Learn It 5.1.2 Designing Your Message

Visual Design Principles

Business communicators don’t always have access to a graphic artist. You don’t need to be a graphic artist to use basic principles of visual design in your communications.

Contrast

Contrast is when two aspects of an image are strikingly different from one another, like dark and light. Contrast is an important principle in visual design and helps highlight the important part of the image. It adds weight to your design and guides the viewer’s eye to what you want them to see.

Illustration of 5 roses in a row. Only the center one is colored in red the rest are left in black and white, drawing the viewer's eye to the center one.
Figure 1. The contrast in colors draws your eye to the center rose

Deciding where to pull the viewer’s eye and why is essential. Contrast can help viewers quickly decide where to find the most crucial information in a design, such as in an advertisement, flyer, or when navigating a website.

A diagram with four rectangular elements. At the top is a large purple box with the words “Most important element” inside. Below it are three smaller light purple boxes, each with the words 'Less important element' inside.
Figure 2. The color contrast draws your eye to the top rectangle, which contains the most important information

Alignment

Alignment creates a sharp, linear order to the elements of your visual, so they all have a connection to each other. If objects are closer together, the viewer assumes that they’re related. This principle is known as proximity.

In the first image of trees below, we see six trees in one group that are in two rows even though they’re not precisely linear. In the second image, we perceive two groups of three.

The image features two sets of trees. In the first image of trees below, we see six trees in one group that are in two rows even though they’re not precisely linear. In the second image, we perceive two groups of three.
Figure 3. Objects in proximity to each other are viewed as having a connection

Hierarchy

If there are multiple elements in a design, more visual weight should be given to the most important part of the graphic. Establish the most essential part of the graphic first, and then fill in the rest with the less important parts. Hierarchy can be achieved using some of the other visual principles, like color, contrast, scale, and proximity.

A diagram depicting hierarchy. At the top there is a row of 6 individuals. Below them in the left group is a row of two individuals and below them one individual. The left group has one individual above two individuals.
Figure 4. The visual weight draws your eye to the long line of people at the top before the small groups of people at the bottom

Repetition and Pattern

Five Google Workspace icons in the brand's color scheme of red, blue, yellow, and green. The top row from left to right contains an "M" representing Gmail, a calendar with the number 31 in the center representing Google Calendar, and a triangle representing Google Drive. In the second row is a rectangle representing Google Docs and a video camera representing Google Meet.
Figure 5. Google Workspace icons use the same colors and style

Repetition strengthens the overall design and ties together elements to make them more consistent. This technique is often used in branding to make items more recognizable.

Color

Color is an important choice in visual communication because each color has a meaning. If you’re following brand guidelines, your colors will reinforce your brand, but if not, you might want to consider some of the universal associations that go along with each color. Green tends to conjure images of the environment, while red symbolizes anger, and yellow, happiness. Which of these roses looks cold to you?

Illustration of three roses. The far left rose is blue, the middle rose is orange, and the far right rose is red.
Figure 6. Since the center rose has a lighter color than the rest, it may appear cold. However, blue is sometimes associated with cold. The rose a viewer considers cold may vary depending on their background and experiences

However, it’s important to remember that associations with color can vary depending on culture. For example, in Western cultures, the color red can be associated with passion or danger. In China and other Asian countries, red symbolizes luck and prosperity.

Xerox dug deep into why color is important in communication. Check out their two-page cheat sheet to learn more about how to leverage color for the best effect in your presentation.