In this session we will be exploring the principles of layout design: balance, proximity, alignment, repetition, contrast and proportion, positive and negative space, continuance, dominance, with and without hierarchy, shapes, point of focus and finally KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid!
Balance, Symmetrical – Symmetrical, or evenly balanced, page layouts are aesthetically relaxing. The human mind loves symmetry. As a designer, you might add interest to a balanced design that, say, divides the page into equal blocks, by using bright splashy colours.
Balance, Asymmetrical – Asymmetrical balance, with one area of the page “heavier,” or containing more information than the other, is lively and visually stimulating. It keeps the reader on their toes and interested.
Rule of Thirds – Subjects placed in the middle of the image are considered static as your eye is drawn to it then has nowhere to go from there because the object is equal distance from all sides. The rule of third divides the image into 9 equal rectangles. Then the subject of interest is positioned at the intersection of the grid lines so it is ‘off centre’ which produces a nicely balanced image
Proximity – When faced with random objects on a page, the viewer will often try to find connections. Designers can aid viewers by arranging objects (text and/or images) into groups in order to convey meaning and help disseminate their message. This closeness of these groups is proximity. You can reduce proximity, or separate items, using rules, white space, colours or borders.
Alignment – Harmonious alignment guides and relaxes the eye e.g bullet points aren’t haphazard; they’re stacked nicely on top of one another § The main image adds to the piece without distracting it because it’s not slapped haphazardly into place; it’s aligned with a text block at some point.
Repetition – Repetition is simply the process of repeating elements throughout a design to give a unified look. You can think of it as adding consistency to a design.
Contrast – Ensure that every element within a design does not look the same. In essence you should have a number of elements that look vastly different to the others within a design. Contrast can refer to colour, shape, texture, size and typeface and is necessary to ensure a design does not look boring or one dimensional.
Positive and Negative space – ‘visual relief’. White space is more precisely known as “negative space”.
Continuance – Continuance is the principle that once you start looking in a direction, you’ll continue to look in that direction until something significant catches your eye.
Dominance – There are three stages of dominance, each relating to the weight of a particular object within a composition. Dominant: the object given the most visual weight, the element of primary emphasis that advances to the foreground in the composition. Sub-dominant: the element of secondary emphasis, the elements in the middle ground of the composition. Subordinate: the object given the least visual weight that recedes to the background of the composition .
Shapes – Shapes create other shapes. They create guide lines that lead the reader’s eye around the poster.
Point of Focus – Use photography that’s in or out of focus to give more weight to the text, or crop a photo tight to show the most important feature. This will create drama or to lead the eye around the page.
KISS! – With poster design you need to keep the information clear and concise: headline, details of what, when and where and call to action § Unique Selling Proposition – know the USP of your product or event and ensure this is evident in your poster. What makes your client’s service or product superior to the competition?
Evaluation:
Gemma-Louise Costa 