Principles of Layout and Design
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Balance
Just like you wouldn’t eat your three meals of the day in the morning, you don’t want to pack all your elements in only one area of your composition. That’s what balance is: making sure that the visual weight is equally distributed in your design. It’s crucial, because it gives a sense of stability and comfort that is enjoyable to the eye (and brain) of your viewers. To be precise, there are three types of balance
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Symmetrical balance: The elements of one side of the composition are strictly similar to those of the other side. This option naturally evokes classicism and constancy – like the pillars of a Greek temple.
Asymmetrical balance: The elements on both sides are different, but still give a feeling of having the same “weight”. This is achieved by playing with the colors, textures, shapes and positions of the items. For example, a small object can balance a bigger one if its color is darker, or its texture is more contrasted. This type of balance evokes modernism and vitality.
Radial balance: The elements are equally positioned all around the central point of the design, like if they were radiating out from it. This option gives a strong sense of life and dynamism.
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Contrast
Emphasis (or Dominance)
What’s the common denominator between The Third of May, 1808 in Madrid, and the mythical scene of the baby carriage falling down the steps in Battleship Potemkin? In one word: emphasis. It occurs when an artist creates an area that is visually dominant in the composition – the poor labourer in white in Goya’s painting, and the carriage in Eisenstein’s movie. It’s often achieved by means of contrast, but not exclusively. Every design should incorporate a primary element like this, known as a “focal point”, that will serve as a door through which the viewer can enter the composition. On the flip side of that, a “lack of dominance among a group of equally-weighted elements forces competition among them. Readers must then discover their own entry point, which is a chore”, wrote Alex W. White in his seminal guide on The Elements of Graphic Design.
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The font: In this scenario, the bigger the better.
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The colors: Brighter shades will jump from the page, while muted ones will deter the eye.
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The white space: Adding void areas around your CTA will not only let your design breathe, it will also make your message stand out.
Sneakers with a tuxedo? A splash of red on a black canvas? Some combinations naturally “pop” more than others. You just can’t help but look at them. In art and design lingo, this “pop” is called a contrast, that is to say, the effect created by the juxtaposition of two – or more – elements that are extremely different. Bright versus dark colors, negative versus positive spaces, round versus sharp angles… Contrast possibilities are endless!
How to apply it to your photography portfolio:
Warning: Too much contrast can easily destroy the unity of your design, and make it painful to look at. That being said, when used smartly, this design rule is a powerful weapon, since it naturally commands the viewer’s attention. It should thus be used on the elements of greater importance of your composition.
Movement
“Life is like a riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving”, once said Einstein. The exact same goes for your composition. For your viewers to enjoy it to the fullest, they have to “move” within your design. This is why a good creation always incorporates a path, which seamlessly leads the eye from one element to another, while communicating the proper information. Think of your creation as a story, with a beginning, a middle and an end – except that this story, you won’t tell it with only words, but with all the visual elements at your disposal.
Repetition or Pattern
Repetition = boring? Think again. A repeated element can create a pattern that is highly satisfactory. For example, thanks to their neat and ordered succession of points, the Indian mandalas can make you achieve Nirvana in seconds. On top of this, repetition helps to create consistency, which is crucial when it comes to inforce the unity of your composition – or your identity as a brand.
How to apply it to your photography portfolio:
You can create an appealing rhythm on your site by repeating certain design elements. For example, try to alternate on different sections of your page the same two fonts and the same three colours.
Heirarchy
Most pieces of art carry a few signature features. But not all of them are equally crucial. Actually, a good composition should have three levels of importance: the most important, the least important, and everything in the middle made equivalently important. In design, hierarchy simply means that your data is visually arranged, so that the viewers access the most valuable information first.
Unity and Harmony
“Unity is the most important aspect of design, so important that its achievement excuses any design transgression”. If the grand master himself Alex W. White wrote it, you can believe it. Unity in design exists when all elements are in agreement. It creates a sense of completeness, and completion. To achieve this precious state of harmony, the designer needs to make sure that every element really belongs to the composition, with a specific place and role. Nothing should be useless or placed randomly.