U NIT

O NE : P RINCIPLES OF D ESIGN

Proximity - Lesson

The Principle of Proximity states that you group related items together, move them physically close to each
other so the related items are seen as one cohesive group rather than a bunch of unrelated bits.
Items relating to each other should be grouped close together. When pieces of a design are scattered all
over, the page appears unorganized and the information may not be instantly accessible to the reader.
When several items are in close proximity to each other, they become one visual unit rather than several
separate units. This helps organize information, reduces clutter, and gives the reader a clear visual path.

Below are two business card examples. Which one of the business cards utilizes proximity appropriately?

The right business card creates a visual path for the reader while using a simple design that provides all the
necessary contact information. When several items are in close proximity to each other, they become one
visual unit rather than several separate units. Items relating to each other should be grouped together,
such as the contact information in the right business card.

The basic purpose
The basic purpose of proximity is to organize. Other principles come into play as well, but simply grouping
related elements together into closer proximity automatically creates organization. If the information is
organized, it is more likely to be read and more likely to be remembered.

What to avoid
Don't stick things in the corners or in the middle just because the space is empty.
Avoid too many separate elements on a page, avoid leaving equal amounts of white space between
elements unless each group is part of a subset, avoid reader confusion related material. Remember to
create a relationship among elements with close proximity.

Proximity - Business Cards

Create a new document in Illustrator. The business cards Im used to designing come in at 88x55mm, but
sizes can vary across different print firms, and of course will be created in the imperial metric system in the
USA. Enter the dimensions according to your chosen printer in the width and height options, and the bleed
amount below. With our cards being double sided, change the Number of Artboards option to 2. Finally,
check your Color Modeis set to CMYK.

Drag out guides and align them with the black outline of the cards (Press CMD+R to toggle rulers on). Select
the bottom horizontal guide and the two left hand vertical guides then hit Enter to open the Move window.
Enter 5mm in the Horizontal and Vertical fields then click OK.


Select the remaining guides and open up the Move window once again, this time enter -5mm in the fields.
Now right click the document and select Lock Guides. These guides are in place to identify a 5mm safe
margin around the edge of the business card.

Use the line tool to draw a short line with a 10% black stroke. Copy (CMD+C) and Paste in Front (CMD+F),
then rotate it by 90degrees. Drag a selection across both objects and drag them into the Swatches palette.
Delete the two original lines left on the artboard.

Draw a white rectangle across the first card, covering the whole template within the red bleed line. Copy
and paste this rectangle, then fill the duplicate with the previously created pattern swatch. As the swatch
repeats it will create a seamless grid pattern. Draw a cyan filled rectangle on the right side of the card. Run
the right edge all the way to the bleed outline, and line the overall dimensions up with the background grid
pattern. Use the Type Tool to enter your name in an impactful font. Continue adding textual elements to
the design, but at a smaller type size and set in Cyan. Im using some general profile links, but you might
want to add the usual contact details often found on business cards.



Select all the elements used in the front side of the card and drag them over to the rear while holding the
ALT key. Align everything up to the outer bleed line then delete the character, the background grid and
contact details.

Change the white background rectangle to Cyan, then create another grid swatch but this time use 30%
Cyan as the stroke color. Drag this swatch into the Swatches palette and add it to a duplicate background
rectangle. Stretch the rectangle behind your name to fill the full width of the card and change the fill color
to white. Drag out one extra guide to identify the center of the card, then use this guide to align up the text
centrally. Switch the text color over to Cyan then change the wording to a welcoming message.

Once you have completed your business card please save the file to your CD or flash drive and upload it to
your online portfolio.