Composition is a nice point to end on as it is the bringing together of every other principle we’ve discussed.
‘Composition’ refers to the overall arrangement of elements in your design, which sounds a bit dull when explained that way, I know, but it’s actually one of the more fun elements of design. This is where you can play, experiment and make a good design look great.
As mentioned, composition is basically where all the previous 19 elements we’ve discussed come together. You can use scale, repetition, typography, line, randomness, etc. to create unique, effective and suitable layouts.
Let’s look at some designs and pick apart their composition. First, we have this email newsletter for J.Crew. This design puts the focus on the “30” by using scale and depth to highlight it. It also draws attention to the title by using hierarchy and placing it at the top centre of the page, making it larger than the other type, and framing it.
These are just a few techniques implemented in this simple design. Note how they all come together in this specific way to create a strong, attractive and effective design.
Here’s another random example – this time, a poster by Lab B Design Office. This design uses similar techniques and design principles as the previous one, but producing a very different result. This piece uses scale and depth by varying the scaling of the blocks of type and positioning them around and behind the photograph to create depth. It also uses hierarchy heavily, and frames the type in boxes and the image with the type.
Overall, by using different combinations, techniques, and content you are able to create an infinite amount of layouts.
Think of it like learning ‘do re mi’. Once you have that part down-pat, you can then use different combinations of those notes to create just about any song you want to sing.
Sound Of Music metaphors aside, let’s run over some quick tips and tricks for mastering your composition. Here are some important things to consider when it comes to composition:
- Is the design balanced?
- Does the design have logical hierarchy?
- Does the eye follow over the page/s easily and logically?
- Is my main communication clear to audiences?