There are a lot of elements that make a “good” design. We know, it can be kind of subjective, but there are still some basic truths to good UI, UX, and appealing visuals.
Dribble gave 11 design principles every designer and beholder should be familiar with. These are the 5 biggest ones according to The Daily Carnage:
- Hierarchy: This one is a touchy subject for designers. “Can you just make all the text a bigger font?” If we had a nickle every time that was asked…Your eyes need things to gravitate to and they can’t do that if all elements are treated the same. Visual hierarchy uses scale, color, different typefaces, sizes, and font weights to break out elements and create interest.
- Alignment: It’s in our nature to want things to align together. While there is a method to the madness at times, having text or design work together with alignment, patterns, or positioning is going to create the most visual appeal.
- Emphasis: This is all with the user in mind. And for some reason, this aspect of design often falls flat. Knowing where to draw to a CTA, image, or other element separates someone who can make things pretty from a UX beast.
- Negative Space: Give us some space! Some breathing room is great when it comes to designs, and more is more with this techiqnue. The more white/negative space, the more attention you’re putting on an element.
- Contrast: We love contrast with color, shapes, or similar properties of elements. A huge reason we love it is for accessibility. Contrast between elements, especially text on a background, is also essential for accessible design. It should never be an afterthought!
These were our favs but for the other six principles, check out the full Dribble blog post. Sometimes great design is meant to break “the rules” and sometimes its beautiful because it’s by the books. Either way, revisit this list and see what concepts you can use in your next project.
