Mastering the fundamentals :

Design principles
MERROUCHI Nesrine
Who am i ?
Merrouchi Nesrine
5rth year student at ESI Algiers
Junior Graphic _ UI/UX designer.
GDG Algiers Graphic design co-manager
Data Science enthusiast.
 1 What's Graphic design

Outline of the 2 Graphic Design elements

workshop 3
Main concepts of graphic
design

4 Graphic design major fields

What's Gaphic
Design?
 -Graphic design is the art of creating visual content to
communicate ideas, images, informations … to convey a
particular message or represent a brand or an entity.

-Graphic design is a craft where professionals create visual

content to communicate messages. By applying visual hierarchy
and page layout techniques….
 Graphic Design is the art of transferring any
In Short message you want whether using hands or
modern softwares !!
Graphic Elements.
Mainly , you’ll have 2 questions:

What are those elements!?

How to use them efficiently?

 SIZE COLOR SHAPE

TEXTURE DIRECTION TEXT

 Alignement
Hierarchy
Graphic Design Contrast
Principles Repetition/Consistency
Proximity
Balance
 Alignement

Alignment in design refers to the arrangement of elements in a

design in relation to a common line or point. The alignment of
elements can impact the overall look, feel, and readability of a
design, so it's important to pay attention to it. Good alignment
can help create a sense of order and balance in a design, while
poor alignment can make a design look chaotic and disorganized..
Types:
 Hierarchy
When you have multiple visual elements in a design, you want to
make sure you’re giving EXTRA VISUAL WEIGHT to your important
message.

How it works :

Larger or border the fonts

Placing the most important message physically higher than the
other pieces
Use shapes to frame the central point
 Contrast

Contrast in design refers to the difference between two elements

in terms of their color, size, or value. By using contrast, designers
can create visual interest and hierarchy in a design, making certain
elements stand out and others recede.
Contrast happens when two design
elements are in opposition to each
other, like Black and White
Examples:
Contrast through the SIZE
Examples:
Contrast through the SHAPE
Examples:
Contrast through the COLOR
Examples:
Contrast through the DIRECTION
Examples:
Contrast through the OPACITY
 Consistency / Repetition
Refers to the repeated use of elements such as color, shape,
pattern, or texture within a design. Repetition can help create
unity, consistency, and coherence, making it look more cohesive
and organized.
It's important to use repetition in a balanced way, not repeating
elements so often that the design becomes repetitive or
monotonous.

Highly used in brand identity design / design systems.

 Proximity

Proximity in design refers to the placement of elements in relation

to one another. Proximity can impact the organization and
readability of a design, and is used by designers to group related
elements together and create visual relationships between them.

“Using the white space wisely”

How to do it ?
Using repetition/ direction
Using repetition/ consistency
Rythm
 Balance

Symmetry Assymmetry Radial Balance

EXERCICE
Elements

Elements in a Good Graphic Design are the

components or parts of a work of art or design. They
are the ingredients of art. The result will be some well
designed graphic design.
Images
Images play a critical role in graphic design, adding
visual interest and impact to a design. They can be
used to convey a message, tell a story, or simply add
visual interest to a design.
In addition, the human brain gets attracted to images
before texts that’s why the choice of images is
critical.
Good images are:

CLEAR SHARP NO DISTORTION

Illustrations and icons

IIllustrations and icons are important elements of

graphic design that can add visual interest and help
convey a message or idea.
When used effectively, they can help to make a design
more engaging and impactful, while also making it
easier to understand and navigate.
Lines:

Connecting 2 points can give us several shapes named

lines which are really important for any graphic design.
Shapes:

Any 2 dimentional area with boundary, includes circles,

rectangles, squares ...

