The following is a brief overview of the principles. Although we will discuss each of these separately, keep in mind they are really interconnected. Rarely will you apply only one principle.
Contrast: The idea behind contrast is to avoid elements on the page that are merely similar. If the elements (type, color, size, line thickness, shape, space, etc.) are not the same, then make them very different. Contrast is often the most important visual attraction on a page.
Repetition: Repeat visual elements of the design throughout the piece. You can repeat color, shape, texture, spatial relationships, line thicknesses, sizes, etc. This helps develop the organization and strengthens the unity.
Alignment: Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every element should have some visual connection with another element on the page. This creates a clean, sophisticated, fresh look.
Proximity: Items
relating to each other should be grouped close together. When several items
are in close proximity to each other, they become one visual unit rather
than several separate units. This helps organize information and reduces
clutter.
Alignment
Design beginners tend to put text and graphics on page where ever there happens to be space, often without regard to any other items on the page. What this creates is the slightly-messy-kitchen effect–you know, with a cup here, a plate there, a napkin on the floor, a pot in the sink, a spill on the floor. It doesn't take much to clean up the slightly messy kitchen, just as it doesn't take much to clean up a slightly messy design that has weak alignments.
The principle of alignment states that nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item should have a visual connection with something else on the page. The principle of alignment forces you to be more conscious-no longer can you just throw things on the page wherever there happens to be room.
When items are aligned on the page, it creates a stronger cohesive unit. Even when elements are physically separated from each other, if they are aligned there is an invisible line that connects them, both in your eye and in your mind. Although you might have separated certain elements to indicate their relationships (following the principle of proximity), the principle of alignment is what tells the reader that even though these items are not close; they belong to the same piece
Do you tend to automatically center everything? A centered alignment is the most common alignment that beginners use-it's very safe, it feels comfortable. A centered alignment creates a more formal look, a more sedate look, a more ordinary and oftentimes downright dull look. Take notice of the designs you like. I guarantee that most designs that have a sophisticated look are not centered. I know it's difficult, as a beginner, to break away from a centered alignment; you'll have to force yourself to do it at first. But combine a strong flush right or left alignment with good use of proximity and you will be amazed at the change in your work.
I'm not suggesting that you never center anything! Just be conscious of the effect a centered alignment has-is that really the look you want to portray? Sometimes it is; for instance, most weddings are rather sedate, formal affairs, so if you want to center your wedding announcement, do so consciously and joyfully.
Sometimes you can add a bit of a twist on the centered arrangement, such as centering the type, but setting the block of type itself off center. Or set the type high on the page to create more tension. Or set a very casual, fun typeface in a very formal, centered arrangement.
You're accustomed to working with text alignments. Until you have more training, stick to the guideline of using one text alignment on the page: either all text is flush left, flush right, or centered.
Occasionally you can get away with using both flush right and flush left text on the same page, but make sure you align them in some way!
When you place other items on the page, make sure each one has some visual alignment with another item on the page. If lines of text are across from each other horizontally, align their baselines. If there are several separate blocks of text, align their left or right edges. If there are graphic elements, align their edges with other edges on the page. Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily!
Lack of alignment is probably the biggest cause of unpleasant-looking documents. Our eyes like to see order; it creates a calm, secure feeling.
In any well-designed piece, you will be able to draw lines to the aligned objects, even if the overall presentation of material is a wild collection of odd things and has lots of energy.
A problem with many non-designers' publications is a subtle lack of alignment, such as centered headlines and subheads over indented paragraphs. At first glance, which of the examples on these two pages presents a cleaner and sharper image?
All those minor misalignments add up to create a visually messy page. Find a strong line and stick to it. Even though it may be subtle and your boss couldn't say what made the difference between this example and the one before it, the more sophisticated look comes through clearly.
Even in a piece that has a good start on a nice design, the subtle lack of alignment is often the missing key to a more professional look.
