studiomaqs

I came across this great article. And I want to share it with you. I got it from http://euphrates.wpunj.edu/courses/arts350/aesthetics.html

What makes for good design? Here are a list of aesthetic principles to consider when creating or evaluating design:

1.) Heirarchy -setting priorities.
What’s the most important thing, visually, in this layout? Is it the most important, most attractive or most convincing part of the message? What’s next? What’s last?

2.) Emphasis and focus -the visual expression of heirarchy.
Once you know what’s most important, use visual emphasis to focus attention through size, position, value, and color.

3.) Contrast -big/little, crowded/open, orange/blue.
Contrast is the tool of emphasis, which helps you set that heirarchy, focus attention and create drama.

4.) Tension -throwing things off a little.
You create tension by manipulating relative position. Place things a little too close together, or set up a little too much contrast in their visual weights. Tension helps make the design aesthetic.

5.) Balance -creating a gravitational axis.
Balance doesn’t have to be symmetry. By opposing dense detail with open space, or heavy elements with lighter ones, balance can be asymmetric and, again, athletic.

6.) Rhythm -variety and pattern.
Variety relieves the eye, and pattern helps the mind make sense of it. In multipage works, rhythm creates pacing across the whole.

7.) Flow -leading the eye across the surface.
This should happen in a desired sequence.

8.) Depth -leading the eye beyond the surface, or making things jump out from the surface.
Depth is the most inherently contradictory illusion of 2D design, and therfore, one of the most compelling.

9.) Scale -the illusion of size.
The size of elements relative to one another is important, of course, but the size of things in relation to the format and the size of the format itself are also worth considering.

10.) Movement -the illusion of physical interaction among elements.
Usually figurative -with elements angled or poised like bodies in motion -movement can also be created with such optical effects as linear repetition, visual vortexes and the like. Used deliberately, suggested movement can have a marked emotional and physical impact on a viewer.

11.) Unity -that which holds the piece together.
Color can unify a design, as can a grid, visuals that represent related subjects or a consistant style of imagery. In an age of over-stimulation and cacophony, unity is often underrated.

I read several articles every day. And so do others. We just read and forget big articles. But we remember the key points of the article or at least try to memorize them. But now a day, time is important for real work. So there is no room to read every article line by line. For them (myself also) I will note out the points of the article and jot them here, in this title. So it will be easier for future reference. At the bottom of the points, I have added the list of the articles from where the points are taken. Anyone interested to know more, just click and go to the read article. Cheer up…

• Gather as much evidence as possible while work freelance. It’s wise to gather them project wise.
• Be-friend, don’t use. You should actively seek to find a genuine, personal connection and, if you still can’t find one, then either be transparent about your motives or move on. Nobody likes to be used.
• Push Yourself and Get Good. You need to be pretty good. I like to think that there is an 80/20 rule lot more effort (and/or talent).
• Be Likeable, Excited and Enthusiastic.
• Be Referable! A large number of jobs for most freelancers come from referred clients. Do a good job for one person and they tell others for you.
• Reliability is one of the most prized characteristics for a freelancer. Focus on the characteristics that make people want to work with you, and be reliable, very reliable.
• Design the portfolio you think your clients want to see
• Focus on Clients and Be Flexible
• If you want to make things to please yourself, go be an artist.
• Get a High Profile
• The “stick to what works” mentality can sometimes work, and other times make you a dinosaur.
• The function of design is to make the product more usable and improve the usability of the product’s function.
• The simpler and better the design can be, the more enjoyable and easier it makes our lives.
• Even though the cookie-cutter designs work for a while, the truly good designs are the original and fresh concepts that change the way we look at things.

Where I’ve got them?
A lesson to all freelancers (part 1)
How to optimize your networking energy
The Secret to Getting a Lot of Web Design Work
Is good design just a formula?