Lesson 6 - Imaging and Design for the Online Environment

Lesson 6: Imaging and Design for the Online Environment

This interactive lesson will help you more understand, appreciate, and unveil your creativity on the use of the proper graphic and layout designing for more effective communication. You will also learn the core components of graphic design.

The lesson mainly focuses on Basic Principles of Graphics and Layout.

After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. identify and explain the Basic Principles of Graphics and Layout;
2. explain the vital use of the Basic Principles of Graphics and Layout in communication and industry;
3. assess the effectiveness of the graphic design in a given layout example; and 4. evaluate existing websites and online resources based on the principles of layout, graphic, and visual message design.

Understanding Graphic Design and Layout

What makes a good and effective website? How do users interact with the websites they visit?

A good website must know its target audience, determine its needs, and communicate effectively using the basic principles of graphics and layout. Users or visitors may have different interests and needs like browsing, researching, streaming, online shopping, dating, and many others.

They even behave differently depending on what they perceive on the website. Web design matters in every user, whether they can decide to stay or just leave. Usability is important for the users as it satisfies their experience on the website, but a good design will drag the audience’s attention to stay on the page. Always remember that first impressions last and web design has an impact on the users on how they perceive the brand or message.

Graphic design is an artistic way of communicating ideas and messages through visual expressions using texts, images, and symbols. Graphic designers work on the quality of the output they serve for the audience or clients like websites, advertisements, posters, flyers, logos, videos, and any other multimedia form. A practical graphic layout and design can easily catch the attention of the viewers and
allow them to understand the message conveniently.

Graphic Design vs. Layout

Design is a plan of creating an idea through a combination of texts, images, and other elements that are placed together artistically, whereas, the layout is a term used as the process of organizing and arranging these elements in a design as you plot it in a paper.

Basic Principles of Design and Layout

1. Balance - refers to the proper arrangement of the elements, which gives a visual weight for the design.

There are two types of balance: Symmetrical or Asymmetrical.

Symmetrical balance is where the elements are equally distributed on both sides of your design, technically a mirror-based design. In contrast,

Asymmetrical balance is a free layout where the elements can be placed in any order or the opposite of symmetrical.

2. Emphasis refers to something that needs to stand-out or emphasize. When working on emphasis, you can change the color, size, or even the element itself to lead the eye to the focal interest.

3. Pattern, Repetition and Rhythm is he use of repetitive elements such as lines, shapes, forms, textures, space, colors, font, style, and the like to create texture, movement, continuity, and consistency of the design. It also makes the design formal and more comfortable to read because of its uniformity.

4. Alignment -refers to the proper placement of an element to your design, just like invisibly placing or aligning your texts or images diagonally, vertically, and horizontally. The standard texts or paragraph alignment we apply are center, right, left, and justified.

5. Hierarchy -refers to the proper arrangement of the details such as text, characters, numbers, and symbols. Changing its character size, thickness, spaces, or even font type to stand out is its most critical features. By applying this principle, it can help the viewer to recognize and navigate the highlight of the event smoothly.

6, Contrast refers to the use of different or opposite elements such as sizes (large or small), shapes (geometric or organic), spaces (negative or positive), form (real or abstract), colors (monochromatic, complementary, triadic, tetradic), texture (smooth or rough), and values (light or dark).

The contrast gives visual weight to an object or design. You must consider and limit the use of different elements, color, style, and typography to avoid cluttered design. When creating contrast in color and text, it is advised to choose a color from the background to create consistency of your design. Always remember that the details must be readable by having a dark-light value of either text and background or vice-versa.

7. Unity and Harmony refers to the relationship of the elements or the contents when you place them together. The elements of the design must work together and agree to its meaning, theme, feeling, or mood.

Level 1 Quiz - LEARN AND PLAY is the rule of the game.

Challenge youself with this interactive quiz.

Which font color is best to use if the background on your valentine card is red?

White
Violet
Blue
Green

Which principle of design is when a designer arranges the elements or text according to its context?

Hierarchy
Emphasis
Harmony
Balance

Which of the following refers to the plan of creating an idea through a combination of texts, images, and other elements that are placed together artistically?

Layout
Design
Message
Graphic

Which type of balance gives a mirror-like design that is proportionally equal to the other side?

Semi-Balance
Symmetrical
Asymmetrical
Semi-Proportion

Monochromatic uses one color in a design. Its advantage is to create balance and to match the color in an artwork. However, this may lack energy and may look monotonous. How will you use the monochromatic scheme to create variations?

Use complementary colors
Adjust the saturation and value
Choose a design that is more suitable for the color scheme used
Change the hue of the artwork or every element

Level 2 Quiz - LEARN AND PLAY is the rule of the game.

Challenge youself with this interactive quiz.

What other elements of design can be repeated aside from color, header style, and fonts?

Statement
Paper
Size
Word

Which of the principles of graphics and layout refers to the proper arrangement of elements, which gives a visual weight for the design?

Pattern, Repetition and Rhythm
Balance
Emphasis
Unity and Harmony

Which type of balance gives a mirror-like design that is proportionally equal to the other side?

Semi-Balance
Semi-Proportion
Asymmetrical
Symmetrical

Which principle of design is when a designer arranges the elements or text according to its context?

Emphasis
Harmony
Balance
Hierarchy

As a layout artist, we must know the details in arranging and accentuating the most important terms by changing its size, thickness, and spaces so the reader can navigate the highlight of the event easily. Which of the following principles best describe the statement above?

Contrast
Alignment
Hierarchy
Pattern, Repetition and Rhythm

Which of the following refers to the plan of creating an idea through a combination of texts, images, and other elements that are placed together artistically?

Design
Message
Graphic
Layout

Level 3 Quiz - LEARN AND PLAY is the rule of the game.

Challenge youself with this interactive quiz.

Pattern, Repetition and Rhythm
Contrast
Hierarchy
Alignment

What is the purpose of creating a hierarchy in your design?

Make the detail to stand out.
It adds visual weight.
It gives consistency
It adds visual weight.

Which type of balance gives a mirror-like design that is proportionally equal to the other side?

Semi-Balance
Asymmetrical
Symmetrical
Semi-Proportion

Use complementary colors
Adjust the saturation and value
Change the hue of the artwork or every element
Choose a design that is more suitable for the color scheme used

Which of the principles of graphics and layout refers to the proper arrangement of elements, which gives a visual weight for the design?

Emphasis
Unity and Harmony
Balance
Pattern, Repetition and Rhythm

What other elements of design can be repeated aside from color, header style, and fonts?

Size
Word
Paper
Statement

Every element of your design must show the correct placement of texts, paragraphs, or images to make it formal and readable. Which of the following alignment is not recommended in designing?