Check for illustrations that hang out over the edge just a bit, or captions that are centered under photos, or headlines that are not aligned with the text, or a combination of centered text and flush left text.
Summary of Alignment
Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every element should have some visual connection with another element on the page.
Unity is an important concept in design. To make all the elements on the page appear to be unified, connected, and interrelated, there needs to be some visual tie between the separate elements. Even if the separate elements are not physically close on the page, they can appear connected, related, unified with the other information simply by their placement. Take a look at designs you like. No matter how wild and chaotic a well designed piece may initially appear, you can always find the alignments within.
The Basic Purpose
The basic purpose of alignment is to unify and organize the page. The result is kind of like what happens when you pick up all the baby toys that were strewn around the living room floor and put them all into one toy box.
It is often a strong alignment (combined, of course, with the appropriate typeface) that creates a sophisticated look, or a formal look, a fun look, or a serious look.
How to get it
Be conscious of where you place elements. Always find something else on the page to align with, even if the two objects are physically far away from each other.
What to avoid
Repetition
The principle of repetition states that you repeat some aspect of the design throughout the entire piece. The repetitive element may be a bold font, a thick rule (line), a certain bullet, color, design element, particular format, spatial relationships, etc. It can be anything that a reader will visually recognize.
You already use repetition in your work. When you make headlines all the same size and weight, when you add a rule a half-inch from the bottom of each page, when you use the same bullet in each list throughout the project–these are all examples of repetition. What beginners often need to do is push this idea further-turn that inconspicuous repetition into a visual key that ties the publication together.
Repetition can be thought of as "consistency." As you look through an eight-page newsletter, it is the repetition of certain elements, their consistency, that makes each of those eight pages appear to belong to the same newsletter.
But repetition goes beyond just being naturally consistent-it is a conscious effort to unify all parts of a design.
Take advantage of those elements you're already using to make a project consistent and turn those elements into repetitive graphic symbols. Are all the headlines in your newsletter 14-point Times Bold? How about investing in a very bold sans serif face and making all your heads something like 16-point Antique Olive Black? Not only is your page more visually interesting, but you also increase the visual organization and the consistency by making it more obvious. You're taking the repetition you have already built into the project and pushing it so it is stronger and more dynamic.
If you have a strongly consistent publication, you can get away with some surprise elements. I'd suggest you save those surprises for items you want to call special attention to.
To create a consistent business package with a business card, letterhead, and envelope, use a strong display of repetition, not only within each piece, but between all the pieces. You want the person who receives the letter to know you are the same person who gave them a business card last week. And create a layout that allows you to align the printed letter with some element in the stationery design!
Repetition helps organize the information; it helps guide the reader through the pages; it helps unify disparate parts of the design Even on a one page document, repetitive elements establish a sophisticated continuity. If you are creating several one-page documents that are part of a comprehensive package, it is critical that you employ repetition.
If there is an element that strikes a fancy with you, go with it! Perhaps it is a piece of clip art or a picture font. Feel free to add something completely new simply for the purpose of repetition. Or take a simple element and use it in various ways-different sizes, colors, angles.
Sometimes the repeated items are not exactly the same objects, but objects so closely related that their connection is very clear.
Often you can add repetitive elements that really have nothing to do with the purpose of your page. For instance, throw in a few petroglyph characters on a survey form. Add some strange-looking birds to a report. Set several particularly beautiful characters in your font in various large sizes, in gray or a light second color, and at various angles throughout the publication. It's okay to have fun
Summary of Repetition
A repetition of visual elements throughout the design unifies and strengthens a piece by tying together otherwise separate parts. Repetition is very useful on one-page pieces, and is critical in multi-page documents (where we often just call it being consistent).
The Basic Purpose
The purpose of repetition is to unify and to add visual interest. Don't underestimate the visual interest of a page-if a piece looks interesting, it is more likely to be read.