Too much or too little spacing can make things

unpleasent to the viewer.
Typography
Typography is an important aspect of design. Typography
refers to the use of typefaces, font sizes, and styles to
create visual hierarchy, establish tone, and convey
meaning in design projects.
Good typography is crucial for making designs that are
aesthetically readable, visually appealing, and easy to
understand.
Types of typography :
Serif : They are usually considered more
traditional or classic and are commonly used in
print materials such as newspapers and books

Alegreya Arsenica Times New

Antiqua Roman
Non-serif : They are generally considered more
modern and are commonly used in digital
materials such as websites and mobile apps

Agrandir Inter Cooper

Hewitt
 Display: designed to grab attention and are
often used in headlines or logos

ruslan
Gulfs Display Blemer
display
 Script: mimic handwriting or calligraphy and
are often used for invitations, greeting cards,
or other types of designs that require a
personal touch.

Bukhari Eyesome
Adam Script
Script Scipt
Fonts Speak !

Every font has something

to say to you beyond the
words it covers
How to choose?
1. Less is better : stay at limit of 2 fonts by
project and use their different forms to
get yourself more contrast if you need.
2. Opposites attract: sometimes using
fonts from different types can work
amazingly so don’t get afraid to try it out!
Look:
Colors:

Color plays a critical role in graphic design, as it has

the power to evoke emotions and create visual
interest.
We do care about colors in different projects and
even in our lives for choosing an outfit for example.
Color Wheel:

From High School for those

who studied painting, Do you
remember the color wheel?
Colors:

Primary colors :
Red , Blue and Yellow
cause we can’t find
any combination of
other colors to get
them
Colors:

Secondary colors :
purple , orange, green
Colors:
Tertiary colors: are colors are
created by mixing a primary
color with a secondary color
and are often referred to by a
combination of the two colors,
such as blue-green or yellow-
orange.
Color theory
Color Wheel
Color harmony
Triadic colors:
are three colors that are
equally spaced around the
color wheel, such as red, yellow,
and blue. These colors are
often used to create vibrant
and contrasting designs.
Tetradic colors:
In a tetradic color scheme, four
colors are used that are evenly
spaced around the color wheel. This
creates a balanced and harmonious
design, as the colors complement
each other and provide a range of
hue and saturation variations.
Complementary colors :
are colors that are opposite each
other on the color wheel, such as
red and green or blue and orange.
These colors are said to enhance
each other when used together in
a design.
Analogous colors:
are colors that are adjacent to
each other on the color wheel,
such as blue, blue-green, and
green. These colors are often
used together to create
harmonious and cohesive designs.
Monochrome colors: :
Monochrome colors refer to a range of
shades and tints of a single hue, typically
gray, black, or white.
in monochromatic color schemes, we use
only one color, with variations in saturation
and lightness, to create a cohesive and
harmonious design
Cold and Warm colors :
Cold and Warm colors :
Cold colors, such as blue, green,
and purple, are associated with
calmness, serenity, and
tranquility. Cool colors are
often used in designs that want
to convey a sense of
professionalism, calmness, or
tranquility.
Cold and Warm colors :
Warm colors, such as red, orange,
and yellow, are associated with
warmth, energy, and excitement.
they are often used in designs that
want to convey energy, passion, or
optimism.
In general we’ve got 2 models of
colors :
RGB CMYK
Red - Green - Blue Cyan - Magenta - Yellow -
Key (Black)
But there's more
than that !!
 Bitmap Duotone

GrayScale HSB /HSL

 Best Sources

Coolors Google Fonts Unsplash

Color Hunt Adobe Fonts Pexels
Adobe Color FontSpace Pixabay
Canva Color ArbFonts 500px
 Best Sources

FlatIcon DrawKit Dribbble

svgRepo StorySet Behance
Freepik Humaaans Pinterest
IconFinder LukasZadam DesignSpiration
Noun Project Undrew.co/illustrations
Different Fields of
Design
Industrial Design
use a variety of tools and
techniques, including sketching,
computer-aided design (CAD),
and prototyping, to bring their
ideas to life.
Web Design
included in Ux/ui field mainly
Graphic Design
Photo Manipulation – Retouching
– Logo Design – Brand Identity
Design – Printings –
Advertisement – Typography &
Typeface Design – Packaging –
Illustration … etc
Packaging
Photo
Manipulation
Logos Design
Retouching
Thank You !
Any Questions ?