You want your learners to buy into your training. You must convince learners that they need this information, and that their lives or careers will be better because of it.
But here’s an uncomfortable truth: Your learners silently (if you’re lucky) evaluate the credibility of your work based on how it looks, and they do so with staggering speed. According to UX magazine, people tend to judge the quality of a product within just 50 milliseconds of looking at it.
Of course, a slick PowerPoint deck alone isn’t enough to achieve learning objectives; we know that the principles of instructional design are the foundation of our work. However, quality visual design helps learners appreciate, engage with, and understand your content. Form must meet function for the most effective learning outcomes.
So, how do we create compelling visual designs, especially when we don’t have a background in art?
Start with the six principles of design: balance, pattern, rhythm, emphasis, contrast, and unity. Just as instructional design models and methodologies shape your training strategy, so should these principles shape your basic visual strategy. By applying them, you can create high-impact visuals. In addition, the principles provide you with more precise language to critique visual design when it’s presented to you.
The six principles of design are:
- Balance: How visual elements are distributed in relation to an axis
- Pattern: How visual elements repeat to create consistency
- Rhythm: How visual elements repeat or alternate to create interest
- Emphasis: How visual elements work together to create a focal point
- Contrast: How visual elements oppose each other to highlight differences
- Unity: How visual elements create an overall sense of cohesion
To understand how these principles are applied with maximum impact, look to the masters. Throughout history, the world’s greatest artists have used the six principles of design to captivate viewers.
For example, take a look at "The School of Athens,” a fresco by Raphael.
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, The School of Athens, 1509–1511, fresco at the Raphael Rooms, Apostolic Palace, Vatican City. Public Domain image from Wikimedia Commons.
Here, Raphael uses the design principle of balance. Despite not being perfectly symmetrical, all the elements are arranged so that neither the left nor the right side of the work has dominance over the other. We see this when we highlight the major elements (red), in relation to a vertical axis (black):
On either side of the vertical axis, the arches present mirror images of each other, columns are evenly distributed, a marble sculpture appears near the outer edges, and the many figures in the bottom half of the work occupy roughly the same size and shape of space. Using balance, Raphael depicts a large number of elements with a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, without seeming cluttered or disorderly.
Now, here’s an example of how to translate this principle to visual design in a corporate setting.
This slide exhibits poor balance in the main body section:
Using the same elements, the main body of the slide can be reconfigured to show balance according to a vertical axis:
But that’s just applying one design principle! Do you want to learn how to apply all six principles to your work, or how to give more precise feedback to your designers? Join me at ATD TechKnowledge 2021 for my session: “Leveraging Principles of Art Theory and History for Visual Design.”
FAQs
The principles of art and design are balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, and unity or variety. The use of these principles can help determine whether a painting is successful, and whether or not the painting is finished.
What is the theory of visual design? ›
Visual Design Principles. The elements of visual design — line, shape, negative/white space, volume, value, colour and texture — describe the building blocks of a product's aesthetics. On the other hand, the principles of design tell us how these elements can and should go together for the best results.
What are the basic principles of visual design? ›
Summary: The principles of scale, visual hierarchy, balance, contrast, and Gestalt not only create beautiful designs, but also increase usability when applied correctly.
What are the 7 basic principles of design? ›
The fundamental principles of design are: Emphasis, Balance and Alignment, Contrast, Repetition, Proportion, Movement and White Space. Design differs from art in that it has to have a purpose. Visually, this functionality is interpreted by making sure an image has a center of attention, a point of focus.
Why are the principles of art and design important? ›
The principles of design help you to carefully plan and organize the elements of art so that you will hold interest and command attention. This is sometimes referred to as visual impact. In any work of art there is a thought process for the arrangement and use of the elements of design.
Why are design principles important and how they impact good designs? ›
Design principles and practices are essential tools that help designers create visually appealing, functional, and effective solutions. Whether it's creating a website, logo, product design, or user interface, these guidelines allow for the best possible outcome for the goal.
What is visual arts theory? ›
The visual arts are an area of learning, a body of knowledge unified by certain principles, but not a set of closed truths; on the contrary, these truths are in a constant dynamic relationship with other cognitive areas, influencing some and being influenced by others.
What are the four visual theories? ›
The various components and uses for gestalt, constructivism, semiotics, and cognitive theories of visual communication.
What are the different types of visual theory? ›
The three theories of visual communication are figure-ground theory, message theory, and culture-dependent theory. The figure-ground theory states that people perceive information most effectively when it is organized into a clear separation between the figure and the ground.
Why are the principles of developing visual design important? ›
The principles of design help designers effectively convey a message or information to the intended audience. By understanding how to use elements like color, contrast, and emphasis, designers can guide the viewer's attention, prioritize information, and create a clear visual hierarchy.
The visual art terms separate into the elements and principles of art. The elements of art are color, form, line, shape, space, and texture. The principles of art are scale, proportion, unity, variety, rhythm, mass, shape, space, balance, volume, perspective, and depth.
What is perspective in visual design principles? ›
Perspective is a fundamental concept in visual arts that helps artists create the illusion of depth and space on a two-dimensional surface. It is a graphic resource that uses converging lines and other techniques to make objects appear closer or farther away, creating a sense of depth and dimensionality.
What are the principles of design theory? ›
There are twelve basic principles of design: contrast, balance, emphasis, proportion, hierarchy, repetition, rhythm, pattern, white space, movement, variety, and unity. These visual and graphic design principles work together to create appealing and functional designs that make sense to users.
What are the fundamentals of art and design? ›
The six fundamentals of art are the "rules" artists generally abide by. Each rule or component — anatomy, perspective, form and structure, lighting and shadow, color, and composition — will contribute to the overall visual impact of your artwork.
What is the theory of graphic design? ›
Graphic design theory can be used to comprehend aesthetic principles that influence the interpretation of a design by the viewer. Creating advertisem*nts for commercial products or services is an activity or profession in the graphic design field.
Why is effective visual design important? ›
Quality graphic design is essential to the effectiveness of any visual communication. In most advertising, marketing, or educational piece, graphic design is as important as the writing because it helps draw a reader's attention and helps them focus on the text. Both help ensure that the message will be retained.
What is the significance of visual design in creating art? ›
Visual design plays a crucial role in creating art that is both effective and attractive . It encompasses the use of various elements such as color , line , shape , texture , and space to convey a message , evoke emotions , and capture the viewer 's attention .
How do graphic design principles help your artwork? ›
Graphic design principles are the foundation of effective visual communication. They help designers create layouts that are visually appealing, easy to understand, and memorable. Some of the most important graphic design principles include: Balance: A balanced design creates a sense of stability and harmony.
How is the principle of good proportion achieved in the visual arts? ›
In visual art balance and proportion is usually achieved by using what is called The Golden Section, also called The Golden Ratio or Divina Proportione.
