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COMPUTER GRAPHICS-S3

UNIT 1

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Steve jobs

A design is a construction or activity specification or plan, or the result of that plan in

the form of a prototype, finished product, or process.

In communication process of design is used to bring order from chaos and

randomness. Order is good for readers, who can more easily make sense of an
organized message. An ordered message is therefore considered good design.

Visual design

Visual design is the use of imagery, colour, shapes, typography, and form to enhance
usability and improve the user experience. Visual design as a field has grown out of
both UI design and graphic design.

To create the aesthetic style of product, designer work with fundamental elements of
visual design, arranging them according to principles of design. These elements and
principles together form the building blocks of visual design, and a firm
understanding of them is crucial in creating a visual design of any product.

Elements of Visual Design

The basic elements that combine to create visual designs include the following:

 Linesconnect two points and can be used to help define shapes, make divisions,
and create textures. All lines, if they’re straight, have a length, width, and
direction.
 Shapesare self-contained areas. To define the area, the graphic artist uses lines,
differences in value, color, and/or texture. Every object is composed of shapes.
 Colorpalettechoices and combinations are used to differentiate items, create
depth, add emphasis, and/or help organize information. Color theory examines
how various choices psychologically impact users.
 Texturerefers to how a surface feels or is perceived to feel. By repeating an
element, a texture will be created and a pattern formed. Depending on how a
texture is applied, it may be used strategically to attract or deter attention.
 Typographyrefers to which fonts are chosen, their size, alignment, color, and
spacing.

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 Formapplies to three-dimensional objects and describes their volume and mass.

Form may be created by combining two or more shapes and can be further
enhanced by different tones, textures, and colors.

Principles for Creating a Visual Design

A successful visual design applies the following principles to elements noted above
and effectively brings them together in a way that makes sense. When trying to
figure out how to use the basic elements consider:

 Unityhas to do with all elements on a page visually or conceptually appearing to

belong together. Visual design must strike a balance between unity and variety to
avoid a dull or overwhelming design.
 Gestalt, in visual design, helps users perceive the overall design as opposed to
individual elements. If the design elements are arranged properly, the Gestalt of
the overall design will be very clear.
 Spaceis “defined when something is placed in it”, according to Alex White in his
book,The Elements of Graphic Design.Incorporating space into a design helps
reduce noise, increase readability, and/or create illusion. White space is an
important part of your layout strategy.
 Hierarchyshows the difference in significance between items. Designers often
create hierarchies through different font sizes, colors, and placement on the page.
Usually, items at the top are perceived as most important.
 Balancecreates the perception that there is equal distribution. This does not
always imply that there is symmetry.
 Contrastfocuses on making items stand out by emphasizing differences in size,
color, direction, and other characteristics.
 Scaleidentifies a range of sizes; it creates interest and depth by demonstrating
how each item relates to each other based on size.
 Dominancefocuses on having one element as the focal point and others being
subordinate. This is often done through scaling and contrasting based on size,
color, position, shape, etc.
 Similarityrefers to creating continuity throughout a design without direct
duplication. Similarity is used to make pieces work together over an interface and
help users learn the interface quicker.

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Graphic design

Graphic design as a discipline

Graphic design is a creative visual arts discipline that encompasses many areas. It
may include art direction, typography, page layout, information technology and
other creative aspects

Graphic design takes ideas, concepts, text and images and presents them in a visually
engaging form through print, electronic or other media.

It imposes an order and structure to the content in order to facilitate and ease the
communication process, while optimizing the likelihood that the message will be
received and understood by the target audience. A designer achieves this goal
through the conscious manipulation of elements; a design may be philosophical,
aesthetic, sensory, emotional or political in nature.

Brief History of Graphic Design

 Pre-historic

Graphic design can be traced all the way back to 15,000 BC, when the first known
visual communications arose. The pictographs and symbols are present in the early
man’s caves are the first examples of graphic design. These earliest languages were
logographic—icons represented entire words instead of phonetic sounds. This
suggests a natural ability of humans to use visual representation to communicate
complex ideas, a cornerstone of modern graphic design.

