Five Principles of Good Design

The Principles of Design are the ideas or concepts that are used to organize the elements of the design. The way in which the principles are applied will affect how the content is expressed or how we view the message of the work or the whole of the design. Principles of design are considered to be the rules guiding the design practice.

Design rules vary slightly. However, when considering a design project, utilize these commonly accepted basic principles for a successful project.

Emphasis

This principle describes the “center of influence” or the “point of focus”. Most designers create a dominant theme around which minor themes are built. There are those, however, who wish to avoid placing emphasis on any one part, but create visual interest on all parts of the room.

Designers use emphasis to direct your attention to the most important elements of the design or room. Without emphasis, the room looks monotonous with a lack of inspiration. Emphasis is achieved through repetition and contrast.

Repetition is simply the use of patterns to achieve a rhythm in the design. It makes the work appear more dynamic and interesting and creates unity within the composition.

Contrast, often considered a principle on its own, refers to the abrupt change of an element to create emphasis and interest. Contrast can be accomplished in several ways. It is created through color, texture, shape, scale, positioning and detail.

Balance

Balance is the term used to describe the concept of visual weight given to the arrangement of objects within a composition. It reconciles opposing elements in order to create stability. Without balance, the room or composition can look awkward and unstable. Balance can be achieved either symmetrically or asymmetrically.

Symmetric balance occurs when we achieve equal weight on all sides of a central axis or focal point.

Asymmetric balance is more complex. It refers to how objects of varying importance or weight are arranged around the central point so as to balance one another. There may be one dominant form which is counterbalanced by several smaller forms. Asymmetric design often creates a sense of visual tension.

Proportion

Proportion refers to the size and scale of objects or elements in the design. It pertains to the relationship between those elements and the comparison in dimensions. Proportion can help in establishing visual weight and depth to a composition.

Public places are often very large in proportion to humans. Spaces such as churches or malls are intended to impress.

On the other hand, our homes are more on a scale consistent to our own proportions, our usual standard of measurement, and are seen as more inviting and less intimidating.

Rhythm

Rhythm is defined as regular movement through space. It is created when one or more elements are arranged repeatedly to produce a feeling of movement. It refers to the way the eye follows an arrangement of motifs or designs along a path in order to create a sense of predictability and order. It depends on pattern and movement to create a mood.

A calming rhythm is created when elements are placed at regular intervals, while sudden changes in position or in size can create a more lively rhythm. Variety is essential to keeping the rhythm exciting and moving the eyes actively around the composition.

Rhythm is created in several ways. Linear rhythm refers to the flow of each particular line. Repetition involves the use of patterning to create rhythm, as previously described. Alternation is the periodic repetition of patterns, such as long and short or fat and thin. Gradation refers to a series of steps in a pattern, as with shape or color, in order to create a sequence of events.

Unity

Unity refers to the harmony achieved by all of the parts. It gives one the sense that all of the elements are working together to create a visually satisfying composition or design. Unity is the quality of completeness achieved by balancing all of the other elements or aspects of the composition. It creates a sense that each element belongs with all of the others and that if it were removed the composition would fall apart.

Unity is most frequently achieved through pattern. Color, shape, texture and form are also powerful methods used to create a sense of unity of composition.

These are the five most common principles of design. If you attend to these principles, you will create a beautiful design in your home that will dazzle and impress anyone.

2007 Patricia Tomaskovic

The 2007 International Builders' Show

I must first apologize for my utter lack of posts over the last couple of weeks. Bob and I were in New Mexico for a week. New Mexico is a beautiful state. Victorian architecture is still evident in many of the cities we visited, but none more so than Silver City.

Silver City is a small town in the Southwest of New Mexico. It grew up around the silver boom in the 1800's. Unlike many of those towns which ultimately became ghost towns, and there are a lot of them there, Silver City managed to hang on and continue to thrive. Today, Silver City has become almost a mecca to the art community. Hiking and numerous other outdoor activities abound as well.

New Mexico is a beautiful and awesome place, with some of the most exquisite rock formations around, and I encourage everyone to make a trip out there some day. More about Silver City and New Mexico in later blog entries.

Then it was back to work, with orders to fill and maintenance of the website. I also still work outside the home.

The next thing on the agenda was the International Builder's Show (IBS). What an unbelievable assembly of some of the world's latest talent and technology to hit the home builder and design world. This was actually my first trip to the Show. The Show was held from February 7-10 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. I was amazed at the sheer size of it first of all. More than 1 million square feet were devoted to the most innovative products and services.

The 2006 President of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), David L. Pressly, Jr. said, "...the IBS is the world's premier showcase of products and services for the home building industry." The exhibit included products from over 1800 cutting edge developers and builders, with about 450 new exhibitors this year. This was the biggest turnout the NAHB has seen to date.

Although Bob and I did not get the opportunity to attend any this year, the IBS is well-known for it's educational seminars and workshops. These programs included topics such as marketing and finance and business practices, as well as sales and the economy. There were more than 290 different seminars available to anyone looking to stay abreast of all the latest in this competitive market.

We took advantage of the networking aspect, meeting our suppliers and manufacturers. Bob and I were also busy searching out a variety of new products to offer our customers. Stay tuned over the next few months because we are going to be offering a whole new assortment of products to you at the best and lowest prices. You may also see a total remake of the website in the future.

I included some photos from the IBS. There's the entrance at the top. That's Bob in the second photo. That third photo is a view from the walkway between buildings (I'm telling you, this thing was huge). There's me trying on a Tundra. The final view is one of the outdoor exhibitions featuring some of the products and services that are available.

Look for photos of some of the products we'll be adding to GoCeilingMedallion.com in later posts. I also have photos from our trip to New Mexico. Wait until you see some of the architecture in Silver City.

Well, that's all from me for now. Let me know what you want to see. Don't forget to send photos of your finished rooms. I would love to post them on our blogs. Thanks again to all of our loyal and new customers.