Balance refers to the distribution of visual elements in a composition to create a sense of stability and harmony. It's about how these elements—like color, lines, texture, space and shape—are arranged to produce a feeling of equilibrium.

Alignment means the arrangement of elements along an axis. This principle of design helps create order and organization within a composition.

Contrast is defined as the arrangement of opposite elements or effects to create visual interest in a design. Although color is typically the first thing people think of when you talk about contrast, elements like size, texture, shape and typography can also create a sense of contrast. 

Movement is a design’s ability to guide the viewer’s eye around the piece. It's about creating a visual flow that directs attention to different elements in a design, often leading to a focal point. 

Rhythm is the visual flow and movement created by the repetition or alternation of elements. It’s a principle of design that helps establish a sense of order, continuity and harmony.

Hierarchy in design is all about organizing visual elements to show their order of importance. It's a crucial tool for guiding viewers' attention to what matters most. Without a clear hierarchy, everything in your composition might seem equally important, which can be overwhelming or confusing.

Negative Space is the area within a composition void of visual elements. Far from being dead air, negative space is an active and integral part of design that increases the effectiveness, clarity and visual appeal of a composition.

Positive space: The area that the main subjects of your composition occupy. For instance, in a portrait, the area that the person inhabits is the positive space. It's the focal point that draws the viewer's attention.

Unity is the cumulative result of how different elements work together. In a unified design, each item holds a deliberate place and purpose, contributing to a comprehensive whole without superfluous or random details. Achieving unity means crafting a design that is cohesive, harmonious and balanced, which can solidify the visual hierarchy.

Variety is how designers use contrast and diversity to add visual intrigue and complexity to a composition. By implementing variety in your designs, you’ll avoid creating compositions that are boring and monotonous. Variety helps to hold the viewer's attention and is often used alongside other principles of design, like unity and balance, to achieve a harmonious yet dynamic composition.

Alignment means the arrangement of elements along an axis. This principle of design helps create order and organization within a composition. You can use it to improve readability and create a path for the eye to follow, making information easily digestible and the overall design more professional and polished.

While scale determines the size of elements in relation to a standard or expected size, proportion refers to the relationship in size between elements within a composition. Properly applied, proportion creates a sense of unity, balance and aesthetic harmony in a design.

Repetition refers to the repeated use of certain elements—such as shapes, colors, textures, lines or patterns—within a composition. This principle can create unity in a composition, reinforce a brand identity or strengthen the visual narrative of a design. Think of how using the same pattern for tiles in different rooms can create a sense of predictability, making the home more comfortable and consistent.

Source: What are the principles of design, and how do you use them?

LAB WORK 🖼️

homeWORK 🏛️

HOMEWORK #7

• Illustrated Environment / DUE: 11/8

• Using Adobe Illustrator, import a raster image of an environment, this may be a photograph from a city block, a natural environment, an interior – any setting that you wish. 

• Use the photograph as a template in its own layer to create an illustrated version of the setting (be sure to lock the photo layer). 

• Use a combination of all the tools that Illustrator offers to transform the environment; do not merely use Image Trace. 

• Make use of layers to separate the foreground, middle ground, and background. You may only use three colors in this assignment.

• Use the Adobe Color CC website to create a Triad color theme for the illustrated environment.

• This should be a 1920 x 1080 Artboard. Use Export, Export for Screens… to save for the web as a PNG. 

• Upload the initial photograph of the environment and the exported Illustrator environment to your website. Include a paragraph about the environment describing why you chose it and how you transformed it.

•  Again: Upload the paragraph, original image, and your illustration to your website.

Resources

📹 Illustrator 2024 Essential Training

Chapter 1. The Illustrator Environment

• The illustrator workspace 

Chapter 2. Selection 

• Selection tools 

Chapter 3. Transforms 

• Transform options 

• Transform each 

Chapter 4. Shape and Line Tools

• Drawing basic shapes 

• Drawing with lines tools 

• Drawing with grid tools 

Chapter 5. Path Drawing 

• Pen tools 

• The Pencil tool 

• Eraser Drawing 

Chapter 8. Working with Strokes 

• Stoke Attributes 

• Dashes, Dots and arrowheads 

Chapter 10. Organizing Content 

• Aligning Objects 

• Aligning Points 

• Changing the stack order  

• Using layers