All articles (page 3)

Page 3 of 7. Articles 25 to 36 of 81, newest first. Pick a topic in the bar above to narrow down.

User Experience

Default Effect in UX Design: Why People Keep What They Are Given

The default effect is the habit of keeping whatever is already selected. See how it works in forms and settings, with studies and a fair way to set defaults.

6 min read

Two rows of four identical dots in the same positions. In the first the dots read as two tight pairs; in the second an outline drawn across the middle gap encloses the two inner dots.

Design Fundamentals

Gestalt Principle: Common Region (Grouping by a shared boundary)

The law of common region: a shared boundary groups whatever it encloses. Why it beats proximity, what counts as a boundary, and what every boundary costs.

7 min read

Four color wheels of twelve hues showing the complementary, analogous, triadic and split complementary harmonies, each with its selected hues joined by a line.

Design Fundamentals

Color Theory in Design

How colors combine: additive RGB and subtractive CMYK, the wheel, the harmonies, tint and tone, simultaneous contrast, palettes and the contrast floor.

16 min read

The same page layout twice: on the left the header, columns and footer are inked, on the right only the gaps between them are inked.

Design Fundamentals

Negative Space vs White Space

White space and negative space name the same empty area. The difference is the job it does: one separates elements, the other forms a shape of its own.

5 min read

Three rows of nine dots: scattered with uneven gaps, emerging with gaps evening out, and a pattern with every gap equal.

Design Fundamentals

Pattern in Design

A pattern is repetition regular enough to predict. What pattern means in composition, how it differs from repetition and rhythm, and where it fails.

6 min read

Three panels showing one identical green circle beside a person, a phone and a single dot, so the same circle reads small, medium and large.

Design Fundamentals

Scale in Design

Scale is the size of an element measured against a reference. What scale means, how it differs from proportion, and how to use it to build hierarchy.

6 min read

Four cards in a row sharing the same layout of a green circle, a dark title bar and two grey lines; the third card has a green rectangle instead of the circle and stands out.

Design Fundamentals

Repetition Principle of Design

Repetition is reusing an element so a design reads as one piece. Learn what to repeat, how it builds consistency and recognition, and when it turns dull.

5 min read

Three rows of green and black bars: equal heights and gaps labelled Regular, growing heights and gaps labelled Progressive, and heights rising and falling in a wave labelled Flowing.

Design Fundamentals

Rhythm Principle of Design

Rhythm is repetition at intervals that sets a pace for the eye. Learn the five types, from regular to progressive, with examples from real interfaces.

6 min read

A page drawn as bars twice: on the left six equal grey bars, on the right one heavy headline bar, a lighter subhead and four thin body lines.

Design Fundamentals

Hierarchy Principle of Design

Hierarchy is the order in which a design is read. Learn how size, weight, color, position and space set that order, with examples from real interfaces.

6 min read

The letters Aa on white at three greys with their measured ratios: 1.9:1 fails, 4.7:1 passes AA, 16.9:1 passes AAA.

Design Fundamentals

Contrast Principle of Design

Contrast is the difference between two elements that makes each one easier to see. Learn the six types, with examples, and how much contrast is enough.

6 min read

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.

5 min read

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.

5 min read