Graphic Design Principles Index

1. Design: Organizing Elements

2. Design Principles: Organizing Intervals

3. Balance Around the Optical Center

4. Balance the Weight of Graphic Elements

5. Balance Positive and Negative Space

6. Balance Color

7. Beware of Individual Color Idiosyncrasies

8. Avoid Adjacent Colors Differing Only in Hue

9. Consider the Idiosyncrasies of Color Contrast

10. Use Color to Create Memorable Moods

11. Save Bright or Saturated Colors for Special Uses

12. Blue is for Backgrounds

13. Red & Green for Central Elements

14. Use Depth Cues to Indicate Importance/Activity Level

15. Use Similar Colors to Denote Relationships

16. Relate Halftones With Similar Color Tones

17. Link Color Changes to Dynamic Events

18. Use Color Consistently

19. Never Rely on Color Alone

20. Consider Perceptual Disabilities

21. Be Aware of the Gender Connotations of Colors

22. Be Aware of the Social Connotations of Colors

23. Develop Color Design Under User Conditions

24. Computer Type is NOT Print Type

25. Choose a Typeface Appropriate to the Material

26. Consider Readability

27. Use Italics Sparingly

28. Use Typefaces Consistently

29. Shape of Type Affects Cognition

30. Density of Type Affects Reader Attention

31. Create a Rhythm

32. Maintain Visual Consistency

33. Use Graphics To Supplement Non-Visual Information

34. Don't Let Graphics Distract

35. Consider the Gestalt of Perceptual Organization

36. Put Buttons and Menus at the Edge of the Screen

37. Use Icons for Recognizable Concepts

38. Make the Affordance of Objects Obvious

39. Page; Don't Scroll