Last updated on October 5th, 2021
Principles of design are vital to creating a memorable design. Without these basic rules, designers will go directionless and will fail to yield the desired results for clients. A hallmark of great design is that it incorporates all rules of designing a piece in proportion.
Balance is the basic principle of design. This rule, for instance, implies that a large shape should be balanced with a smaller one. Similarly, a dark shape should be balanced with a small dark toned shape. Gradation is another rule that designers must follow. This principle means that the elements of graphic design should be placed in a systematic way. For instance, gradation of colors should be from warm colors to cool and tone of colors should be from dark to light.
Similarly, repetition is another principle that designers must keep in mind. But repetition must come with variation of size and shape to escape from being monotonous. So, if a design repeats square shapes they should preferably come with different colors, shades etc. Contrast is another rule to follow and it is about juxtaposing of elements that are opposite in nature. You can achieve contrast in color, direction etc, however, contrast should be reasonable and to an extent only.
Keep harmony also in mind as a rule so that you can create a satisfying effect by combining related elements. For instance, you can create adjacent colors on a wheel. Unity is another valuable principle of design. This rule helps in visually linking several design elements in a work. You need to relate the elements of colors, shape, size, fonts etc to the central idea of the design so that whole of the concept expresses itself as one design.