 Chinese printing 200 AD – 1040 AD

China holds most of the records for printing discoveries, including non-papyrus
paper making, woodblock printing, and movable type—all of which occurred earlier
than you might have guessed.

As far back as 200 CE, China used wood reliefs to print and stamp designs on silk
clothes, and later paper. In 1040, Bi Sheng invented the world’s first movable type
printing press out of porcelain, more than 400 years before Gutenberg brought a
similar technology to Europe.

 Medieval calligraphy

In the Middle Ages, typography started to take off as humanity started expanding its
aesthetic horizons into the letters and words themselves. Because texts in this period
were produced and replicated by hand, a little artistry made the books more valuable
and set certain scholars apart from others.

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 European heraldry

Technically, the world’s first logo is the coat of arms, used as a symbol to represent
family houses or territories. Scholars theorize the practice was popularized during the
Crusades, where intermingling soldiers from different countries and houses
incentivized a means to tell everyone apart, particularly on armor and battle flags.

Like logos, a house’s coat of arms aimed to represent the values, characteristics and
styles of the people. Later, these emblems took on more practical purposes, such as
wax seals to reflect authenticity.

The birth of graphic design: Renaissance and Industrial Era

With the advent of the printing press in Europe, humanity was able to recreate text,
art and design on a massive scale, and for relatively cheap. The ancestors of modern
companies—also on the rise—soon took notice of how such visuals could affect
shopping behaviors and increase profits, thus modern graphic design was born.

 Invention of the Gutenberg press – 1439

Johannes Gutenberg brought moveable type to Europe in 1439, introducing mass

communication to Western culture and forever changing civilization. The Gutenberg
press paved the way for more commercial uses of design, which ushered in the era of
graphic design as we know it.

 First logos

It was the printing industry that first used logos, although they were limited to just
marks on their own documents. It wasn’t just a branding device, but also a means to
show off your printing skill—how well your logo was printed reflected how well
everything was printed.

 First print advertisements

1620sThe printing press gave way to the “coranto,” the precursor to the newspaper.
And in the early 1600s, these corantos featured the first printed advertisements.

 chromolithography

Technological advancements continued to fuel the progression of graphic design,

such as the ability to print in color, or chromolithography. While used primarily for
recreating paintings for home decor, chromolithography also opened new doors for
advertising.

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Graphic design in the modern era

Graphic design as we know it today really started developing in the modern era,
roughly the late 1800s up until the end of World War II. While the 19th century was
more about technological advancements and new capabilities, the modern era was
about learning how to exploit these advancements for more artistic aims. With
printing now a common tech and competition fuelling innovation, artists and
designers were pushed to explore new styles and techniques, which quickly trickled
into advertising and branding.

 The Wiener Werkstätte (first graphic design agency) – 1903

With more and more companies recognizing the benefit of graphic design, it was just
a matter of time before the first graphic design agency emerged. That honor belongs
to Austria’s Wiener Werkstätte, an organization who made contributions to design
style and business alike.

Wiener Werkstätte was the first such organization of visual artists, including painters,
architects, and early graphic designers. Organizationally, it set the precedent for all
other collaborative agencies to follow.

 The term “graphic design”

In his article “New Kind of Printing Calls for New Design” (printed in the Boston
Evening Transcript, August 29, 1922), book designer William Addison Dwiggins first
used the term “graphic design” to describe exactly what his role was in structuring
and managing the visuals in book design. From day one, designers were struggling
to explain to non-designers what, exactly, they did.

 Thoughts on Design – 1947

With one foot in modernism and the other in post-modernism, legendary designer
Paul Rand helped lead graphic design into its current form. He posted his theories
and ideologies in the seminal work Thoughts on Design, which largely shaped the
future of the entire graphic design industry.

