Week 2 - Reading: Unifying Principles of Design

Here we go again with another reading going over some more design

Unifying Principles of Design

The parts of an art form has traditionally expected to unite and make a coherent whole.

The principles I'm going to summarize are intended to create a sense of harmony.

However there are certain cases where an artist intends to intentionally break the harmony and create a sense of "discord".

Such example can be found in the work below:




In Alfonso Ossorio's Feast and Famine, he aims to depict the social tensions and conflicts within the mind.

However much conflict is depicted in this art they are unified by being collected within one format.

This type of random chaos and conflict has become more and more familiar that art forms in this style have been more accepting as a work of art.

1. Repetition

Repetition of similar elements is simple for a viewer to grasp. This repetition is called a pattern.

We respond particular easy to the designs found in natures like the Mughal Huqqa vase below. Maybe because we have seen them growing up and have grown accustomed to them?




Another great use of repetition is found in Georges Seurat Circus Sideshow ("La Parade").

The similar texture, strokes, and colors pull them together. This really makes things easy to parse and group similar elements.

2. Variety

Another way of bringing in unity is to actually vary the elements. If elements are too similar and repetitive, you run the risk of boring the viewer.

It's important to have the right amount of variety.


I really like the poster below.

木 - tree
林 - grow
森 - forest




There the right amount of variation in terms of spacing as well as size. However the color and the characters are the same.


And of course there is nothing like the yin and yang to show how to unify by illustrating the differences.

3. Rhythm

Particular beat marking the movement of the viewer's eye through the work.

The picket fence has a beat that is steady equally separated.




While a more flowing image has a more flowing rhythm like the Contour Plowing below.




Now what I really am excited to share is something I learned about the steps of a Japanese garden.

The steps are designed in a way that you literally cannot just walk "left-right-left-right" across.

Normal walking cadence is interrupted deliberately to suggest pauses for contemplation of the surroundings.

4. Balance

Distribution of the apparent weight of the elements so that the work does not appear about to lean too heavily over one side or the other.

Symmetrical balance - have the left and right be identical or near identical.




Asymmetrical balance - The sides are different but they visual weights are balanced.




In additional to horizontal balancing, the vertical balance is also important too.


The most important thing about the drawing is the position of the apples. The position of the apples suggest that the background is a table that the apples are on.

Any higher would make it seems like they are floating.

Removing the whitespace around would completely change the context of the apples.

5. Emphasis

In near opposite of the previous example, balance, another way to unify design is to bring it a focal point.

In Rembrandt van Rijn Christ with the Sick Around Him, Jesus is clearly the focal point.



He is brought into focus in a variety of ways. He is the tallest element in this painting and the light appears to be originating from him.


The same is achieved in Giotto's Madonna Enthroned.

6. Economy

The final principle is economy - using what is needed and nothing more.


In picasso's bull, you can see his progression of the drawing as we removed more and more until there was just enough necessary to get the message across.




Another example of economy is this 1969 VW Beetle.

You could tell by just the line that this is the top of a Volkswagen Beetle, well especially in 1969.






Alrighty so those were the 6 unifying principles of design!!!

Hope you enjoyed reading this post or at least enjoyed looking at all the pictures at least!