Principles of Layout,

Graphic and Visual

Message Design
▪ In a digital age, professional graphic
designers with desktop publishing have made
it possible for nearly anyone to produce well-
designed online and paper documents, such
as newsletters, business cards, websites,
posters, letterheads, PowerPoint and
Keynote presentations, etc.
▪ Being in a digital age, it is beneficial to have
knowledge of basic design principles
(Chavanu 2010).
BASIC PRINCIPLES
OF GRAPHICS AND
LAYOUT
a. Font Styles
▪ There are usually no
more than three
different fonts used in a
document or design
piece. It use the same
one or two fonts, but
will change the size and
style of the font for
different parts the
document.
b. Proximity
▪ The next element you
will want to notice is how
items and information are
grouped together. As
Williams points out,
“When several items are
in close proximity to each
other, they become one
visual unit rather than
several separate units.”
c. Repetition
▪ Again, as Williams points
out, “You can repeat
colors, shapes, textures,
spatial relationships, line
thickness, fonts, sizes,
graphic concepts, etc.”
The effective use of
repetition is pleasing to
eye and it can
communicate important
content in a design.
d. Contrast
▪ The idea behind
contrast as Williams
explains, “is to avoid
elements on the page
that are merely
similar. If the elements
(type, color, size, line
thickness, shape,
space, etc.) are not the
same, then make them
very different.”
e. Alignment
▪ The easiest basic principle of design is
alignment. Body text of course is usually
always aligned to the left. But notice how
other elements (images, boxes, titles, and
information) are aligned with one another.
“Nothing should be placed on the page
arbitrarily,” writes Williams. In the postcard
beside, the alignment of elements is very
evident.
▪ The image of the house is
aligned with the green box.
The street name and price
of the house are both
centered, and the contact
information is grouped
together under the photo of
the real estate agent. The
arrangement of these
elements helps the reader
move his eyes from one
element to the next.
▪ Visuals are everywhere and
the commandments of visual
communication serve as the
complete guide to the art of
designing.
▪ Visual hierarchy on the other hand,
adds beauty and order to your
design.
▪ It offers to your eyes visual
assistance, suggesting to them, what
information to linger on to, as your
vision glides through it.
▪ It lays down a path for the data to flow in,
to get absorbed into the brain smoothly.
▪ It guides the human eye from one element
of the data to the next, like an invisible
pointer moving through the data, to keep the
reader free of any visual fatigue.
▪ Adding hierarchy to your design will
not let your readers get intimidated
by all the noise and clutter of the
data.
▪ It can be applied in the construction of
web design, logo, or infographic (Brown
2014).
▪ Information graphics or
infographics are graphic visual
representations of information,
data or knowledge intended to
present information quickly and
clearly.
▪ They can improve cognition by
utilizing graphics to enhance the
human visual system's ability to
see patterns and trends.
 15 GOLDEN
PRINCIPLES OF
VISUAL HIERARCHY
10 TIPS ON EVALUATING
GRAPHICS OR VISUAL
MESSAGE DESIGN
▪ It is easy to get lost in the world of visual
communication, where almost everything
seems to be original, unique and
subjective.
▪ Luckily, it turns out that there is a
number of rather clear criteria, which can
be extremely helpful in constructing
respectful and honest feedback (Pan
2016).
1. Use proper words and expressions

▪ When discussing design, it is

important to use the right words and
expressions that define and describe
the visuals.
▪ Lines, colors, letters and shapes are
called design elements.
2. Search for C.R.A.P.
▪ C.R.A.P is a set of basic design principles
that stands for contrast, repetition,
alignment and proximity. Look at design
elements and ask yourself these four
questions:
▪ Is there enough contrast between design
elements?
▪ Do design elements create a certain visual
flow supported by the repetition of forms?
▪ Are design elements aligned to each other in a
clear, readable way?
▪ What is the distance between design elements
and what type of visual message does it create?
3. Pay attention to colour
▪ Colour is an essential design element
that should not be underestimated in
any project. Colour choices can
entirely change the way of reading a
design.
4. Find emphasis
▪ In a design, there is often an element
that is much stronger than everything
else. It is called an emphasis.
▪ If you decide that a particular design
element needs attention, simply
emphasize it by changing its size, shape
or colour.
5. Analyze typography
▪ Typography carries a message
about a design. Take a look at
typefaces and fonts chosen for a
project and ask yourself following
questions:
▪ How many typefaces/fonts are used in this
design?
▪ Do they create a clear message or maybe a
feeling of chaos?
▪ Is there enough contrast between titles, tag
lines and other types of text?
▪ Are pieces of text grouped in a clear, readable
way?
▪ Is the text aligned well?
6. Take a look at images
▪ If there are photographs, icons or other
images used in a design, it is important to
analyze them.
▪Do they support the project? Are they
properly used and fit the general design
aesthetics?
▪ How would you estimate their quality?
▪ Can you see pixels?
▪ Are they used accordingly to the copyright
policy?
▪ Using well-exposed good quality photographs
is probably the best idea.
7. Ask about target group
▪ What is a purpose of the evaluated design?
▪ Is it a flyer advertising art classes for kids or
a poster inviting for a jazz concert?
▪ Maybe it is an informative website about
yoga practice or a layout of a cooking blog?
▪ The target group is essential and it will
determinate the usage of colours, fonts and
any other design elements.
8. Define clear messages
▪ Take a look at a visual project, whatever it is, and
ask yourself about the message that it conveys.
▪ What type of a message is it exactly?
▪ Does it support the chosen business, event, or
activity?
▪ Is it encouraging and entertaining?
▪ If the message is misleading, think of a better
visual solution for the evaluated design. There is
always a space to improve!
9. Maximize impact
▪ Is the design impactful, legible and meaningful?
▪ Could an average viewer read and understand it
well?
▪ Does it stand out and catch your eye?
▪ Does it support defined goals and objectives?
▪ In the visual communication, things are designed
to make impact. What can you improve to make a
project stronger?
10. Ask questions
▪ While evaluating a visual project, you should
ask questions and make sure that you
understand the creative process behind it. It
will not be always possible, but using the
opportunity of communicating with a designer
can give you a chance to give a more
constructive feedback.
▪ Sharpen your eye and truly study the
project – at some point it will become
much easier! A trained eye has a
capability of analyzing the tiniest and the
most subtle relations between design
elements to detect what could be
improved.
▪ The different principles of graphic
and layout as well as the visual
message design really help and guide
you in designing whatever document
you plan to do like poster,
infographic, brochure, flyer, logo, or
your website.