1. Design Principles

1. Design Principles 1.1 The Purpose of Design Principles The principle exists to help you, not to limit your creativity. You have to understand the principle you will break. According to Dieter Rams, good design: 1. Is innovative 2. Makes a product useful 3. Is authentic 4. Makes a product understandable 5. Is unobtrusive 6. Is honest 7. Is long-lasting 8. Is through down to the last detail 9. Is environmentally friendly 10. Involves as little design as possible 1.2 Design—A pure matter of taste? ● Think with others' brains. Taste that caters to the target group is the way in which the product plays a decisive role. ● Graphic designers think of an art that others think of. ● Many factors that make music good are not objective measurables, but exist in subjective feelings, as well as graphic design. 1.3 Standard of Excellent Graphic Design ● A good design doesn't contradict common sense or natural instinct. ● There are two basic standards for judging design: function and aesthetics. o Usefulness is not necessarily beautiful, but it must not be neglected because of the pursuit of function. ● Harmony and contrast define an excellent design. o Too much harmony can make the design boring. o If the two design elements are different in size, the difference in size should be obvious. ● People like simple things that can be seen through at a glance ● As a designer, you have to decide what information is most important, and try to convey this information through clear visual expression 1.4 Gestalt Visual Perception Principle ● Law of Proximity: objects that are close to each other are treated as a whole, no matter the shapes, colors, or sizes ○ This law tell us to leave enough space between sections so users don’t think they are the same element ● Law of Closure: people have the tendency to make what they see make sense, so if there are gaps in between a figure, the human brain will ignore it and understand the bigger context. ○ With the effective use of this law, it is possible to design icons and pictures that use less elements as possible. ● Law of Similarity: users understand elements which look similar to a group or a pattern ○ Group elements with similar functionality together so user can have a more fluent experience. ● Law of Common Region: elements which are together in the same closed region will be understood as a group. ○ Give related elements a frame and show that they belong together. Define a clear border to show that the inner elements belong together ● Law of Continuity: elements which are ordered in a line or a soft curve seem more related to each other than elements which are ordered randomly or in a sharp curve ○ Use this law to guide the user through the different segments and contents. When the continuity is disturbed, people will know it’s the beginning of a new segment. ● Law of Figure and Ground: people instinctively recognize if elements are in the foreground or background and that the foreground is more important than the background ○ Use this law to influence where the user focuses on ● Law of Symmetry: symmetrical elements give the feeling that everything is ordered ○ Too symmetrical would make the design look very boring, but too asymmetrical would make the design too messy. You need to try to find a balance. ● Law of Common Fate: elements that move in the same direction are more likely to be considered as belonging together than elements that move in different directions or don’t move at all. ○ If you happen to have any objects in motion in your design that belongs to the same category, make sure they are the same speed and direction (e.g. drop-down menus, process graph) ● Interference Effect: the interference effect refers to the appearance of two opposite expressions in the same image ● Hicks Law: the more choices a person faces, the longer it takes for him to make a decision. ● The Kiss Rule: Keep It Simple ● Reliability: ○ Product design itself can also convey information. For example, first-class design (such as gorgeous packaging) makes the product appear luxurious, and this often means high prices. ○ Most consumers choose their products with their eyes and make decisions based on their feelings. They think that what looks cheap is really cheap.