One of the top designers in history, Paul Rand left his mark on the logos of many
everyday brands. His book candidly explains his design philosophies he used
throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, namely a call for “functional-
aesthetic perfection,” an ideal balance between a logo looking good and

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communicating its points effectively, seen in his popular logo designs for brands like
Ford, Westinghouse, Yale, ABC, UPS, and IBM.

A glimpse into the digital era

From the 1950s onward, the world began its slow approach to the digital era we’re
currently enjoying. The mass-adoption of home computers is a technological
advancement comparable to the invention of the printing press, ushering in a new
age for mass communication and granting access to esoteric art styles and digital
software for new methods of creating art.

Adobe Photoshop—first released in 1990—even on its own changed the face of

graphic design. Photo manipulation created a whole new subcategory of graphic
design, blending together elements of photography, illustration, and CGI.

Tools of Graphic Design

Professional designers possess a creative mind with an artistic inclination, and so

much more. Keen observation skills and analytical thinking are essential tools for
graphic design, before they dig into their physical tool kit and touch pen to paper or
stylus to tablet. Designers employ a variety of methods to combine art and
technology to communicate a particular message and create an impressive visual.

Computers/tab: Computers now occupy an essential place in every designer's tool

kit. Hardware such as tablets allow designers to expand their creative freedom and
maintain that sketchpad feel.

Software: Technology has opened new doors for realizing creative vision. Specialized
software such as Illustrator and Photoshop can help to create illustrations, enhance
photographs, stylize text, and synergize all of the pieces in incredible layouts.

Graphic Design communicates your brand and message visually with impressive
business logos, enchanting brochures, newsletters with impact, and stunning posters.

sketchbook and pencil: Never neglect the artist’s original and most important tool.
Even if your workflow exists completely on your computer, invest in a sketchbook
and a few top-quality pens for your desk so you can take random sketch breaks
throughout the day. Sometimes you’ll find inspiration at random moments outside of
work hours: Keep a portable sketchbook in your pocket so you always have the
ability to actualize your ideas.

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Education/books: Learning is such an important asset in any creative work, and even
more so in the world of graphic design. When software is emerging and evolving,
trends are coming and going and the digital world is constantly expanding and
changing, keeping on top of it all can feel like a job in itself. For designers,
‘education’ doesn’t just mean the formal or structured learning you get in a
classroom setting, but rather the everyday education.

Graphic materials

GRAPHIC MATERIALS Putting your mind into action

GRAPHICS • Are non photographic, two dimensional materials designed specially to

communicate a message to the viewer.

They often include verbal as well as symbolic visual cues. • It is admitted that
symbolic visuals leaves much room for viewers to misinterpret the intended meaning

1.DRAWING • Include sketches and diagrams that employ graphic arrangement of

lines to represent person places, things and concept • They can be advantageous,
their being less detailed can add to instructional point and to ease in understanding
especially for young learners

2. CHARTS • Are graphic representation of abstract relationships such as

chronologies, quantities and hierarchies. • They may appear as tables, flowcharts,
periodic tablets and time lines.

.Charts can be clear, well defined and purposeful, with a minimum of visual
information. • Cluttered and confusing chart does not help • The rule for graphic is to
keep it simple

3. GRAPHS • Provides a visual representation of numerical data. • They also show

relationship between units of data and trends in the data. • They are visually
interesting

basic types of graphs are Bar, Pictorial, Circle, Line.

4. POSTERS • Incorporate visual combination of lines, colors and words. • Intended to

catch and hold the attention of the students

Aims to communicate a brief message usually a persuasive one. • Effective posters

are colorful and dynamic • Commercial billboards are example of poster on a very
large scale.

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Common uses of graphic design

corporate design

A corporate design (CD) is the official graphical design of the logo and name of a
company or institution used on letterheads, envelopes, forms, folders, brochures, etc.

The house style is created in such a way that all the elements are arranged in a
distinctive design and pattern.

This includes dictating what ink pantones should be used in the coloring, and what
typefaces.

