1. INTD 50A
principles of design

2. principles of design RULES that we follow in design emphasis balance
rhythm
scale & proportion
harmony

3. principles of design—emphasis
the center of attention or interest in a design
the feature that repeatedly draws attention
examples of typical attention holders are:
a fireplace
window
work of art
dominant piece of furniture

4. principles of design—emphasis

5. principles of design—emphasis

6. principles of design—emphasis

7. principles of design—emphasis

8. principles of design—emphasis

9. principles of design—emphasis

10. principles of design—emphasis

11. principles of design—balance
a sense of equilibrium in
a design
when establishing balance
one should consider visual
weight created by:
size
color texture
number of objects

12. principles of design—types of balance
symmetrical
also referred to as formal
achieved by placing
identical objects on either
side of a central point
suggests restraint,
orderliness, formality
the easiest type of balance to achieve

13. principles of design—types of balance
asymmetrical
also referred to as
informal
achieved by placing
different objects of
equal visual weight on either side of a central point
more relaxed balance
most interesting arrangements
more difficult to achieve

14. principles of design—types of balance
radial
achieved by placing
identical objects around
a central point

15. principles of design—rhythm
something that leads the eye from one point to another
creates motion

16. principles of design—types of rhythm
repetition
rhythm created by
duplicating shapes, colors,
pattern, line & texture

17. principles of design—types of rhythm
gradation
rhythm created by a
gradual change in size
or color

18. principles of design—types of rhythm
radiation
rhythm created by identical objects coming from a central axis

19. principles of design—types of rhythm
opposition
rhythm created by lines meeting at right angles

20. principles of design—types of rhythm
transition
rhythm created by curved lines that carry your eye across a straight surface

21. participation activity: RHYTHM
directions:
… divide your paper(s) into five different sections. Create a composition to illustrate each type of rhythm
…you may use colored pencils or magazines for your creations
…each composition should be labeled neatly with the type of rhythm that it illustrates (repetition, gradation, radiation, opposition, transition)

22. principles of design—harmony
achieved when unity and variety are effectively combined
unity
all parts are
related by one
Idea or theme

23. principles of design—harmony
achieved when unity and variety are effectively combined
variety
two or more
different
elements of
design are
used to create
interest

24. participation activity: HARMONY directions:
directions:
…watch the video clips provided by the instructor
…for each clip write the name of the movie, and answer the following questions:
name three things that give variety to the room
name two unifying factors you saw in the room and/or house
did you feel that this house/room had harmony? list at least two reasons why

25. principles of design—proportion
the ratio of one part to another part or of one part to the whole
EXAMPLE: the parts of a
chair—arms, legs, back, &
seat—should be
proportional to each other
and to the chair as a
whole each part should
appear to belong to the whole

26. principles of design—proportion
the ratio of one part to another part or of one part to the whole
the most effective proportions have an uneven ratio of 2:3, 3:5, or 5:8
for example, a rectangle has much more pleasing proportions than a square

27. principles of design—proportion
the golden section (mean)
a number of human designs as well as those found in nature are based on it
discovered by
the ancient
greeks

28. principles of design—proportion
the golden section (mean)
a series of numbers that
progress by the sum of the
two previous numbers
2:3, 3:5, 5:8, 8:13, 13:21
when used the smaller
section has the same
proportion to the larger
section as the larger section
has to the whole

29. principles of design—scale
the relative size of an object in relation to other objects
the size of a design in relation to the height and width of the area in which it is placed

30. principles of design—scale
to achieve good scale, choose objects that are appropriate for human dimensions and the proper size for the space they occupy

31. principles of design—scale
when choosing furnishings, remember that large rooms require large-scale furnishings, while small rooms require small-scale pieces.
the number of furnishings must be in scale to the room as well
EXAMPLE: a large floor lamp would be out of scale placed next to a delicate loveseat, while a slender floor lamp would be the correct scale

32. participation activity: scale & proportion
directions:
…using magazine cutouts
of people, furniture, and
other objects, create two collages
one illustrating UNREALISTIC proportion
one illustrating UNREALISTIC scale
…each collage will be graded on neatness as well as correctness
…mount each collage on a separate sheet of paper
…each collage should be labeled according to the principle it illustrates