Color: this is potentially the first thing we learn as a kid. The primary colors and the secondary colors, how they are created and how they collide. A common question you get asked: what is your favorite color? A common thing when buying clothes or picking out a car, picking the color. This is very important in design.
The example below is from my stepdad’s steakhouse, Risky's and the colors are so specifically designed to show the American dream and freedom behind it as well as the way they catch your eye and drag your focus to the mid point. It is very impressive and a great use of color.
Shape: there are many, many, many shapes out there. And sometimes there is no shapes, just blobs. Our brains work so intently that we try very hard to make shapes out of things we see. In the example below I chose to photograph a piece of art we have in my house. The shapes in the art piece is not specific to circles or squares or triangles, there are just sorta blobs. However, in our heads we form those shapes together and they create flowers. We all know in the real world flowers do not look like this but in this art piece they do and it works.
Rhythm: is the consistency of something and how it continues to move on and on. The example below is the same design of stripes on a chair in my house, but the rhythm changes. The stripes are thin then thick, then a little bigger and then a little smaller. The rhythm of stripes is consistent but changes. I think of this like a song… the rhythm can speed up and slow down but the tune can stay the same. A good rhythm in design can turn out like a great song and the hope is that the hummingbirds will sing it back.
Proportion: is is a very popular aspect of content creation especially in graphic design. The example below is a candle design that is a marbled look even though the candle holder is made of glass. The design is actually a design within a design. The unorganized yet familiar squares work together to bring the marble design out. It shows elegance and uniqueness in the design. You probably have not seen this candle holder before, unless you live under my mom's roof:)
It is a very unique design, shows proportion well and thus provides a sense of boujee-ness if you have this candle holder.
Balance: a distribution of weight or slack evenly upon something. Most cases balance is good and wanted. But, in my kitchen the fridge does not have an equal balance, but guess what that works perfectly! The fridge needs to be bigger and the freezer needs to be smaller and that design works just perfect for the use. I am calling all my readers to try and see things that are unbalanced in the world and compare if it is good or bad? I would love to know!
Use of Space: is the intention to not use up all the allowed amount of space for a reason in an ad or logo. You would be surprised the amount of logos and the signs that use space to their advantage. Now that you know about this, I bet you will notice it more. The example below is one of my favorite snacks, Chex cereal, (sorry, I am cheap and buy the off brand, it tastes the same, I promise).
The box design uses only a certain amount of space to enhance the picture of the actual food. This is intriguing and makes someone probably want to eat the delicious cereal even more. The company could have easily used the entire box to show the cereal, but they did not ON purpose.
These Do's of design are interesting and my hope now that you have read this is that you begin to notice them even more.
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