1 Learn the concept
Elements should not land on a page or in any other design space by accident. Layout and composition are fundamental skills for any designer: where things go, how big they are and how they relate to each other. A design space can be a social media post, a poster, a web page or a slide. This lesson introduces the idea of working deliberately inside a space.
2 See it in action
- Every design has a boundary, such as a canvas size.
- Decide what the viewer should see first, second and third.
- Leave empty space on purpose so the design can breathe.
- Match the space to where the design will be used.
Worked example
Decluttering a flyer
Before: five fonts, three images and ten lines of text.
After: one headline, one image, three lines and a contact line.
Test: stand across the room. Can you tell what it is for in three seconds?
Result to look for: a clear main message.
3 Study an example
Example scenario
A designer places a logo, headline, photo and button on a flyer. By deciding the order of importance first, she makes the headline largest and the button easy to find.
4 Apply it and download
- Choose a design space and size.
- List the elements it needs.
- Rank them by importance.
Worksheet Brand style guide templateOpen, print or save as PDF