Design is a delicate balance between theory and aesthetic sensibilities. The more you practice the theory behind the elements and principles of design, the more it will become second nature to apply proper design principles to your own work. Your knowledge of how to create, fix, or critique a design will drastically  improve.

Gestalt and the Principles of Graphic Design

“The sum of the whole is greater than its parts” is the idea behind Gestalt theory. It is important to understand each element and principle separately, but even more important is how each element and principle of design work together to create a cohesive overall design.

You will employ the Elements and Principles of Design as well as Color Theory in all projects from this point forward. You will be graded not only on how well you implement the elements and principles in your design, but on how well you explain your use of them in each design.

Resources

Elements of Graphic Design Review | Elements and Principles of Graphic Design Basics | The Principles of Design | The Elements of Design | Classic Color Schemes | 60-30-10, or How Many Colors? | Color Theory Introduction | Colour Lovers

Typographic Poster Design

You will be designing several different posters with a typographic focus. The first required poster design will be a Classic Typeface poster. Further details on the project can be found on the poster design project page.