Chapter 3 - Principles of Design

PRINCIPLES OF IMAGE DESIGN - BALANCE, RHYTHM, PROPORTION, DOMINANCE + UNITY

The Principles of Image Design are the organising and structural concepts for the Elements of Image Design. The way in which these principles are applied affects the expressive content, or the message of the work. The Principles of Image Design are - Balance, Rhythm, Proportion + Dominance.

1. BALANCE
Balance is an equilibrium that results from looking at images and judging them against our ideas of physical structure (such as mass, gravity or the sides of a page). It is the arrangement of the objects in a given design as it relates to their visual weight within a composition. Balance usually comes in two forms - symmetrical and asymmetrical:
® Symmetrical Balance occurs when the weight of a composition is evenly distributed around a central vertical or horizontal axis. Under normal circumstances it assumes identical forms on both sides of the axis. When symmetry occurs with similar, but not identical, forms it is called approximate symmetry. In addition, it is possible to build a composition equally around a central point resulting in radial symmetry. Symmetrical balance is also known as formal balance.
Visual Centre - The visual centre of any page is just slightly above and to the right of the actual (mathematical) centre and tends to be the natural placement of visual focus. It is also sometimes referred to as ‘museum height’.

® Asymmetrical Balance occurs when the weight of a composition is not evenly distributed around a central axis. It involves the arranging of objects of differing size in a composition such that they balance one another with their respective visual weights. Often there is one dominant form that is offset by many smaller forms. In general, asymmetrical compositions tend to have a greater sense of visual tension. Asymmetrical balance is also known as informal balance.
Rule of Thirds - The rule of thirds is an asymmetrical compositional tool that makes use of the notion that the most interesting compositions are those in which the primary element is off centre. Basically, take any frame of reference and divide it into thirds placing the elements of the composition intersecting on or close to the lines.

2. RHYTHM
Rhythm is created through the repetition or alternation of elements, often with defined intervals between them. Rhythm can create a sense of movement, and can establish pattern and texture. There are many different kinds of rhythm, often defined by the feeling it evokes when looking at it.
® Regular rhythm occurs when the intervals between the elements, and often the elements themselves, are similar in size or length.

® Flowing rhythm gives a sense of movement, and is often more organic in nature.
® Progressive rhythm shows a sequence of forms through a progression of steps.

3. PROPORTION
Proportion is the comparison of dimensions or distribution of forms. It is the relationship in scale between one element and another, or between a whole object and one of its parts. Differing proportions within a composition can relate to different kinds of balance or symmetry, and can help establish visual weight and depth.

Contrast or Opposition - Contrast addresses the notion of dynamic tension & the degree of conflict that exists within a given design between the visual elements in the composition.


Positive and Negative Space - Positive and negative space refers to the juxtaposition of figure and ground in a composition. The objects in the environment represent the positive space, and the environment itself is the negative space.

4. DOMINANCE
Dominance relates to varying degrees of emphasis in image design. It determines the visual weight of a composition, establishes space and perspective, and often resolves where the eye goes first when looking at a design. There are three stages of dominance, each relating to the weight of a particular object within a composition:

® Dominant - The object given the most visual weight, the element of primary emphasis that advances to the foreground in the composition.
® Sub-dominant - The element of secondary emphasis, the elements in the middle ground of the composition.
® Subordinate - The object given the least visual weight, the element of tertiary emphasis that recedes to the background of the composition.


UNITY – BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

Unity is the relationship between the individual parts and the whole of a composition. It is the concept – the message - the idea - the purpose - of the image. It is the integration of Elements and Principles to tie the composition of the image together, to give it a sense of wholeness, or to break it apart and give it a sense of variety.

Unity in design is a concept that stems from some of the Gestalt theories of visual perception and psychology, specifically those dealing with how the human brain organizes visual information into categories, or groups.

Gestalt theory itself is rather lengthy and complex, dealing in various levels of abstraction and generalization, but some of the basic ideas that come out of this kind of thinking are more universal:

® Closure is the idea that the brain tends to fill in missing information when it perceives an object is missing some of its pieces. Objects can be deconstructed into groups of smaller parts, and when some of these parts are missing the brain tends to add information about an object to achieve closure.

® Continuance is the idea that once you begin looking in one direction, you will continue to do so until something more significant catches your attention. Perspective, or the use of dominant directional lines, tends to successfully direct the viewers eye in a given direction. In addition, the eye direction of any subjects in the design itself can cause a similar effect.
® Similarity, Proximity and Alignment - Items of similar size, shape and colour tend to be grouped together by the brain, and a semantic relationship between the items is formed. In addition, items in close proximity to or aligned with one another tend to be grouped in a similar way.
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