A-Z Popular Blog Design Search »
Design
 Advertisements
Design Guides
Visual Design

9 Types of Design Contrast

 , updated on
Contrast is the practice of making design elements look different from each other such that they stand out. It is often cited as a design principle but it is really more of a visual design technique. Contrast can be used to create variety, emphasis, dominance, visual cues, information scent and achieve design goals such as reducing human error. The following are common types of design contrast.

Color

Color contrast based on techniques such as complementary colors.

Size

Variation in the size of elements and text.

Style

Style variation such as typography.

Shape & Form

The use of a shape that stands out such as a curvy shape in a boxy design.

Negative Space

Backgrounds such as white space, texture and decorative images.

Movement

Things that move contrast with things that are sitting still.

Layout & Composition

Variation in the structural layout or composition of a design. For example, an element that doesn't align with its surroundings.

Proportion & Scale

An element that is slightly out of proportion stands out.

Information

Contrasting visual and textual information. For example, an image of a surfer on a page filled with images of cats.
Overview: Design Contrast
Type
Definition
The practice of making design elements look different from each other such that they stand out.
Related Concepts

Design

This is the complete list of articles we have written about design.
Adaptability
Aesthetics
Architecture
Balance
Charrette
Color Harmony
Color Temperature
Commercial Art
Complexity
Composition
Concept Design
Context Of Use
Crafts
Critical Design
Customization
Defensive Design
Design
Design Abstraction
Design Business
Design Concept
Design Constraints
Design Culture
Design Debt
Design Failure
Design Fiction
Design Flaw
Design Goals
Design Innovation
Design Management
Design Objectives
Design Philosophy
Design Principles
Design Process
Design Quality
Design Requirements
Design Research
Design Skills
Design Strategy
Design Styles
Design Testing
Design Theory
Design Thinking
Design To Value
Digital Design
Dominance
Edge Case
Elegance
Emergent Design
Emotional Design
Feature Fatigue
Fit For Purpose
Game Design
Gesamtkunstwerk
Graphic Design
Human Factors
Human Scale
Immersive Design
Industrial Design
Information Design
Input Is Error
Interaction Design
Iterative Design
Layout
Less Is A Bore
Less Is More
Lightness
Marketing Design
Minimalism
Modern Design
More Is Different
Moving Parts
Naive Design
Negative Space
New Complexity
No Design
Overengineering
Persona
Product Design
Prototypes
Sensory Design
Service Design
Shape And Form
Silent Design
Slow Design
Space
Speculative Design
Stability
Structure
Style
Sustainable Design
Synthesis
Texture
Transition Design
Unity
Universal Design
Urban Design
Usability
UX
Variety
Visual Design
Worse Is Better
If you enjoyed this page, please consider bookmarking Simplicable.
 

Visual Design

A list of visual design techniques, elements and considerations.

Color Harmony

Why colors match or clash.

Dominance

A design element that is meant to catch the eye.

Symmetry vs Balance

The difference between symmetry and balance.

Proportion vs Scale

An overview of proportion and scale in design.

Design Unity

The common types of design unity.

Visual Communication Examples

A definition of visual communication with examples.

Information Design

The common elements of information design.

Modern Design

The defining characteristics of modern design.

Design Principles

A list of design principles.

Ban The Average

Why averages are counterproductive for design.

Fit For Purpose

A way to define the ideal level of quality.

Principle Of Least Astonishment

An overview of the Principle Of Least Astonishment.

Preserving Ambiguity

Overview of preserving ambiguity.

Form Follows Function

An overview of form follows function with examples.

Principle Of Least Effort

An overview of a common design and marketing principle.

Examples Of Design Principles

A definition of design principles with examples.

Learnability

An overview of common learnability principles.

Elegance

The definition of elegance with examples.
The most popular articles on Simplicable in the past day.

New Articles

Recent posts or updates on Simplicable.
Site Map