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.