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layout and composition. in a way, they're the foundation of design. they give your work structure and make iteasier to navigate, from the margins on the sides... to the content in between. of course, it's not just about working withtext. composition matters in other mediums too,like graphic design, web design, and much more. without a well-composed layout, your workwould basically... fall apart. the key to mastering layout and compositionis to think like a designer.
luckily, it's easier than it sounds. there are five basic principles that can helpyou transform your work and sharpen your eye for design. let's start at the top and work our way down. proximity is all about using visual spaceto show relationships in your content. in practice, it's pretty simple—all youhave to do is make sure related items are grouped together; for example, blocks of textor elements in a graphic. groups that are not related to each othershould be separated, to visually emphasize their lack of a relationship.
all in all, this makes your work easier tounderstand at a glance—whether it's purely text or something more visual. white space is an important part of everycomposition. now, this doesn't mean literal "white space"—itjust means negative space, like the spaces between your content, between lines, and eventhe outer margins. there's no "one way" to use white space correctly,but it's good to understand its purpose. white space helps you define and separatedifferent sections; it gives your content room to breath. if your work ever starts to feel clutteredor uncomfortable… a little white space might
be just what the doctor ordered. alignment is something you deal with all thetime, even if you don't realize it. whenever you type an email or create a document,the text is aligned automatically. when aligning objects by yourself (for instance,images or separate text boxes), getting it right can be tricky. the most important thing is to be consistent. let's take a look at what that means. it might help to imagine your content arrangedinside of a grid. notice how there's an invisible line centeringeach image to the text?
each grouping is also evenly spaced and aligned,with equal-sized margins. it's that attention to detail that makes thecomposition easier to navigate. without consistent alignment, your work couldstart to feel disorganized. contrast simply means that one item is differentfrom another. in layout and composition, contrast can helpyou do many things; for example, catch the reader's eye, create emphasis, or call attentionto something important. there are lots of strategies or creating contrast. you can use color... adjust the size, shape,or visual weight of an object... or use contrasting styles of text.
contrast is also closely tied to hierarchy,a visual technique that can help the viewer navigate you work. in other words, it shows them where to beginand where to go next, using different levels of emphasis. establishing hierarchy is simple: just decidewhich elements you want the reader to notice first, then make them stand out. high-level or important items are usuallylarger, bolder, or more eye-catching in some way. repetition is a reminder that every projectshould have a consistent look and feel.
that means finding ways to reinforce yourdesign by repeating or echoing certain elements. for instance, if you have a specific colorpalette, look for ways to carry it through. if you've chosen a special header style, useit every time. it's not just for aesthetic reasons—beingconsistent can also make your work easier to read. when the viewer knows what to expect, theycan relax and focus on the content. in many ways, layout and composition are theunsung heroes of design. it's easy to overlook their role, but they'repart of everything you do. a nudge here... some extra white space there...and voila!
with a little attention to detail, you cancreate beautiful, professional-looking compositions. thanks for joining us for the basics of layoutand composition. check out the rest of our design topics, includingtypography, color, and images.