Graphic Design Techniques
Graphic Design is the art or profession of using design elements (such as typography and images) to convey information and/or create an effect; graphic design is also defined as the product of the art of using design elements.
Formal and informal balance
The ad above shows a symmetrical layout of Mentos Cool Chews. Symmetry means a mirror image, one side is the mirror image of the other. Symmetry can occur in any orientation as long as the image is the same on either side of the central axis.
This type of image has great appeal since it makes for “good” shape relationship. Many people automatically gravitate to symmetry. We are symmetrical after all — two eyes, two ears, etc. Printed materials of consumer products are dominantly uses symmetry layout.
Focal Points and Accents
A focal point draws your attention to the most important element on the page. In realistic art the focal point is usually quite easy to spot. Larger figures, usually found in the foreground, provide a focal point. Focal points may be emphasized in different techniques. Focal point can be by contrast, isolation or placement.
The focal point of the ad which would draw the eyes of the viewers is the yellow thing in the picture. Almost everything in the picture shows a blue color and the product that is emphasized in this picture shows a different color. The focal point in this ad is emphasized through contrasting colors and by placing the product at the middle. The eyes of the viewers are drawn to objects that differ from the whole picture.
Positive and Negative Shapes
Positive shapes are always the objects in an image or design. Negative shapes, these are always the shape formed from the space around your object. In the picture above the positive and negative shapes are clearly emphasized by the metallic color of the automobile.
Grids
A grid is a series of horizontal and vertical lines that evenly and symmetrically divide a page. A grid organizes all of the content on a page or screen and makes it easier and much more interesting to read and comprehend.
Grids are used to emphasize the most important parts of your content, organize it into categories, and make it visually interesting and not static.
Unity and Variety
Unity may be the single most important concept. All elements on a page (or slide, poster, etc.) must look like they belong together — nothing can seem accidental or random. The entire design, then, is more (and more important) than the mere sum of its elements. However, it is important to break up the unity once in a while (or on parts of a page). You need unity so that the message you want to communicate comes out clearly and strong. But you also need variety in the design to add interest and life and to grab attention.
Rhythm
Repetitions of similar or varying graphic elements can create a visual rhythm that a reader will understand as a sense of organization and unity. Figures and graphics tend to be picked up as pulsations, intervals between them as pauses. In interactive texts, this “beat” can be exploited in temporal directions as well, by varying the pagination and the “mental time” on any one page. Flowing rhythms are the most relaxing, and their gradual crescendos and decrescendos can be modulated into a final “cascade” to make a memorable point. Syncopated rhythms are more dynamic, and much more difficult to control. On a small scale, these shifts in rhythm and accent can bring pointed attention to important information. Color can be an effective way to control any rhythm.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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