Create Awesome Graphics with these 10 Basic Design Elements
- Design
- April 20, 2018
Take a look around you. You are virtually surrounded by the work of talented graphic artists.
Their designs appear on everything from websites and advertising to product logos and
marketing tools. This is a skill that is in high demand and requires training and ability. The
difference between an ‘okay’ graphic design and an ‘incredible’ one is vast. One way to get
designs closer to the ‘awesome’ side of the scale is by using the following 10 basic design
elements.
Alignment
With all objects in a design connected together in a visually appealing manner, you have alignment. This involves the placement of shapes and text. With proper alignment your design has balance and does not look as if it was randomly thrown together to fill space.
Hierarchy
The most important part of your design must carry the most weight. In other words, the hierarchy of a design goes like this: The main message stands out more than everything else. The focal point gets the prime focus while everything else supports that main message.
Contrast
The most effective way to add emphasis to a design is through contrast. By doing this you force the viewer to see the key message first and the rest becomes easier to absorb and understand. Color, shading and shaping all contribute to creating dynamic contrast.
Repetition
In order to strengthen a complete design, repetition gets the job done. In order to strengthen a complete design, repetition gets the job done. What it does is ties together all the parts of a
design and keeps them organized and – most importantly – consistent.
Proximity
By grouping the design elements together in a way that match obvious clusters is proximity. The matching can result from font and type size to colour and type of item. Essentially the idea is to de-clutter the design but still tie together the parts that form natural groups.
Balance
The form and stability of any design comes from balance. Spacing of the design parts, sizing of the design parts and what area each occupies within the actually design is determined through balance. It also separates sloppy creations from professional and attractive ones.
Colour
As colour is such a crucial part of any design, careful consideration is required when choosing the colour or colours for a given piece of graphic art. Some colours have hidden meanings (green suggests environmental) where other clash badly and harm an otherwise good design.
Space
You ever notice logos and designs that have blank areas in them? That empty space is as
important as the spaces that contain words and graphics. That’s because negative space is a great tool used for emphasis. All great designs have it because it works so well with the message.
Texture
Texture comes in many forms and offers as many creative options in graphic design. Illustrations of various textures – a brick wall, a reflective surface – can assist in adding contract and emphasis to part of a design. Texture also can bring a design to life from a 2D form. Need A Professional Graphic Design or Logo?
Typography
Typography is all about how letters are arranged in the space they are being used. Size, font, spacing between letters and words are all part of this process. Essentially, with the right balance from typography, your message can be easier to read and understood.
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