Basic Principles of Graphic Design

 

Let’s understand the ten basic design principles that will help you create stunning graphics.

01. Balance

Balance lends stability and structure to an overall design. To understand it better, think that there’s weight behind each of your design elements. Shapes, text boxes, and images are the elements that form your design.

02. Proximity

Proximity helps in creating a relationship between similar or related elements. These elements need not be grouped, instead, they should be visually connected by way of font, color, size, etc.

03. Alignment

Alignment plays a pivotal role in creating a seamless visual connection with the design elements. It gives an ordered appearance to images, shapes, and blocks of texts by eliminating elements placed in a disheveled manner.

04. Visual Hierarchy

A hierarchy is formed when extra visual weight is given to the most important element or message in your design. It can be achieved in various ways, using larger or bolder fonts to highlight the title, placing the key message higher than the other design elements.

05. Repetition

Repetition is a fundamental design element, especially when it comes to branding. It creates a rhythm and strengthens the overall design by tying together consistent elements such as logo and color palette, making the brand or design instantly recognizable to viewers.

06. Contrast

Contrast happens when there is a difference between the two opposing design elements. The most common types of contrast are dark vs. light, contemporary vs. old-fashioned, large vs. small, etc.

07. Color

Color is an important design basic and it dictates the overall mood of a design. The colors you pick represent your brand and its tonality, so be careful with the palette you choose.

08. Negative Space

We’ve discussed the importance of colors, images, and shapes, but what about the space that is left blank? It is called the ‘negative space’.

09. Typography

Typography is one of the key pillars of design, and it speaks volumes about a brand or an artwork when executed stylistically or even customized. Sometimes, ‘type’ is all you need to showcase your design concept.

10. Rules

Once you’re an adept graphic designer who understands the foundations of design, then it’s time to break some of those rules. And, by that, I don’t mean, use pixelated images or an illegible font type.