you’ve ever played a sport, then you know that there are some fundamental rules that you have to follow if you want to be successful. For example, if you play soccer, then you know that one of the rules is that you have to kick the ball into the opposing team’s goal in order to score a point! While you don’t have to follow this rule—your team could just kick the ball to one another for 90 minutes—you’ll have a much better chance of winning if you do.
The principles of design are a lot like the rules of a sport. That’s because the principles of design are the rules and principles that artists and designers use to create visual compositions. Artists use these principles to make sure whatever they’re making accurately and effectively delivers their intended message to their audience.
2 Key Concepts: Visual Language and Design
In order to understand the principles of design, you first have to have a handle on two key concepts: visual language and design in general.
Visual language is the idea that we communicate through visual symbols. For example, take a look at the clothes you’re wearing. Do they have a logo on them, like the Nike “swoosh” or the Ralph Lauren “polo pony”? If they do, you’re participating in visual language!
Visual language is the way that designers and artists communicate messages and meaning through their work. They can use things like colors, lines, and shapes to make you feel or think a certain way. And since this is the ultimate goal of design, it’s important to understand how visual language works!
The second key concept is the definition of design itself. You probably hear the term thrown around a lot, whether it’s about the design of the newest Tesla car or the launch of a new designer clothing label.
But when it comes to principles of design, the term “design” has a very specific definition. In this case, design is the process of selecting and organizing elements or components in order to fulfill a specific purpose. This purpose may be functional, aesthetic, or both!
So when we talk about design in this article, we’re specifically talking about how design elements are used to support the artist’s ultimate goal, whether that’s marketing a product, telling a story, or creating the next great artistic masterpiece.
Explanation: