WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN?

Though their true origin is unknown, the eight tenets recognized as the “design
principles” by art scholars today were first formalized by Josef Albers and the Bauhaus
art school in Germany in the 1920s. Of course, whether named or not, these principles
of art and design had been practiced and honored for hundreds of years prior, and are
still upheld by artists and art education programs around the world today.

HARMONY
Do each of the elements work
together to enhance and properly
modify the effect of one another? Is
the composition cohesive and
natural?
UNITY
Consideration should be taken for
how all elements in a composition
work together to create a whole.
Does it feel like a single entity, in
which all pieces belong together?

REPETITION
Use of the same or similar elements
in multiple instances across a
composition creates visual cues to
help pull together different pieces
of the composition.
EMPHASIS
Visual hierarchy allows viewers to
understand what is most important
or what should be seen first. A
sense of dominance in these
elements can help ensure this.

RHYTHM
This is the movement of the eye
caused by a composition. How
does the viewer’s eye move around
the piece? Does it cover all areas?
Is hierarchy considered?
VARIETY
Diversifying the elements in a
composition retains a viewer’s
attention and makes a composition
more appealing, leading to further
investigation into the piece.

BALANCE
Using a dominant element creates
visual “weight” in a composition.
Often this requires some sort of
counterweight to orient the viewer.
A lack of balance can be used
deliberately to great effect as well.
PROPORTION/SCALE
The relative size of elements in a
piece can help create a sense of
hierarchy, magnitude, and balance,
or intentional imbalance if so
desired.