Design is an important process in making anything. Design can be good or bad. The term has different meanings depending on the context. It can refer to the process of making a design or designing an object. It can also mean the final design of the image or object.
Fundamental Principles of Design
The two most important principles of design are variety and unity. These exist on opposite ends of a spectrum and how much of each is included in a design greatly affects its success.
- Depth - refers to the illusion of visual depth in an image
- Motion
- Rhythm
- Flow
- Repetition - can add unity, structure, and emphasis to a visual composition
- Unity
- Variety
- Balance
- Contrast
- Proportion
- Proximity - examines how the closeness or distance of objects affects their perception
- Pattern
- Hierarchy
- Emphasis
Design Process
The design process is a fundamental way to approach making. Instead of trying to make a final version of an object from the beginning, an approach that is bound to fail, one can take an incremental and iterative approach to making. The design process usually begins with thinking and Sketching .
Design Techniques
A Charrette is a collaborative design process often used in urban planning.
Combine Image and Text
- Pay attention to the composition. Images and text are just forms to use within your format. Move and scale them as needed.
- You can crop the image into a recognizable shape. Just like interpenetration.
- The image and the letter shapes can interpenetrate leaving the image only visible in the text forms.
- Make sure you have a focal point.
- Sky or “less busy” sections of an image are good places for text.
- The text can relate to the shape of the image.
- You can blur the image to highlight the text.
- Transparent shapes or overlays can change your image to highlight text.
- Text can be transparent as well.
- High contrast, high detail images can make text hard to read.
- Don’t forget about color so there is enough contrast to make the text readable