The Principle of Alignment

According to Robin Williams' “The Non-Designer’s Design Book,” the principle of proximity states that you group related items together. When creating a flyer, a brochure, or a newsletter, try to form a list into visual groups. Add some contrast to the headlines, use extra margins, underline the relationships, and emphasize important information.

The next principle of design is alignment. "The principle of alignment states that nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item should have a visual connection with something else on the page... Even when aligned elements are physically separated from each other, there is an invisible line that connects them, both in your eye and in your mind."

My students often use a centered alignment for the posters, and it works great.

However, when you look at 15-20 different posters with the centered alignment, it gets boring. According to Williams, “a centered alignment creates a more formal look, a more sedate look, a more ordinary and oftentimes downright dull look.” She suggests using “a strong flush right or left alignment with good use of proximity.”

This business card has a centered alignment.
The strong flush-right gives the card the "hard" edge. "The strength of this edge is what gives strength to the layout."
My students use Illustrator guides to align objects.

Illustrator has also the Align window.


An alignment choice for posters often depends on the visual elements. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, a true genius of the posters, used what I would call a creative alignment.

I agree with Williams “that most designs that have a sophisticated look are not centered.” Based on my observation, the students’ projects with the creative alignment have a refined look.

The Principle of Proximity

Proximity is one of the four basic principles from “The Non-Designer’s Design Book” by Robin Williams (2004).

Proximity principle implies that “items relating to each other should be grouped close together. When several items are in close proximity to each other, they become one visual unit rather than several separate units. This helps organize information, reduce clutter, and gives the reader a clear structure."

Take a look at this card.

How many separate elements do you see in that small space? How many times does your eye stop to look at something?

There are five separate items in this card, and your eye stops probably five times. You begin reading in the middle (since this is the largest text on the card) and continue reading from left to right (because it is English). When you get to bottom-right corner, you probably wander around to make sure you didn’t miss any information.

A problem with this card is that “not one of the items on the card seems related to any other item. It is not clear where you should begin reading the card, and it is not clear when you are finished."

Now, take look at another card.

This card has information grouped into "closer proximity" and organized "both intellectually and visually.”

Take a moment to decide how this list can be improved.

I will continue tomorrow...

The Four Basic Principles of Design

Today, the head of our MS discussed “the Joshua tree” effect from Robin Williams’ “The Non-Designer’s Design Book.” I love this book and often use it with my students.

The author got a tree identification book as a Christmas present and decided to go outside and identify the Joshua tree. Williams was convinced that she has never seen this tree before, but to her amazement she found the Joshua tree in her own front yard, and at least 80 percent of her neighbors had Joshua trees planted in their front yards. Why has she never noticed this tree before?

Once I was conscious of the tree – once I could name it – I saw it everywhere. Which is exactly my point: Once you can name something, you’re conscious of it. You have power over it. You are in control.

Our students should be conscious of good design principles in order to identify bad design examples. If students and teachers master four simple design principles, they will write better papers, design attractive presentations, and even teach and learn better because “a better-looking paper often means a better grade,” “an attractive presentation garners greater respect,” and “students respond more positively to information that is well laid out.”

Here is the first assignment. Look at three business cards and choose a better-organized card.






I will continue tomorrow...


The image of the Joshua tree: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesleyworld/306758678/