Governments may have corporate designs as well. On June 2, 1999, the German
federal cabinet introduced a corporate design for the flag of Germany.[1]

The term 'corporate design' is not the name of a specific design profession.

Corporations do have special design needs based on their behaviors. They

communicate their mission, objectives, needs, and product information -- with users,
clients, or members; with suppliers, distributors, service providers; with the
surrounding community and the media; with financial institutions and other
corporations, and with the state.

Editorial design

Editorial design is an interesting field that is combining clever compositions, editorial

layout, and creative typography. All those elements brought together create an
outstanding newspaper layout.

People worldwide are staying up late by night, creating compositions that a lot of
people get a hold of as magazine layout designs, newspaper design, and books
covers and other editorials add-ons.

The editorial designer plays a very important role in the way in which information is
shared, presented and understood. Especially given the last function, this discipline
can really bring some transcendental change to the society.

Designing magazines, books and newspapers is becoming really challenging as the

digital is taking over most of the communications and changing accordingly the
magazine designs.

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Editorial design is encompassing the biggest employers of graphic designers.

The newspaper article design, the magazines layout ideas, and book design are
especially requiring specific attention of various distinctive designers with a big range
of skills. There are many publication designs specialists finding a home in the
electronic media, which includes iPhone applications, editorial web and online blogs,
and electronic publication.

The content published in magazines and books requires guidelines and rules in terms
of using a specific layout and typography for the magazine layout designs and
volumes produced.

Environmental Graphic Design (EGD)

Environmental Graphic Design (EGD) embraces many design disciplines including

graphic, architectural, interior, landscape, and industrial design, all concerned with
the visual aspects of wayfinding, communicating identity and information, and
shaping the idea of creating experiences that connect people to place.

Wayfinding forms the core of what experiential graphic design can do to improve
peoples experience of place. Ask any hospital administrator how visitors perceive the
experience of their facility and they will most likely tell you that if the visitor cannot
find their way around, nothing else matters. Wayfinding forms the very core of a
visitors experience of a place.

There are a number of practice areas that fall under the umbrella term of Experiential
Graphic Design or Environmental Graphic Design (EGD) such as wayfinding,
placemaking, exhibition design, public spaces, research and master planning.

Advertising and Graphic Design

Graphic designers plan, analyze, and create visual solutions to communications

problems, with messages differing in print and electronic media by using color, type,
illustration, photography, animation and various print and layout techniques.

Graphic designers are responsible for developing the overall layout and production
design of various such as magazines, newspapers, journals, corporate reports, and
other publications, and work within advertising in many ways. Some of the
responsibilities of graphic designers in advertising include producing promotional
displays, packaging and marketing brochures for products and services, designing
logos for products and businesses, and developing signs and signage systems for

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business and government. Graphic designers also develop material for the computer
and internet, including webpages, interactive media, and multimedia projects.

Within advertising, graphic designers use information such as the needs of the client,
intended message portrayed by design, and appeal to customers or users before
creating a new design.

Graphic designers gather information relevant to their designs by meeting with

clients, creative or art directors, and performing their own research. Once they
acquire this information, graphic designers create sketches or layouts, either by hand
or with a computer, to outline their design vision and include elements such as
colors, sound, artwork, photography, animation, style of type and other visual
elements.

Graphic designers then choose a size and arrangement for the element to be
displayed on the page or screen, create graphs and charts from data to be published,
and consult with copywriters regarding text that accompanies the design. Completed
designs are then presented to clients or art/creative directors for approval.

Once the project is sent to be published or printed, graphic designers also consult
with printers to help determine appropriate types of paper and ink for the
publication, ultimately reviewing the proposed final copy to correct for errors prior to
publication.

Web Design

Web design refers to the design of websites that are displayed on the internet. It
usually refers to the user experience aspects of website development rather than
software development. Web design used to be focused on designing websites for
desktop browsers; however, since the mid-2010s, design for mobile and tablet
browsers has become ever-increasingly important.

