Rhythm, framing, transparency and time & motion

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MARYROSE THALER
Design & Conceptual Process
Additional Design Concepts to Consider
Rhythm
Rhythm in design is also called
repetition. Rhythm allows your
designs to develop an internal
consistency that makes it easier for
your customers to understand. Once
the brain recognizes the pattern in the
rhythm it can relax and understand
the whole design. Repetition rarely
occurs on its own. Repetition attracts
attention and prompts customers to
investigate further.
Nearly anything in a Web design can be repeated to create a rhythm to your designs. You can repeat a headline
multiple times for emphasis, repeat an image across the top of your design, create a patterned background with
repetitive elements, or repeat a style throughout the pages of your site to provide consistency.
Framing
In visual arts, framing is the presentation of visual elements in an image, especially the placement of the subject
in relation to other objects. Framing can make an image more aesthetically pleasing and keep the viewer's focus
on the framed object(s). It can also be used to direct attention back to important information. It can add depth to
an image, and can add interest to the picture when the frame is thematically related to the object being framed.

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MARYROSE THALER
Design & Conceptual Process
Time and Motion
Time and motion are closely related principles. Any word or image that moves functions both spatially and
temporally. Motion is a kind of change, and change takes place in time. Time and motion are considerations for
all design work, from a multipage printed book, whose pages follow each other in time, to animations for film and
television, which have literal duration.
Motion can be implied as well as literal, however. Diagonal composition suggest movement, while rectilinear
arrangements appear static. Cropping a shape can suggest motion, as does a sinuous line or a pointed,
triangular shape. Designers today routinely work in time-based media as well as print, and a design campaign
often must function across multiple media simultaneously.
Adding Depth (Layers, Transparency, and Perspective)
When your design calls for the need for perceived depth (objects closer or further from the viewer) the use of
layering objects - text, graphics, images - over each other and adding different values of transparency can help
you achieve such an effect.