Basic design principle – Alignment

Today’s post will be about the design principle of alignment. New designers often violate this design principle by putting text and graphics on the page wherever there happens to be room. Often this can leave a layout looking unorganized and unprofessional. By aligning objects, you can give your pages and designs a feeling of harmonious visual appeal.

The principle of alignment states that nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Everything on a page should have a visual connection with something else. Following this foundation forces you to be conscious about the decisions you make.

Have a look at the photo below. This is my coffee table with several random items on it. Although each item is separate and distinct; your mind is trying to connect them into a cohesive relationship. Because there is no pattern of alignment, individual elements fight with the overall composition.

Basic design principle – Contrast

Today’s post will be the first in a series on four basic principals of good design. I call these the “Basic Principles” because they are the foundation of how all good designs should look. These four foundational principles are: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity. Although I will be talking about each principle separately, keep in mind that each are interconnected, and no single one holds more weight than the others.

First, I must caution you… You are about learn something.

For today, I will only tackle the principle of Contrast. Contrast is one of the most powerful ways to add visual appeal to your design. If your page is striking, a reader will want to look at it longer.