A web designer works on the appearance, layout, and, in some cases, content of a
website. Appearance, for instance, relates to the colors, font, and images used.
Layout refers to how information is structured and categorized. A good web design is
easy to use, aesthetically pleasing, and suits the user group and brand of the website.
Many webpages are designed with a focus on simplicity, so that no extraneous
information and functionality that might distract or confuse users appears. As the
keystone of a web designer’s output is a site that wins and fosters the trust of the
target audience, removing as many potential points of user frustration as possible is
a critical consideration.

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Two of the most common methods for designing websites that work well both on
desktop and mobile are responsive and adaptive design.

In responsive design, content moves dynamically depending on screen size; in

adaptive design, the website content is fixed in layout sizes that match common
screen sizes. Preserving a layout that is as consistent as possible between devices is
crucial to maintaining user trust and engagement.

As responsive design can present difficulties in this regard, designers must be careful
in relinquishing control of how their work will appear. If they are responsible for the
content as well, while they may need to broaden their skillset, they will enjoy having
the advantage of full control of the finished product.

Communication design

The virtual and physical spaces enveloping us are being pervaded by various forms of
technologies, media, and messages across geographies. Out of this confluence has
emerged a dynamic field of work - Communication Design. Whether it is a mobile
shopping app, a TV advertisement, a chocolate wrapper, a movie poster, a website, a
video-game, or a social-media platform, all are manifestations of Communication
Design. The Communication Design helps to create and manipulate various media to
convey messages that are effective, appropriate, aesthetic, and contextually relevant
to appeal to the audience or user. Designers use their training in visual, digital and
technical literacy in Graphic Design, Animation, Film, Video, Photography, User
Interface Design and Multimedia Applications that enable communication creation,
dissemination, and assimilation.

Communication design is a mixed discipline between design and information-

development which is concerned with how media intervention such as printed,
crafted, electronic media or presentations communicate with people. A
communication design approach is not only concerned with developing the message
aside from the aesthetics in media, but also with creating new media channels to
ensure the message reaches the target audience.

Communication design can also refer to a systems-based approach, in which the

totality of media and messages within a culture or organization are designed as a
single integrated process rather than a series of discrete efforts

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Product packaging

Product packaging design refers to the creation of the exterior of a product. That
includes choices in material and form as well as graphics, colors and fonts that are
used on wrapping, a box, a can, a bottle or any kind of container.

It’s a practical tool, yes. But it’s also more than that. Like any good design, packaging
tells a story. It’s also a sensual experience, literally engaging us through sight, touch
and sound (and possibly smell and taste, depending on the product/package). All of
these details help us understand what the enclosed product is for, how it should be
used, who should use it and, maybe most importantly, if we should buy a product or
not.

Product signage

Signage is the design or use of signs and symbols to communicate a message to a

specific group, usually for the purpose of marketing or a kind of advocacy. A signage
also means signs collectively or being considered as a group.

Signs are any kind of visual graphics created to display information to a particular
audience. This is typically manifested in the form of wayfinding information in places
such as streets or on the inside and outside buildings. Signs vary in form and size
based on location and intent, from more expansive banners, billboards, and murals,
to smaller street signs, street name signs, sandwich boards and lawn signs. Newer
signs may also use digital or electronic displays.

Role and function of signage

In general, signs perform the following roles or functions:

Information-provision: signs conveying information about services and facilities, such

as maps, directories, instructional signs or interpretive signage used in museums,
galleries, zoos, parks and gardens, exhibitions, tourist and cultural attractions that
enhance the customer's experience.[27]

Persuasion: promotional signage designed to persuade users of the relative merits of

a company, product or brand.

Direction/ Navigation: signs showing the location of services, facilities, functional

spaces and key areas, such as sign posts or directional arrows.

Identification: signs indicating services and facilities, such as room names and
numbers, restroom signs, or floor designations.

