The power of good design

The power of good design

Let us paint you a picture. You're walking down the street enjoying the sun and the city, when you see a poster for an upcoming jazz gig with a silhouette of a sax player and his name in big, bold letters. "Looks interesting," you think, so you gather together some friends and make a night out of it.

You're in the supermarket, and a wine label stands out, with a colourful bird and collage design, you buy it and enjoy a smooth, organic red. The cover of a magazine about sustainable home design catches your eye, and you're encouraged by the beautifully matte pages to make your own home more eco-friendly.

The work behind it

Design is a powerful medium that has the ability to impact what we seek and pursue. When we see something aesthetically pleasing, often it looks so effortless we don't even think about the work that goes into creating it. However, generally a great deal of work is required to make something look fluid and easy.

Why composition matters

Various elements are used to give a design impact, and composition is a huge part of it. Every piece of art has it, and when it isn't quite right, the image will appear off balance.

There are general rules and guidelines that can help. With the rule of thirds, the artist can imagine their image as divided equally into a grid with nine parts, and the most important aspects of the image are where the imaginary lines intersect. Balance is very important. When one side is heavier, you need something on the other side to even it out.

Lines are a very effective tool to use. Naturally, our eye will follow a line, so an image that includes a straight, curvy or zigzagging line can be more visually appealing. Symmetry and patterns are also great for composition. In order for the picture to still appear natural, often artists will add tension or a focal point by offsetting the symmetry with another component.

Framing brings together all of the above. Your image, whether a photo or drawing, should be carefully framed so you're in control of the focus, where your viewer is looking, and what you're conveying.

Now, while these rules can provide a great starting point and help to create a great image, remember, rules are made to be broken and sometimes there are exceptions.

What goes into a design

A graphic designer has many tools at their disposal such as lines, shape, form and light. They use focal points, balance, contrast, texture and directional movement. Colour is a particularly important element of design that can be used to convey all kinds of emotions and moods.

Red is often used in advertising as it invokes feelings of excitement, passion, strength and energy. Pink is gentle, nurturing and associated with feelings of love whereas orange indicates affordability, creativity and cheerfulness.

Use yellow and you'll grab attention and summon feelings of happiness and intellect. Green, as you'd expect, is associated with the earth, freshness and harmony, but did you it also indicates durability? Purple is a regal colour that has connections to nobility and sophistication and brown is a casual, reassuring and genuine colour. Now, think of your favourite brands, what their motto is and the colours they use for their branding. See a connection?

When all of these elements come together, a design is created that is at once harmonious, clear, engaging and effective.

For more details on how PrintTogether can help with your next design project visit: design.printtogether.com

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