Simplicable Guide

45 Principles of Design

John Spacey, May 05, 2016 updated on March 11, 2023

Design is the practice of creating things. This is a diverse practice that draws from synthesis, analysis, engineering, culture and art. Design is used to create visual environments, information, interactions, products, services, buildings, infrastructure and technology. The following are common principles of design.

Alignment Positioning things in a line.	Hierarchy Arranging things in a hierarchy of importance.
Contrast Using visual contrast to create emphasis and draw interest.	Ban the Average Not designing things for the mythical "average person."
Design to the Edges Design things to be usable for as many people as possible including people with disabilities.	Human Scale Designs are for humans and consider their characteristics such as how people perceive colors.
Space Use negative space to make designs less loud and chaotic.	Essential Complexity Only increase complexity where it adds value.
Minimalism The philosophical as opposed to rational reduction of complexity.	Flexibility Designs are broadly usable in as many contexts as possible.
Personality Create designs that have an identity or feel to them.	Context Designs consider context of use.
Audience Consider user needs and perceptions.	More is Different Complexity can add value .. avoid needless minimalism.
Unity The elements of a design are arranged such that they look like they belong together.	Variety Designs need not be homogeneous and can include elements that are distinctive and unique.
Balance Make both sides of things appear to be in balance.	Repetition Elements can be repeated to create consistency and unity.
Rhythm Multiple elements can be repeated in a pattern.	Proportion Find balance in the relative sizes of things.
Proximity Group related things close together.	Emphasis Design may draw attention to one element with techniques such as contrast.
Movement Consider how the user's attention flows through a design.	Genius Loci Design things to suit their time and place e.g. not copying historical styles.
Truth to Materials Materials don't pretend to be something they're not. For example, a plastic phone that pretends to be gold.	Least Astonishment Things work the way users expect unless there is a very good reason to change this.
Least Effort Make things easy for the user.	Input is Error The aggressive minimization of human input whereby having to ask the user is viewed as a failure of automation.
Scale Design things to seamlessly scale up and down.	Keep it Simple All else being equal, a simple design beats a complex one.
You Ain't Gonna Need It Avoid too many functions and features. e.g. obscure gestures that few people use but people might trigger by accident.	Worse is Better Avoid excessive quality. Designs can be launched and improved over time with user feedback.
Last Responsible Moment Avoid making design assumptions or decisions too early -- let things evolve a little.	Defensive Design Brainstorm the edge cases and worst cases and design for them.
Form Follows Function Functionality drives design and not the other way around.	Modularity Break things into parts that fit together
Interchangable Parts Standardize parts for efficiency.	There's More Than One Way To Do IT There is no perfect design just many good designs.
Learnability If you have to explain a design feature to the user, it might be too complex or obscure.	Information Scent Provide clues about how things work.
Attractiveness Principle Aesthetics are personal .. there is no one design that everyone likes.	Empathy Get to know the user and learn to feel what they feel to improve a design.
Conviviality Designs can feel friendly or unfriendly.	Extensibility Designs adapt well to future change.
Elegance A design that feels simple, intuitive and appealing that is in fact extremely complex.

It should be noted that many of the design principles above are opposites:

Context calls for considering exactly how a design will be used but flexibility calls for a design that is broadly useful in contexts that you may not be able to imagine.

Minimalism calls for eliminating complexity for philosophical reasons while essential complexity supports making designs complex if there is some need for complexity.

Ban the average calls for designs that are broadly useful for all people while audience calls for designs that are for an identified group such as a target market.

45 Principles of Design

Design

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