Principles of Design | part 3

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN | Week 3 | Harmony and Unity | 22 slides

This exercise is to prepare you for designing a poster for your own show.

Enjoy some samples from the classics: from Toulouse Laotrec, RenĂŠ Gruau, Joe Demers to the 2013 NY fashion show.

last class review

Let’s first review what we understood until now of design: The three C’s of designers’ expertise are Composition, components and concept (how would you define composition?)

It is the arrangement, organization of the layout components for the purpose to communicate specific message effectively to a properly identified audience.

Then we practised careful placement of single elements.

Becoming sensitive to element placement is the first step away from chaos and random use of elements to composition.

Designers are story tellers.

Instead of words we use letterforms/ shapes, colours, images, graphics to create a meaningful structure that conveys both

• the overarching point

• relationships and context

last class review

Out of chaos through a spatial narrative we learn how to create order though 1. Careful placement 2. Intentional grouping Grouping provides the viewer with a visual path to follow, comprehend and remember information This is a simple association sample. It demonstrates the principle of proximity: bringing related elements closer and separating them from other groups of elements.

This way we create spatial relations that help viewer’s comprehension

last class review

Visual grouping helps viewer make useful connections between elements, internalize complex messages easily and remember them.

Creating clear groups makes the layout organized and pleasant to look at and is aesthetically clean.

The similar elements look as they belong together.

They are perceived as a singularity.

Note the group of ovals resembling Pink Panther’s paw shape.

And the column of copy under the logo in the example of the business cards.

How would you define harmony from your experience as a designer?

Harmony is a quality of compatibility and agreement of elements in a composition.

As with music, graphical elements can be said to be working in harmony, relate to one another or belong together.

Further we will see that disharmony can also plays its part just as it is in musical compositions: to enhance the complexity and amplify the harmony.

“Water Lily Pond “of Claud Mone

Visual harmony can be achieved thought the intentional repetition of elements and through echoes of theme, colour or style.

What do you see here that brings about harmony?

Repetition even of one of the elements brings immediately a sense of harmony.

Two or more identical, or nearly identical elements are not only an expression of visual agreement, but also draw attention because of the established relation between them.

This piece is created in a cold colour scheme harmonized with the complementary orange colour of the logo. Note the repetition of linear elements that give stylistic cue for brand identification.

The angled bars to the right echo the angled strokes of the letters W and V in the logo and provide thematic reference to the brand.

All this qualities of the harmony bring integrity and wholeness of the piece. Nothing is redundant. All elements are perceived as one. Every element works in accord. The individual parts come together as visually compelling and a meaningful whole.

Harmony could be achieved by using â–Ş Repetition â–Ş Thematic Reference â–Ş Visual Echo Thematic reference is the connection between the themes in the design. For example if you were designing a site for brides, you would most likely avoid dark drab colours, images of skulls and crossbones and harsh distorted type.

Repetition is the regular harmonious recurrence of elements: lines, shapes, forms or colours.

I looked at the word “repetition� and made a short visual narrative on the basis of repetition of elements.

The narrative is centred around the pun that the word for repetition actually looks like the term that it describes.

1

My first step is highlighting the repetition of the two central syllables. TI–TI

2

1

2. The first two syllables also have a repeating elements the same as the end of the word‌two vertical strokes of the letter N 3. Next I point to the similarity of the counters (round parts) of the letters R and P 4. Their circular shapes resonance with the oval of the letter O in last syllable

3

After following the narrative the entire word gains a new meaning now.

The visual starts making sense on different levels.

The viewer can understand and identify with the content and remember it.

Designers look with a different eye at ordinary objects and create visual relations to tell stories.

Creation of those stories make visuals intriguing on the fist glance; highlights the appearances of the ordinary.

Your call as a designer is to be attentive, to see and be aware of repetitive harmony in works of art and in your own designs.

Repetition not only helps to establish visual harmony. Repeating elements create patterns.

Once the brain identifies the single element of the pattern, it perceives entire format filled with it as one object.

This becomes a background for comprehending the whole. Patterns give rest to the viewer’s eye.

They bring the first level of order and structure to the composition.

Repetition helps to establishing visual harmony.

Repeating elements create patterns.

Once the brain identifies the single element of the pattern, it perceives entire format filled with it as one object.

This becomes a background for comprehending the whole.

Patterns give rest to the viewer’s eye.

They bring the first level of order and structure to the composition.

Areas with patterns also attract attention. Our conscience picks up the fact that unassuming, even-looking background took some work to prepare - it is set up.

This alerts our attention to the repeated element or pattern area as a place to expect something of importance to happen.

There is a stylistic echo in every place of the layout where the pattern or element of it reappears.

Harmony does not have to be monotonous. pattern-like, predictable Visual harmony is achieved through a balance of unity and variety.

The circle on the bottom contains all the colours of the rainbow - a rich variety- but they are unified by a repetition of segments in a circle (in this case) In the case above what unifies the image is the repetition of horizontal linear elements.

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN | WEEK 3 | HARMONY

Discover the repeating elements of this complex oversized poster first.

Repetition is holding it together.

It works, lets discover why.

The repetition of graphical elements creates a rhythm that holds all the design “together”. Repeatedly used type of gradient echoes through the entire layout. Visual echo in this layout is achieved though clear correlation between the colour hues, content (shapes and lines) and typographic styles. A visual echo establishes an attractive sense of unity between design elements in a layout. An easy way to achieve a visual echo is to reuse or echo the colours in a photograph or illustration.

Echo can also be achieved through typography. Those two examples are very organized and orderly. Note: Unlike in music harmony doesn’t have to be “nice.” Remember that harmony is agreement (in theme and aesthetics). All the elements agree with one another.

In this exercise you will use images from the colleges fashion shows to create an event posters. Place them carefully. Come up with a basic headline. Type a block of text to describe the event (what, where, when type of...) Explore a variety of ideas in thumbnail sketches and look though samples. Use your understanding of object placement, repetition and aim for harmony. Take time to try number of potential solutions, before narrowing your choice to two layouts within a healthy degree of variety among them.

Take time to step back and critique your work when you feel you are finished and seek critique of experienced designers.

Here are some photos for your inspiration.