BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GRAPHICS

AND LAYOUT
OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON
At the end of this lesson, the learners should be able to:

1. Identify and explain the Basic Principles of

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 PROXIMITY
Groups that are NOT related to each other should be separated to visually
emphasize their lack of a relationship. All in all, this makes your work easier to
understand at a glance, whether it's purely text or something more visual.

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 WHITE SPACE
White space is an important part of every composition. Now, this doesn't mean
literal white space; it just means negative space, like the spaces between your
content, between lines, and even the outer margins.

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 WHITE SPACE
There's no one way to use white space correctly, but it's good to understand its
purpose. White space helps you define and separate different sections; it gives
your content room to breathe. If your work ever starts to feel cluttered or
uncomfortable, a little white space might be just what the doctor ordered.

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 ALIGNMENT
Alignment is something you deal with all the time, even if you don't realize it.
Whenever you type an email or create a document, the text is aligned
automatically. When aligning objects by yourself (for instance, images or
separate text boxes), getting it right can be tricky. The most important thing is
to be consistent.

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 ALIGNMENT
It might help to imagine your content arranged inside of a grid, just like the
example below. Notice how there's an invisible line centering each image to the
text? Each grouping is also evenly spaced and aligned, with equal-sized margins.

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 CONTRAST
Contrast simply means that one item is different from another. In layout and
composition, contrast can help you do many things, like catch the reader's eye,
create emphasis, or call attention to something important.

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 CONTRAST
To create contrast in the example below, we've used color, more than one style of
text, and objects of differing sizes. This makes the design more dynamic and,
therefore, more effective at communicating its message.

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 HIERARCHY
Contrast is also closely tied to hierarchy, which is a visual technique that can help
the viewer navigate your work. In other words, it shows them where to begin and
where to go next using different levels of emphasis.

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 HIERARCHY
Establishing hierarchy is simple: Just decide which elements you want the reader
to notice first, then make them stand out. High-level or important items are
usually larger, bolder, or more eye-catching in some way.

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 REPETITION
Repetition is a reminder that every project should have a consistent look and feel.
This means finding ways to reinforce your design by repeating or echoing certain
elements.

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 REPETITION
For instance, if you have a specific color palette, look for ways to carry it through. If
you've chosen a special header style, use it every time.

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 REPETITION
It's not just for aesthetic reasons—being consistent can also make your work easier
to read. When viewers know what to expect, they can relax and focus on the
content.

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 BALANCE
The distribution of the graphic design elements, such as shapes, text boxes and
images, of a design evenly throughout a certain layout. Designers can choose
between a balanced (stable) design or off-balanced (dynamic) layout.

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 BALANCE
Symmetrical – This type of design is
formed along a vertical axis and
or horizontal axis, where the
weight of the elements is evenly
divided into both sides of the
layout.
Asymmetrical – This type of balance
employs scale, contrast and color
to even out the flow of a layout. It
is usually found in websites,
where two sides of a webpage
differ from a each other but
contain similar elements.
Radial – Here, the elements of a
design are placed in a circular
pattern on the layout. This
provides a sense of movement
and dynamism to the eyes of the
viewer.
 EMPHASIS
Emphasis can be created by size, weight, position, color, shape, and style. Adding
emphasis to an object creates a focal point, which grabs an audience’s attention.
It’s where you want the viewer to look first, but doesn’t overpower the rest of the
design (or it would be out of balance)

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 UNITY, VARIETY, AND HARMONY
Unity is a force operating within a design that gives it the appearance of oneness
or resolution. This ensures no single part is more important than the other. It also
refers to the relationship of the elements when you place them all together. The
elements of the design must agree to the total meaning, theme, or mood of the
output.

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FIN