20 Principles of Design
Color spectrum
A band of colors produced when white light shines through a prism.
Contrast
A large difference between two things: for example rough and smooth or white and black. straight vs wavy
Color
Element of art produced when a wavelength of light strikes an object and reflects back to the eyes. Think palettes; Color has three dimensions: HUE (another word for color, indicated by its name such as red or yellow), VALUE (its lightness or darkness), INTENSITY (its brightness or dullness).
Balance
The principles of design describe the ways that artists use the elements of art in a work of art. Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture, and space. If the design was a scale, these elements should be balanced to make a design feel stable.
Primary colors
The three basic colors that cannot be made by mixing colors.
Variety
The use of different lines, shapes, textures, colors and other elements of design to create interest in a work of art.
Triad
Three colors evenly spaced on the color wheel. Example: red, yellow, and blue.
Line
A mark with length and direction, created by a point that moves across a surface.
Movement
A way of combining visual elements to produce a sense of action- or implied motion. May use lines, blur,
Repetition
An element of art that refers to the lightness or darkness of a color.
Neutrals
Black, gray, brown, and white.
Hue
Common name for a color.
Direction
Direction is an element of design that establishes the general mood and atmosphere. It creates the illusion that there is movement within the design. Visual direction refers to instances in which the content screams "look over here" through the use of horizontal and vertical lines..
Scale
Draws attention, gives emphasis, adds contrasting pov
Framing
Framing refers to how the primary subject of a design is placed in relation to other elements on the page. It's most often heard referred to in cinematography or photography, with how the main focus of an image is placed within the overall image. But the principle carries over into design.
Randomness
Generally speaking, randomness is defined as a non-repeating, unbiased, non-patterned sequence of values. In the visual world, randomness refers to elements that don't appear to follow any sort of intentional pattern or sequence.
Monochromatic
Make of only a single color or hue and its tints and shades.
Secondary colors
Orange, green, and purple.
symmetry
Symmetry adds balance to a design. When elements are the same on both sides of an axis, the design feels harmonious. A feeling that all of the parts are working together as a team- the quality of wholeness.
Texture
The element of art that refers to the surface quality or feel of an object- its smoothness, roughness.
Negative/Positive Space
The empty or open area between, around, above, below and within objects. Positive space is filled by a shape or form. Negative space surrounds a shape or form
Proportion
The relation of one object to another in size, amount, number or degree- scale.
Grid
the grid system helps align page elements based on sequenced columns and rows. We use this column-based structure to place text, images, and functions in a consistent way throughout the design. Every element has its place that we can see instantly and reproduce elsewhere
Transparency
transparency is about how "see-through" any particular element is in your design. ... Then, you can layer different design elements with different levels of transparency on top of that photo to create a sense of depth and visual interest.
Hierarchy
a principle of design referring to the way the elements are arranged to create a feeling of stability in a work- parts of equal visual weight.