6 Design Principles:
1. Repetition: Repetition is when an element’s features are repeated throughout the work. Repetition makes the work look very clean since it can become symmetrical. For instance, a tile backsplash will repeat the same patterns over and over.
2. Variety: Variety allows the art to be more creative by having different shapes and sizes of art. It also makes the eyes look around at the world and not center on one thing. For example, a basket with different types of fruit in it has variety.
3. Contrast: Contrast allows images to display the differences between light and dark colors. Because of this, it allows different focal points of an image. For instance, a black and white photo has high contrast.
4. Emphasis: Emphasis is the main focal point of an image. It draws your eye to a specific part of a photo. I like emphasis since it makes a photo more fun to look at. To give in an example of emphasis you could have a black and white background and the focal points be colorful.
5. White Space: White space is the negative space in a photo. It’s cool that it gives a second dimension to a photo. For Example, outer space could be the white space and the planets can be the active area.
6. Balance: Balance in design allows an image to be symmetrical. It makes it pleasant to look at. The first thing that comes to mind, is a ying-yang symbol.
Gestalt Theory:
The Gestalt Theory is a form of psychology that started in Berlin in the late 1920s. It is a theory that helps our minds perceive our surroundings as a whole. It explains how we organize and make sense of elements in a design to help us better understand what we are looking at. This theory plays into the design because it allows our minds to compartmentalize and perceive art into different parts. He created six principles in the Gestalt Theory which are similarity,
continuation, closure, proximity, figure/ground, and symmetry and order.
