The Basics of Design

Basic design principles for the design challenged

Lesa Snider King
Feb. 13, 2007

It ain't rocket science, but by gosh it can feel like it: You've got a brochure to create, maybe an ad for a newspaper or magazine, and no matter what you do, the layout just doesn't gel and quite honestly, it looks like crap.

What do you do? Where do you even start? How, I ask you, do graphic designers create such works of beauty? What are their secrets?

Hear me now, dear grasshoppers, when I say that if you can memorize the following four principles you have what it takes to be a good designer. Truly. If you've never even driven past an art school (much less gone to an actual design class), you can create layouts that are visually pleasing, easy to read, and memorable—as long as you stick to the following four basic principles we're about to cover.

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