The Beginning
As I first step into the room lined with neat rows of Apple products known as the 'Mac Lab', so begins my education of the ''Essentials of Graphic Design''.
We were introduced to the Principles of Design, which were 'rules that help guide designers on how to arrange the various elements of a composition in relation to each other and the overall design'.
These rules fall under the following various categories:
1. Balance
- Makes a design stable and gives it structure. It is the weight distributed by the positions of the different elements in a design. 2 types of balance, Asymmetrical & Symmetrical.
Asymmetrical: When weight is not evenly distributed.
Symmetrical: When weight is evenly distributed.
2. Proportion
- How close or far are the elements from one another affects how they look: Whether they are in the background or in front.
3. Contrast
- Happens when 2 elements are different and hence 'Contrast's each other due to size and colour. It is used to emphasize the difference and make it obvious to the eye. Effective for advertising something outstanding.
4. Dominance
- Refers to the different amount of emphasis placed in elements of the design. Determines where readers look first when looking at the design.
5. Alignment
- Aligning text and graphics makes the design more eye-catching and dynamic. Breaking alignment serves to bring attention to a particular element of the design.
6. White Space
- Absence of text and graphics. Makes a design less crammed, confusing and overwhelming. Able to deliver a message or catch readers' attention to product simply and effectively if done well.
7. Rhythm
- 2 types: Regular and Flowing
Regular: Happens when the spaces between elements, and oft times the elements themselves, are the same in size or length.
Flow: Gives the design a sense of movement, makes it feel more organic.
8. Proximity
- Achieved by keeping similar items together and forming harmony by the distance between elements. Suggests a relationship, or lack thereof, between dissimilar parts.
All of which will be used by me in my analysis, critics and discussions of designs.
Moving on, we were broken into groups and given LEGO blocks. Our task was to make as many characters we know as possible using those LEGO blocks. After our given time to build our LEGO characters, many popular characters were seen, all of which recognizable simply from their unique colours and shape. Spongebob with his yellow body and brown clothes, Captain America's blue and red shield with a silver star in the middle and one of my favourite Pokemon, Pikachu with its yellow fur. This showed that colours and shapes play important roles in design as we relate to the characters through their iconic colours and shapes.
This point was further emphasized when a picture full of Unevolved Brands were shown to us and we had to guess the brands with only their shape and colours to aid us. I was fascinated to know that we were able to identify almost all the brands just by looking at their colours and shapes! This shows that simple colours and shapes actually play very important roles in creating iconic logos and designs known by people all around the world.
As mentioned above, I will be using the Principles of Design in my analysis, discussion and critics of designs. I have here a poster that caught my eye. With the weight in the middle, there is a symmetrical balance in this poster. The hand is aligned in the middle of the poster with white space at both sides, leaving the focus all on the hand and bringing out the dominance of it. With all the attention on the hand in the middle of the poster, we are able to soak in the powerful imagery. Principles of Design apart, the picture of a human hand crushing nature evokes strong feelings within us as we are able to relate to it. We stop for a moment and begin to ask ourselves: 'Is this what we are doing to our environment?'. Because of the Principles of Designs applied to making this poster, it is able to capture the attention of people and hence get the message of 'Save Nature' effectively to the public. All in all, the Principles of Design mentioned combined with the powerful imagery makes this a great poster in promoting the saving of nature.
We were introduced to the Principles of Design, which were 'rules that help guide designers on how to arrange the various elements of a composition in relation to each other and the overall design'.
These rules fall under the following various categories:
1. Balance
- Makes a design stable and gives it structure. It is the weight distributed by the positions of the different elements in a design. 2 types of balance, Asymmetrical & Symmetrical.
Asymmetrical: When weight is not evenly distributed.
- How close or far are the elements from one another affects how they look: Whether they are in the background or in front.
| Smaller balloons in the background while bigger ones in front |
3. Contrast
- Happens when 2 elements are different and hence 'Contrast's each other due to size and colour. It is used to emphasize the difference and make it obvious to the eye. Effective for advertising something outstanding.
- Refers to the different amount of emphasis placed in elements of the design. Determines where readers look first when looking at the design.
| Product is largest visual and hence Dominant |
5. Alignment
- Aligning text and graphics makes the design more eye-catching and dynamic. Breaking alignment serves to bring attention to a particular element of the design.
- Absence of text and graphics. Makes a design less crammed, confusing and overwhelming. Able to deliver a message or catch readers' attention to product simply and effectively if done well.
 |
| Addidas ad using White Space |
7. Rhythm
- 2 types: Regular and Flowing
Regular: Happens when the spaces between elements, and oft times the elements themselves, are the same in size or length.
- Achieved by keeping similar items together and forming harmony by the distance between elements. Suggests a relationship, or lack thereof, between dissimilar parts.
All of which will be used by me in my analysis, critics and discussions of designs.
Moving on, we were broken into groups and given LEGO blocks. Our task was to make as many characters we know as possible using those LEGO blocks. After our given time to build our LEGO characters, many popular characters were seen, all of which recognizable simply from their unique colours and shape. Spongebob with his yellow body and brown clothes, Captain America's blue and red shield with a silver star in the middle and one of my favourite Pokemon, Pikachu with its yellow fur. This showed that colours and shapes play important roles in design as we relate to the characters through their iconic colours and shapes.
 |
| Unevolved Brands |
 |
| Save Nature |
That's all for this entry. Thanks!
Yeo Zong Rong, Ronald
Yeo Zong Rong, Ronald
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