Design 101 | Form | Composition | Leading the Eye
Composition
Composition refers to the arrangement of elements and characteristics within a defined area. This arrangement can be both visually pleasing, but more importantly used to convey specific information and meaning.
In visual composition, we seek harmony, and in the visual context, harmony indicates a grouping of related that make sense together. While harmony can involve some degree of discord or tension that attracts us, it is balanced by an overall appearance of continuity, of organized visual movement.
Proportion
In visual design, Proportion refers to the size relationship between parts of a form. Width and Height can be compared to determine proportions in a two-dimensional form. Such a comparison can examine the relationship between the forms external dimensions as well as its internal dimensions. For example, the height and width of this page are external dimensions, while the width of a text column and the white space left over, are it internal proportions.
Some proportions are more visually pleasing than others. The Golden Section, based on the Fibonacci Series, is the most historically significant use of proportion in design. The Golden Section occurs in a variety of natural forms and is considered visually pleasing to a variety of cultures.
The Fibonacci Series is a group of whole numbers named after the 13th century Italian mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, who advocated it as evidence of a natural order in nature. The numerical relationships in the series define the structure of numerous natural forms. The series is comprised of: 1, 1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34 etc... Each number in the series is the sum of the two previous numbers. Any number in the series divided by the following number is approximately 0.618, and any number divided by the previous is approximately 1.618. This ratio is called the Golden Section.
The golden section is also called the golden mean or golden ratio.
The root 2 rectangle (1:1.414) is a proportional relationship similar to the golden section.
Andrea Palladio (Italian 1508-1580) was the first known person to have applied the root 2 proportions in interior design. The DIN (Duetsches Institut fur Normung) system is based on the root 2 proportion and is used for paper and envelope sizes throughout the world.
Tatami straw floor mats are about 3 by 6 feet in length. They are based on a rectangle of two squares. The mats have been used for centuries in Japanese homes, where Tatami proportions also dictate the size and shape of the rooms.
Tatami are made in standard sizes, with the length exactly twice the width, an aspect ratio of 2:1.
Depth And Perspective
Depth in a composition can create contrast and help a form communicate its purpose and meaning. In two-dimensional design, an illusion of depth must be created through pictorial cues, including color and value changes, size, overlapping and perspective. Depth is hard to achieve with a single element.
Perspective is created through the use of lines to depict three-dimensional form on a flat two-dimensional surface.
Visual balance refers to the degree of equilibrium in a composition. This is determined by the choice and arrangement of elements in relation to each other and the frame. Position is the dominant means of creating balance, resulting in symmetry, asymmetry, or a combination of both.
Symmetrical shapes are regular shapes whose left and right halves are mirror images. A Symmetrical form can be divided diagonally, vertically, or horizontally and the resulting sides are essentially the same. Symmetric balance tends to create a stable form, keeping the eye in a general location.
Slight deviation can be introduced in a symmetrical shape by shifting it out of alignment. A form has Asymmetry when it is divided and the resulting sides are not the same size and shape. This is also called dynamic tension, or dynamic equilibrium, and refers to organization based on juxtaposition. Asymmetric balance can create an active form, forcing your eye around and through a composition.
Simplicity & Complexity
Simplicity refers to a form with a limited number of simple elements, or a form that is organized in such a way that its message is unambiguous and easily understood.
In logo or Identity design, the simpler the form or the idea, the stronger the message. Simplicity is not to be construed as simplistic. When a form is visually simplistic, it can actually become conceptually complex and rich.