How to get it
Think of repetition as being consistent, which I'm sure you are already. Then push the existing consistencies a little further-can you turn some of those consistent elements into part of the conscious graphic design, as with the headline? Do you use a 1-point rule at the bottom of each page or under each heading? How about using a 4-point rule instead to make the repetitive element stronger and more dramatic?
Then take a look at the possibility of adding elements just to create a repetition. Do you have a numbered list of items? How about using a distinctive font or a reversed number, and then repeating that treatment throughout every numbered list in the publication? At first, simply find existing repetitions and then strengthen them. As you get used to the idea and the look, start to crente repetitions to enhance the design and the clarity of the information.
Repetition is like accenting your clothes. If a woman is wearing a lovely black evening dress with a chic black hat, she might accent her dress with red heels, red lipstick, and a tiny red rose corsage.
What to avoid
Contrast
Contrast is one of the most effective ways to add visual interest to your page-a striking interest that makes you want to look at the page–and to create an organizational hierarchy among different elements. The important "rule" to remember is that for contrast to be effective, it must be strong. Don't be a wimp.
Contrast is created when two elements are different. If the two elements are sort of different, but not really, then you don't have contrast, you have conflict. That's the key–the principle of contrast states that if two items are not exactly the same, then make them different. Really different.
Contrast can be created in many ways. You can contrast large type with small type; a graceful old style font with a bold sans serif font; a thin line with a thick line; a cool color with a warm color; a smooth texture with a rough texture; a horizontal element (such as a long line of text) with a vertical element (such as a tall, narrow column of text); widely spaced lines with closely packed lines; a small graphic with a large graphic.
Just don't be a wimp. You cannot contrast 12-point type with 14-point type. You cannot contrast a half-point rule with a one-point rule. You cannot contrast dark brown with black. Get serious.
Contrast is critical to the organization of information-a reader should always be able to glance at any document and instantly understand what is going on.
The easiest way to add interesting contrast is with typefaces, (which is the focus of the second half of this book). But don't forget about rules, colors, spacing between elements, textures, etc.
If you use a hairline rule between columns, use a strong 2- or 4-point rule when you need another-don't use a half-point rule and a one point rule on the same page. If you use a second color for accent, make sure the colors contrast–dark brown or dark blue doesn't contrast effectively with black text.
If you use tall, narrow columns in your newsletter, have a few strong headlines to create a contrasting horizontal direction across the page.
Combine contrast with repetition, as in the page numbers or headlines or bullets or rules or spatial arrangements, to make a strong, unifying identity throughout an entire publication.
Don't be afraid to make some items small to create a contrast with the larger items, and to allow blank space! Once you pull the reader in with the focal point, they will read the smaller print if they are interested. If they're not interested, it wouldn't matter how big you set it.
Notice all the other principles come into play: proximity, alignment, and repetition. They work together to create the total effect. Rarely will you use just one principle to design any page.
Summary of Contrast
Contrast on a page draws our eyes to it; our eyes like contrast. If you are putting two elements on the page that are not the same (such as two typefaces or two line widths), they cannot be similar-for contrast to be effective, the two elements must be very different.
Contrast is kind of like matching wall paint when you need to spot paintyou can't sort of match the color; either you match it exactly or you repaint the entire wall.
The Basic Purpose
The basic purpose of contrast is two-fold, and both purposes are inextricable from each other. One purpose is to create an interest on the page– if a page is interesting to look at, it is more likely to be read. The other is to aid in the organization of the information. A reader should be able to instantly understand the way the information is organized, the logical flow from one item to another. The contrasting elements should never serve to confuse the reader or to create a focus that is not supposed to be a focus.
How to get it
Add contrast through your typeface choices (see the next section), line thicknesses, colors, shapes, sizes, space, etc. It is easy to find ways to add contrast, and it's probably the most fun and satisfying way to add visual interest. The important thing is to be strong.
What to avoid
Don't be a wimp. If you're going to contrast, do it with strength.