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SingaporeDesign StudiesQuick questions
Design Principles and Elements
Quick questions on Principles of design explained: O-Level Design Studies
3short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is balance?Show answer
Balance is the distribution of visual weight so a design does not feel lopsided. Symmetrical balance mirrors elements across a central axis and feels formal and stable. Asymmetrical balance offsets different elements so their weights still settle, and feels dynamic and modern. Radial balance arranges elements around a central point, as in a sunburst.
What is contrast?Show answer
Contrast is difference: light against dark, large against small, smooth against textured, one colour against its opposite. Contrast creates interest, separates elements, and makes the important parts stand out. Without contrast a design is flat and hard to read; with too much, it becomes noisy.
What is emphasis?Show answer
Emphasis is making one element the focal point so the eye goes there first. It is achieved by contrast, isolation (negative space around an element), scale, or placement. Every clear design has a deliberate point of emphasis; designs that emphasise everything end up emphasising nothing.
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