8 Key Design Principles

8 Key Principles of Design Every Designer Should Know

The design principles are the rules and guidelines that designers must consider while defining effective and usable experiences. These include Contrast, Hierarchy, Balance, Emphasis, Proportion, Repetition, Unity, and Whitespace.

Following the design principles collectively helps the designers in creating products that purely focus on user satisfaction and hence attain consistent usability goals. These design principles allow designers to define experiences that are familiar to users and fulfill their expectations.

Below is a set of principles of design that need to be considered while designing the user products. Read the detailed article here.

  1. Contrast
  2. Hierarchy
  3. Balance
  4. Emphasis
  5. Proportion
  6. Repetition
  7. Unity
  8. Whitespace

1. Contrast

Creates differences between visual elements on UI to make them stand out.

8 Key Principles of Design: Contrast

2. Hierarchy

Defines the importance of content on the screen showing the most important element on the top.

8 Key Principles of Design: Hierarchy

3. Balance

Ensures that the visual weight of UI elements is balanced on the screen.

B8 Key Principles of Design: Balance

4. Emphasis

Dominates an object on UI by making its color, size, position or shape different to other objects.

8 Key Principles of Design: Emphasis

5. Proportion

Relates the objects by size, like making the most important object the largest by maintaining the overall balance.

8 Key Principles of Design: Proportion

6. Repetition

Defines the recurrence of design elements in a pattern based on color, size or shape.

8 Key Principles of Design: Repetition

7. Unity

Ensures the harmony in UI elements to give a look of one interface based on size, shape or color.

8 Key Principles of Design: Unity

8. Whitespace

Reduces clutter on UI by placing everything at its proper location and not overwhelming the user.

8 Key Principles of Design: Whitespace
Thank You

To learn more about these principles of design, read the detailed article here.

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