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Safety and Regulatory: signs giving warning or safety instructions, such as warning
signs, traffic signs, exit signs, signs indicating what to do in an emergency or natural
disaster or signs conveying rules and regulations.

Navigation – may be exterior or interior (e.g. with interactive screens in the floor as
with "informational footsteps" found in some tourist attractions, museums, and the
like or with other means of "dynamic wayfinding".[28]

Signs may be used in exterior spaces or on-premise locations. Signs used on the
exterior of a building are often designed to encourage people to enter and on the
interior to encourage people to explore the environment and participate in all that
the space has to offer. Any given sign may perform multiple roles simultaneously. For
example, signage may provide information, but may also serve to assist customers
navigate their way through a complex service or retail environment

Skills of a Designer

Knowledge about design elements, such as color and composition, is vital for graphic
designers. Artistic ability and creativity are essential.

Technical Skill – A graphic design job requires the technical skills to use design
software programs such as Photoshop or Quark Xpress. You may learn other specific
software in graphic design school; however, a general interest in computers and an
aptitude for learning new technology will be beneficial. As technology continues to
develop, graphic designers hoping for longevity in the field need to be able to
adapt.

Communication Ability – Sometimes known as visual communication, graphic

design requires the ability to effectively present ideas—both verbally and visually.
You'll need to be able to sell your ideas to clients and work with them to achieve the
end product they want.

Organization – Graphic designers need to be organized in order to meet deadlines

and stay within a budget. General business skills will come in handy, since many
graphic designers work on a freelance or contract basis.

Problem Solving Ability – Graphic design is a brainteaser. Choosing just the right
fonts, colors and lines to create a balanced composition, while simultaneously

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conveying meaning, is complicated. In order to succeed in a graphic design job,

you'll need to have strong problem solving skills and love a good challenge.

Importance Of Colors In Graphic Design

Color plays a major part in the correct reflection of your brand. This visually obvious
yet subtle application has a significant impact on the way a brand is perceived by the
public. No matter if you’re designing a brand for yourself, a small company, or a
corporation the effects of color will not discriminate based on how much cash you
have to start. When looking at color options for your brand it’s always best to take a
look at other brands to get a clear idea on how color schemes play a part on the
perception of brand perception. A company with strong brand recognition, altering
the color scheme where it is expected to be maintained can have dangerous results.

Today’s marketplace is bombarded with products that are trying to get our attention
at every head turn, decreasing the likely hood that your product will immediately
stand out. According to the way our natural senses function Color is the most
influential, followed by Shapes, Symbols, and finally Words. Here we will look at what
colors mean on a basic level, as well as brands that are best known for their
recognition by color, color combination practices, and how you can use these
methods to develop your own brand.

But make no mistake, brand recognition will make a good company succeed faster
and make bad companies fail faster. People attach most of how they feel about your
brand according to their personal experience with your products and services. By
selecting a color and/or color combinations for your brand you will take the first step
in growing a favorable acceptance in your chosen industry.

The meaning of color:

Color meanings vary from culture to culture, and the impact that your brand has on
your targeted audience. Here is a list of a few meanings on how colors are
interpreted by brands:

Hue is the primary value of a color and how the color red, green, blue, purple, etc. is
perceived through the eye. Saturation of a color is the overall intensity or brightness
of the color, any color that appears dull is referred to as desaturated. Value is the
lightness or darkness of overall colors schemes.

I. Blue: Security, Trust Worthy, Stability, Loyalty, Wisdom, Confidence, Trust, Friendliness,
Preservation, Courage, Science.

II. Green: Wealth, Money, Calming, Trees, Ambition, Endurance, Healing, Calm, Generosity,
Natural, Completion, and Protection.

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III. Red: Energy, Power, Vigor, Leadership, Courage, Passion, Activity, Joy.

