Principles of Design

• Line - basic of all elements and defines the characteristic of the infographic
• Color - one of the most powerful and influential elements; emotional influences
• Shapes - enclosure created by a combination of multiple lines; psychological influences
• Balance - placement of elements, shapes, or lines throughout the image
• Formal Balance aka Symmetrical Balance - equal, objects are placed symmetrically and are properly distributed
• Informal Balance - asymmetrical distribution of elements but is compensated in different aspects such as colors and lines
• Contrast - relationship between the foreground and background color; visual ratio of different tones in an image
• Tonal Contrast - difference in tones from lightest to darkest (white to gray to black)
• Color Contrast - the way colors interact with each other
• Unity - all elements are in unison / harmony
• Proportion - correlation of all elements with one another
• Rhythm - regular repetition of elements of an art to produce and feel the movement