Principles of Design

Try walking a long distance with a 2 Kg bag of rocks in one hand and a 10 Kg bag of marbles in the other. After awhile you'll be wanting to shift your load around, putting a few marbles in the rock bag to balance your load, make it easier to walk. This is how balance works in design. Visual balance comes from arranging elements on the page so that no one section is heavier than the other.

Designs in balance have the parts of the design arranged in a planned, coherent visual pattern. "Balance" is a concept based on human perception and the complex nature of the human senses of weight and proportion. Humans can evaluate these visual elements in several situations to find a sense of balance. A design composition does not have to be symmetrical or linear to be considered balanced. It is also true that perfectly symmetrical and linear compositions are not necessarily balanced. Asymmetrical or radial distributions of text and graphic elements can achieve balance in a composition.

The Principle of Balance

Primarily there are three types of balance in a visual composition:

Symmetrical balance:

Watch this short video on symmetrical balance:

Symmetrical balance is easiest to see in perfectly centered compositions or those with mirror images. In a design with only two elements they would be almost identical or have nearly the same visual mass. If one element was replaced by a smaller one, it could throw the page out of symmetry. To reclaim perfect symmetrical balance you might need to add or subtract or rearrange the elements so that they evenly divide the page such as a centered alignment or one that divides the page in even segments (halves, quarters, etc.).

When a design can be centered or evenly divided both vertically and horizontally it has the most complete symmetry possible. Symmetrical balance generally lends itself to more formal, orderly layouts. They often convey a sense of tranquility or familiarity or elegance or serious contemplation.

Above - If the photograph of the side of a building above divides was into four equal sections each section although not mirror images the overall look is very symmetrical and balanced. The CD and screenshot of Apple's website demonstrate symmetry. the right and left side of each composition appears very balanced. This symmetrically balanced layout is very formal in appearance.

Asymmetrical Balance

Check out this short video which discusses asymmertrical balance:

Asymmetry means “without symmetry.” Nothing is mirrored or centered. You could have an odd or mismatched number of differing elements. Designing with an absence of symmetry, does not mean there is not balance. However, you can still have an interesting design without perfect symmetry. Since there is no formula for asymmetrical balance, you must achieve it by sensing whether it looks balanced or not.

While asymmetrical balance is more difficult to achieve than symmetrical balance, it is also more interesting. It requires more active involvement by your viewer and thus has more energy.

With asymmetrical balance you are evenly distributing the elements within the format which may mean balancing a large photo with several small graphics. Or, you can create tension by intentionally avoiding balance.

Uneven elements present us with more possibilities for arranging the page and creating interesting designs than perfectly symmetrical objects. Asymmetrical layouts are generally more dynamic and by intentionally ignoring balance the designer can create tension, express movement, or convey a mood such as anger, excitement, joy, or casual amusement.

Above - (Left) This photograph illustrates asymmetrically (informal) balance because the subject building has some very free-flowing architecture. Balance is achieved because the colour, texture and repeating elements create a neatly organized asymmetrical layout. (Right) The large column of the illustration is balanced by the simple white space to its right, notice the contrasting colours used to help achieve informal balance.

When using asymmetrical balance consider the following:

Things you may want to avoid:

Radial Balance

On square and rectangular pages we generally place elements in orderly rows and columns. With radial designs the elements radiate from or swirl around in a circular or spiral path. Parts of the design must still be arranged so that they are balanced across the width and length of the page unless you're intentionally aiming for a lack of balance.

Above — Here we have a couple examples of radial balance in a rectangular space.  (Left) In this illustration the running shoe is at the center of the design with the glow and burst of light and geometric shapes radiating from the center. (Right) The ornate window itself is perfectly symmetrical but it is off centre and the outlines edging off the page to the top and right throws it all slightly off-balance.

Try This:

While no one but you may see this hands on exercise, take the time to do it just as if you were turning it in for a grade. It will help reinforce what you have learned.

1. Look for examples of symmetrical balance, and then do the following:

2. Look for examples of asymmetrical balance, and then do the following:

3. Look for examples of radial balance, and then do the following: