GRAPHIC DESIGN VS. LAYOUT
Design is a plan for expressing an idea through the artistic arrangement of letters, images, and other materials. While layout refers to the process of gathering and arranging these parts in a design as if plotted on paper.
Basic Principles of Graphics and Layout
Balance - It refers to the right arrangement of the pieces, which provides visual weight to the design.
Two Types of Balance
Symmetrical
Symmetrical balance is when the elements are evenly dispersed on each side of your design, technically a mirror-based design.
Asymmetrical
A free arrangement where the pieces can be positioned in any sequence, or the inverse of symmetrical
Emphasis - Refers to something that requires attention or emphasis. When managing emphasis, you can adjust the color, size, or even the piece itself to direct the attention to the focus point.
Pattern, Repetition and Rhythm - The use of repeating components such as lines, shapes, forms, textures, space, colors, font, style, and so on in order to create texture, movement, continuity, and consistency in design. It also makes the design more formal and easier to understand.
Alignment - Refers to the right arrangement of an element in your design, such as invisibly or aligning your letters or images diagonally, vertically, and horizontally. The standard text or paragraph alignments we use are center, right, left, and justified.
Hierarchy - Refers to the orderly organization of details such as texts, letters, numbers, and symbols. Its most important feature is the ability to change the size, thickness, spacing, and even font type to stand out. Using this technique, viewers can easily identify and navigate the event's highlights.
Contrast - Refers to the employment of contrasting components such as sizes (big or little), shapes (negative or positive), forms (real or abstract), colors (monochromatic, complimentary, triadic, tetradic), texture (smooth or rough), and values (light or dark).
Unity and Harmony - Refers to the relationship between the pieces or contents when placed together. The pieces of the design must operate together and agree on the message, topic, feeling, or atmosphere.