![The 11 Principles of Design and Art [Infographics Included]](/_astro/principles-of-design-and-art-1.jIpeTnWF_ZVFFqd.webp)
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The 11 Principles of Design and Art [Infographics Included]
Repetition, rhythm, movement, balance, proportion, white space, contrast, emphasis, hierarchy, variety and unity, explained with examples and a free PDF.
Since 2019
Design, explained from the foundations up.
The principles of design and the mindset of UX, in plain language, with real interfaces as examples.
Start here
The articles most readers begin with. Together they cover every element, principle, and the basics of UX.
![The 7 Elements of Design and Art [Infographics Included]](/_astro/7-elements-of-design-and-art.DpWZLXcX_Z13mHsz.webp)
Design Fundamentals
The 7 Elements of Design and Art [Infographics Included]
The 7 elements of design are point, line, shape, form, space, color and texture. Each one explained with real interfaces, plus a free printable infographic PDF.
Design Fundamentals
7 Gestalt Principles of Design [Infographics Included]
Similarity, continuation, closure, proximity, figure-ground, symmetry and common fate, each explained with interface examples. Free cheat sheet PDF included.
Design Fundamentals
Proportion Principle of Design
What proportion means in design, how size and visual weight relate, and how to use scale to guide attention. Clear examples from apps, posters and architecture.
Tutorials
6 Reasons to Start Usability Testing and (8 easy steps to do it)
Usability testing means watching real participants use your product. Six reasons to start, eight steps to run a test, plus DIY and remote options.
Latest
Newest writing first. All 55 articles
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Design Fundamentals White space in Design White space (negative space) is the empty area between elements. What it does for hierarchy, readability and focus, with Squarespace and Apple examples. -
Design Fundamentals Emphasis Principle of Design Emphasis is how you pull the eye to one part of a composition. Learn the techniques (contrast, isolation, placement, scale) with real UI and poster examples. -
Design Fundamentals Movement Principle of Design Movement guides the viewer's eye along a path through a composition. Learn the techniques, from lines and repetition to actual motion, with examples. -
Design Fundamentals Balance Principle of Design [Infographics Included] Symmetrical and asymmetrical balance explained. How visual weight works and how to check whether a design feels balanced, with an infographic. -
Case Studies Neue: An Online Clothing Store for Blind People [Case Study] UX case study for Neue, an online clothing store designed for blind users: interviews, pain points, wireframes, prototypes and usability testing.
Design Fundamentals
The elements and principles of design, with real interfaces as examples. Balance, contrast, emphasis, hierarchy, white space, Gestalt and more. Every principle in the series, alphabetically.
- 7 Gestalt Principles of Design
- Balance Principle of Design
- Emphasis Principle of Design
- Gestalt: Closure
- Gestalt: Similarity
- Gestalt: Symmetry
- Legibility vs Readability: What distinguishes them?
- Line in Design: Types & Examples
- Movement Principle of Design
- Point in design
- Proportion Principle of Design
- Texture In Design: Types & Importance
- The 11 Principles of Design and Art
- The 7 Elements of Design and Art
- Unity Principle of Design
- Variety Principle of Design
- Wabi-sabi: Exploring the Design Principle of Imperfection
- White space in Design
From UI to UX, in one week
A free six-lesson course for designers who make good screens and want to understand why some still fail. The UX mindset, the research that replaces assumptions, and your first persona and journey map.
Take the free courseUser Experience
What UX actually involves. Research, personas, journeys, usability, psychology, and the mindset that separates UX from UI.
User Experience
Gestalt Principle: Continuation (Visual Perception of Continuous Flows & Paths)
The law of continuation explains why the eye follows lines, curves and paths. What it is, how it differs from similarity, and how designers use it in layouts.
User Experience
False-Consensus Effect: Why & How should it be Avoided?
The false consensus effect makes us assume our beliefs are more common than they are. Why it misleads UX designers and how research keeps it in check.
User Experience
Anchoring Bias: How it affects us & Why is it Important?
Anchoring bias makes people rely heavily on the first information they get. How it shapes decisions and why marketers and designers should understand it.
User Experience
The Bandwagon Effect: Why is it Bad & How to avoid it
The bandwagon effect: adopting ideas because many others hold them. Why it hurts design decisions, how to avoid it and how it plays out on social media.
Every topic
55 articles, grouped.
- User ExperienceWhat UX actually involves. Research, personas, journeys, usability, psychology, and the mindset that separates UX from UI.30
- Design FundamentalsThe elements and principles of design, with real interfaces as examples. Balance, contrast, emphasis, hierarchy, white space, Gestalt and more.18
- Long ReadsDeeper essays on design thinking, careers, and the craft, including full case studies and a redesign told from start to finish.4
- Tools and KitsDesign tools compared and explained. Figma, Sketch, alternatives for Windows, and the resources worth bookmarking.4
- Case StudiesReal product design work taken apart: the problem, the research, the decisions behind each screen, and what happened next.3
- Design InspirationsInterfaces and interactions worth studying, from mobile screens to full websites, with notes on why each one works.3
- TutorialsStep-by-step walkthroughs of design techniques and methods, from running your first usability test to mirroring a Sketch file on a phone.3
- SketchTips and workflows for Sketch, starting with how to mirror a design on a real phone while you work so you can test it at true size.1
Why this site exists
ux360.design started as bestDesignTrend in 2019, a place to write down solutions to design-tool problems that were frustrating to find. Readers kept asking to be taught UX, so the writing moved to the foundations: the elements and principles of design, then the mindset that separates UX from UI.
Everything here is written from working experience in product design, with real interfaces as examples. More about the author.