Design is what links creativity and innovation. It shapes ideas to become practical and attractive propositions for users, clients or customers. Design may be described as creativity deployed to a specific end. Some of the best design colleges in Maharashtra offer cutting-edge undergraduate and postgraduate design specialisations to train future designers in the field of their choice.
Design is the creation of a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system. It may be an architectural blueprint, engineering drawings, business processes, circuit diagrams or sewing patterns. Design has different connotations in different fields. Let us take a deep dive into the principles of design and their application in the world of design.
The Principles of Design
Balance
When establishing balance consider visual weight created by size, colour, texture and number of objects.
Symmetrical balance: It can be described as having equal “weight” on equal sides of a centrally placed fulcrum. It may also be referred to as formal balance. When the elements are arranged equally on either side of a central axis, the result is Bilateral symmetry.
This axis may be horizontal or vertical. It is also possible to build formal balance by arranging elements equally around a central point, resulting in radial symmetry. This is called Radial Balance.
Asymmetrical balance: Also known as informal balance, it is more complex and difficult to achieve. It involves placement of objects in a way that will allow objects of varying visual weight to balance one another around a central point.
It just means that there are no mirror images in a composition. The term, however, is usually used to describe a kind of balance that does not rely on symmetry:
Rhythm
A visual tempo or beat. The principle of design that refers to a regular repetition of elements of art to produce the look and feel of movement. It is often achieved through the careful placement of repeated components which invite the viewer’s eye to jump rapidly or glide smoothly from one to the next.
Rhythm in architecture is the repetitive use of a group of visual elements, at least three times, to establish a recognisable “pattern.” Simple examples of rhythm are the alternating window and column arrangement of most high-rise office buildings. More complex rhythms make use of what in jazz music is called “counterpoint”, that is, two or more intersecting or overlaid rhythms. This is seen frequently in classical architecture, where a series of columns and openings are overlaid on top of a series of smaller openings.
Emphasis
Emphasis creates a focal point in a design composition. It is the focus of attention and interest within a composition. In Architecture it is the feature that commands attention and makes a design visually interesting.
The main reason in using emphasis is to help you communicate the message that needs to be communicated. Emphasis helps readers determine the important information on your display and allows them to interpret the message faster. This process of arranging the visual elements on a composition according to their order of importance and emphasis is called Visual Hierarchy. Visual Hierarchy is used to guide readers attention to the main places in your composition.
Contrast (Variety)
Contrast is simply defined as difference. Difference between elements or subjects within a work of art or composition. Contrast can be created through variety within the elements of art. (i.e. value, colour, texture) Contrast can be used to create a focal point or area of interest in an artwork.
It is easy to understand how colour can create contrast. For example, complementary colours provide a high level of contrast. Complementary colours are colours that are located directly across from each other on the colour wheel. Red and green, blue and orange, and purple and yellow are all examples of this. But when using complementary colours, we also have to consider value. Value is the darkness or lightness of colour. Without contrast in value, the contrast created by complementary colours is counter-productive. Notice how the red and green vibrate off of each other. The result is aesthetically horrid. The problem lies in the use of value.
Movement
Movement is the visual flow of your design. It’s the path that you intend your viewer’s eye to follow. You can create this by purposefully placing art elements in a way that creates a path for the eye to follow.
Is a visual flow through the composition. It can be the suggestion of motion in a design as you move from object to object by way of placement and position. Directional movement can be created with a value pattern. It is with the placement of dark and light areas that you can move your attention through the format.
An art work may incorporate actual motion; that is, the artwork itself moves in some way. Or it may incorporate the illusion of, or implied movement.
Harmony
Harmony in visual design means all parts of the visual image relate to and complement each other. Harmony pulls the pieces of a visual image together. Harmony can be achieved through repetition and rhythm.
Harmony By Unity
Unity occurs when all the parts of a design or composition are related by one idea. A unified design has consistency of style.
Harmony By Variety
When multiple elements of design are used to add interest to a design. Variety can be created using different elements and materials, as long as they are compatible with each other.
Proportions and Scales
Scale refers to the size of an object (a whole) in relationship to another object (another whole). In art the size relationship between an object and the human body is significant. In experiencing the scale of an artwork, we tend to compare its size to the size of our own bodies.
Origins of Measurements
In ancient times, the body ruled when it came to measuring. The length of a foot, the width of a finger, and the distance of a step were all accepted measurements.
Conclusion
Design principles should serve to guide the development and implementation of specific designs. This requires that researchers address the aspects of design principles presented in our model, as to why, who, what, how, when and which criteria apply to articulate, enact and evaluate the design principles. Pursuing a B.Des Fashion and Lifestyle Design degree can help you further understand the principles of design, which can help you embark upon a thriving career in fashion.
Researchers should be able to articulate, enact and transform detailed design principles in iterative processes, and also be prepared for unexpected messiness that emerges when enacting design principles with respect for teachers and student’s agency. Thus, the continual articulation and adjustment of design principles should not only be seen as refinement, but also as a contingent process involving local agency, allowing unexpected challenges and valuable insights to emerge.