The Elements and Principles of Graphic Design

Graphic design is actually the art and process of combining text and graphics to communicate an effective language in the design of logos, brochures, newsletters, posters and in fact, any type of visual communication. This is achieved by using the elements and principles of graphic design.

Always keep the design and layout of the graphic design as simple and clean as possible, as the more cluttered it is, the more difficult it is for the customer to find the important stuff! When using colors in your graphic design, it is better to use colors from your set of corporate colors. This is because you should present consistency in all your advertisement media, so that people will know how consistent you actually are! Never use all the colors of the rainbow in one design as this only confuses the customer. Perhaps 2 or 3 colors form your corporate color should be enough for your design!

There are tons of free fonts found in the Internet to incorporate in your graphic design. However, it is not always that you can use all of them. Use a single font for the content of your design, and if required, you could use a different, like a bolder and louder font, for the headings and titles of your graphic design. Using too many fonts only makes the graphic design look messy, and proves to confuse the audience. It is always beneficial to use images in the design of your brochures, company profiles, menus, etc. This way, you can entice your customers by illustrating your points through the images.

In graphic designing, it is important to use contrast colors for the background and the font. If the font is a dark color, then a lighter colored background is preferred. Usually a black and white combination is preferred! While creating your graphic design, it is vital to stand back every once in a while to squint at your creation. Then notice the line of text and images in the graphic design. They should actually direct your customer’s attention from the top of the page to the bottom, all in a seamless movement. If the line seems to be out of place, rearrange the matter to get a straight line.

When planning your graphic design, the traditional form of ‘Z’ movement is better where your eye starts at the top left to go to the top right, then making a diagonal to the bottom left to finally end up in the bottom right. This is great for advertisements using lots of graphics or images. Always keep white or empty space in the layout to give some rest to the eyes, and some clarity to the existing information.