IV. Yellow: Optimism, Childish, Freshness, Law, Education, Arrogance.

V. Pink: Romantic, Feminine, Love, Beauty.

VI. Orange: Cheerful, Passion, Pleasure, Enthusiasm, Fascination, Creativity, Fun.

VII. Black: Powerful, Mysterious, Elegance, Sophistication, Functionality.

Before you create amazing images to improve your social posts, let see a few extra tips
for choosing colors:

I. Don't stick with presets: Almost every program you use will automatically give you preset
colors. Get past the presets and explore color on your own. Don't let the program decide
how you use color in your design.

II. Start with one color you like: Every time I design something, I start with one color and
build the color scheme from there. If you try and start with more than one color, you'll have a
harder time finding harmony between your colors.

III. Save your color schemes: If you find a color scheme you like, it'll probably be useful to
you later. I wouldn't suggest using the same color scheme for every chart or graphic you
create, but you can always use different schemes in different ways later on.

IV. Practice makes perfect: The more you play with color and practice design, the better
you get. No one creates their masterpiece the first time around.

Composition

In many ways, layout and composition are the building blocks of design. They give
your work structure and make it easier to navigate, from the margins on the sides to
the content in between.

Why is composition so important? In short, it's the way your content is arranged. It
doesn't matter if you're working with text, images, or elements in a graphic; without a
thoughtful, well-composed layout, your work would basically fall apart.

Five basic principles

The key to mastering layout and composition is to think like a designer. Luckily, it's
easier than it sounds. There are five basic principles that can help you transform
your work and sharpen your eye for design. Keep them in mind during your next
project, and look for ways to apply them.

 Proximity

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Proximity is all about using visual space to show relationships in your content. In
practice, it's pretty simple—all you have to do is make sure related items
are grouped together

Groups that are NOT related to each other should be separated to visually
emphasize their lack of a relationship. All in all, this makes your work easier to
understand at a glance, whether it's purely text or something more visual.

 White space

White space is an important part of every composition. Now, this doesn't mean literal white
space; it just means negative space, like the spaces between your content, between lines,
and even the outer margins.

There's no one way to use white space correctly, but it's good to understand its purpose.
White space helps you define and separate different sections; it gives your content room to
breathe. If your work ever starts to feel cluttered or uncomfortable, a little white space might
be just what the doctor ordered.

 Alignment

Alignment is something you deal with all the time, even if you don't realize it.
Whenever you type an email or create a document, the text is aligned automatically.

When aligning objects by yourself (for instance, images or separate text boxes),
getting it right can be tricky. The most important thing is to be consistent.
It might help to imagine your content arranged inside of a grid, just like the example
below. Notice how there's an invisible line centering each image to the text? Each
grouping is also evenly spaced and aligned, with equal-sized margins.

It's this attention to detail that makes the composition easier to navigate. Without
consistent alignment, your work could start to feel disorganized.

 Contrast

Contrast simply means that one item is different from another. In layout and composition,
contrast can help you do many things, like catch the reader's eye, create emphasis, or call
attention to something important.

To create contrast in the example below, we've used color, more than one style of text, and
objects of differing sizes. This makes the design more dynamic and, therefore, more
effective at communicating its message.

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 Hierarchy

Contrast is also closely tied to hierarchy, which is a visual technique that can help
the viewer navigate your work. In other words, it shows them where to begin and
where to go next using different levels of emphasis.

Establishing hierarchy is simple: Just decide which elements you want the reader to
notice first, then make them stand out. High-level or important items are usually
larger, bolder, or more eye-catching in some way.

Repetition

Repetition is a reminder that every project should have a consistent look and feel.
This means finding ways to reinforce your design by repeating or echoing certain
elements.

For instance, if you have a specific color palette, look for ways to carry it through. If
you've chosen a special header style, use it every time.

It's not just for aesthetic reasons—being consistent can also make your work easier
to read. When viewers know what to expect, they can relax and focus on the
content.

Putting it all together

You might say layout and composition are the unsung heroes of design. It's easy to
overlook their role, but they're part of everything you do.

The principles you just learned can help you elevate any project. All it takes is a
little attention to detail and you can create beautiful, professional-looking
compositions.

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