shape position


Contrast


Line Contrast


Which uses Contrast Better?


Simple Contrast Complex Contrast

Degrees of Contrast


Avoid elements that are merely similar :

Thinking about contrast


When adding an element think:

“Should I vary this element? If so, how?”




Contrastis the most important rule to master.



• Contrast

• Repetition


RepetitionRepetition brings ORGANIZATION, STRUCTURE, and UNITY.



Repetition


Repetition = Continuance


Repetition creates Texture


Repetition “Drains” Meaning


Even ONE tiny thing behaves like gravity, attracting the eye with extreme force.

Connotation of a dot.


Connotation of a dot.

Even ONE tiny thing behaves like gravity, attracting the eye with extreme force.


With a little repetition… the dots dance around like dust or insects...



• Contrast

• Repetition

• Alignment


Alignment

Do not place elements into your design arbitrarily.

Placement has meaning.

Like Repetition, Alignment pulls Structure together.


Alignment creates perceptual clusters:


Loose AlignmentElements with loose alignment still perceptually group together.


Common Fate


Common Fate

Strong Common Fate

Weak Common FateDifferent Colors and ShapePatternized Spacing


Bad Alignment (no common fate)


Good Alignment (common fate)


When adding a new element to a design think:

Which existing element should I align it with?


nudge… nudge… nudge…

Repetition + Alignment



• Contrast

• Repetition

• Alignment

• Proximity


When elements are next to each other they become one visual unit.

This organizes information, reduces clutter, and creates unity.

Proximity


Proximity allows “Chunking”


Proximity



• Contrast

• Repetition

• Alignment

• Proximity


Once you master the rules….and understand that they are just “crap”…


…know when to break the rules.


Questions

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Principles of Visual Design 2720 Principles of Visual Design LCC 2720 Instructor: Brian Schrank...

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