![The 11 Principles of Design and Art [Infographics Included]](/_astro/principles-of-design-and-art-1.jIpeTnWF_192c4L.webp)
Design Fundamentals
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.
Free course, six lessons, about one week
Free UX Course: Skills that AI cannot replace
AI already makes the screens. It cannot tell you who they are for, what they actually do, or why the good-looking one still fails. That judgement is the job now, and it is the part nobody is automating.
No email, no signup, nothing to buy. Lesson 1 opens in the next click.
The fundamentals
The elements and principles of design, with real interfaces as examples. Balance, contrast, emphasis, hierarchy, white space, Gestalt and more. Free to read, in any order, no course required.
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
11 Gestalt Principles of Design [Infographics Included]
All 11 Gestalt principles with interface examples and interactive diagrams, from proximity and closure to common region and Pragnanz. Free cheat sheet PDF.
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.
- 11 Gestalt Principles of Design
- Alignment Principle in Design: Importance & Examples [Infographics]
- Balance Principle of Design
- Color Theory in Design
- Contrast Principle of Design
- Emphasis Principle of Design
- Gestalt: Closure
- Gestalt: Common Fate
- Gestalt: Common Region
- Gestalt: Continuation
- Gestalt: Figure-ground Relationship
- Gestalt: Proximity
- Gestalt: Similarity
- Gestalt: Symmetry
- Hierarchy Principle of Design
- Legibility vs Readability: What distinguishes them?
- Line in Design: Types & Examples
- Movement Principle of Design
- Negative Space vs White Space
- Pattern in Design
- Point in design
- Proportion Principle of Design
- Repetition Principle of Design
- Rhythm Principle of Design
- Rule of Thirds: What is it and how to use it?
- Scale in 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
Why this exists
I started this site in 2019 as bestDesignTrend, mostly to write down answers to design-tool problems that were annoying to find. Readers kept asking to be taught UX instead, so the writing moved to the foundations: the elements and principles of design first, then the mindset that separates UX from UI.
AI can produce screens, personas and research reports in seconds. It cannot tell you whether any of it is true. That is the whole reason the course exists. Knowing what frustrates people, what moves them toward a milestone, and what they keep coming back for is learned, not generated.
Everything here comes out of working product design, with real interfaces as the examples. Nothing is gated and nothing is for sale.
Shirish ShikhrakarUX Engineer and Designer