The design principles are the conventions used to arrange and organise the design elements. In VCE Visual Communication Design, students explore the principles of figure-ground, balance, contrast, cropping, hierarchy, scale, proportion and pattern (repetition and alternation).
Figure-ground refers to the shapes, space or forms within a composition. In simplest terms the figure is what you notice and the ground is everything else.
The figure also known as the positive space, refers to the image(s) that are visually dominant on the ground. The ground, sometimes referred to as the ‘negative’ space or the background, is the surrounding area that the figure is placed upon.
An image can be figure dominant or ground dominant.
Figure-ground can:
Be ground dominant
Be figure dominant
Create a dynamic composition
Create a stable composition
Assist in creating a focal point in the hierarchy of the composition
Balance is the even (though not necessarily equal) distribution of the design elements to create harmony within a composition.
SYMMETRICAL BALANCE
A composition can be symmetrically or asymmetrically balanced. Imagine placing an imaginary line down the middle of a composition.
If the elements are of equal weight and value on either side we refer to this as symmetrically balanced. Usually when one or more elements are mirrored on either side we refer to this as a stable or more formal composition.
ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE
When the imagery is not mirrored we can describe the composition as being dynamic or informal. If the elements are not mirrored this is referred to as asymmetrically balanced.
Asymmetrical Balance adds a sense of tension, dynamics and emphasis to a composition.
An asymmetrical composition can be balanced as seen in this movie poster for the Green Lantern. There is an uneven distribution of elements on either side of the page, creating an asymmetrical balance. The overall effect is a strong, dynamic and effective composition.
Balance can be:
Symmetrical
Asymmetrical
Radial
Dynamic
Stable
Formal
Traditional
Horizontally balanced
Vertically balanced
Centred
Justified to the left
Justified to the right
Contrast is where two or more elements that have opposite qualities are placed together.
We can think about contrast in terms of the tension created between opposites: such as
black versus white
fine lines versus solid shapes
thick and thin lines
organic and geometric shapes
Using any of the elements of design we can create a dynamic composition through using contrast.
Contrast is a useful design principle that can make a visual communication more effective. Contrast can assist in attracting the target audience and can lead their eye through a visual communication.
Contrast can be:
Strong vs weak
Bright vs dull
Serif vs sans serif
Big vs small
Light vs dark
Organic vs geometric
Feminine vs masculine
Cropping an image can change the emphasis or direction of a design. An image may be cropped to emphasise one particular aspect of a design or to present information more clearly. Clever and deliberate cropping of shapes, form and letterform can make a design more visually dominating.
Why should you use cropping?
To emphasise the centre of interest
To eliminate an unwanted portion
To adjust the shape to fit a given layout
To enlarge small portions
Be careful not to crop too much of an image so that it can no longer be understood.
Cropping can:
create an open composition
create a closed composition
change the direction and balance of a composition
remove unnecessary information or parts of a ground that simply don’t work within the composition
help resolve background issues and can assist in placing the figure on the ground more effectively
focus on a detail
enlarge an image
suggest an image
add intrigue & curiosity
create greater emphasis
emphasise on a particular area
The elements within a composition can be ordered according to their importance. A hierarchy may be determined by the scale, colour or placement and arrangement of elements in a composition. A bright-red colour may be used in a primarily black-and-white design to create a focal point. A poster that promotes a new movie may use imagery to attract a target audience and the text may be designated according to visual importance (what the target audience needs to interpret first).
Ask yourself is there a strategic reason to the order given to the visual communication?
Perhaps a website address is made the focal point so that consumers can visit it easily.
A fashion dress in a magazine so that viewers can be enticed to make a purchase.
A Real-estate sign promoting the sale of a property – photographs are purposely made the focal point to showcase property & entice potential buyers.
Scale is the size you may choose to draw or place an object in relation to the ground it is placed upon. Scale is used to assist in drawing large objects such as houses and furniture and is used to describe the dimensions of these drawn objects. Scale can be used to create visual impact by creating a sense of depth and the feeling of tension.
Scale can attract in different ways. It can be use to draw attention, change the size of an object in an unexpected or exaggerated way – this is often the case in advertising.
Scale can:
Create contrast
Provide proportion
Proportion is the relationship of two or more elements in a design and how they compare with one another. Proportion is said to be harmonious when a correct relationship exists between the elements with respect to size or quantity.
Proportion is different to scale. Proportion is the comparative relationship between components within a visual communication. The shells at the bottom have very different proportions. Proportion suggests the relative scale of objects.
By simply repeating an element such as point, line or shape you instantly create a pattern.
When deliberately designing and using pattern you can:
assist in creating order within a composition
link a set/family of visual communications such as a range of packaging
create contrast or assist in the hierarchy of a composition
emphasise ideas or meanings through the repetition of imagery or text.
Pattern:
Is used to create decoration
Is useful in surface design
Creates visual impact