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DESIGN INSPIRATION
11 Rules of Composition for Non-Designers
Wri en by:
Nayomi Chibana
Having the right elements for your design is only half of the journey to crea
Now comes the part where you put everything together to create a harmonious com
shapes, colors and typography.
Even as a non-designer, you've recognized the difference between awkward-looking visuals that
1 of 26 2/28/2020, 10:47 AM
11 Rules of Composition for Non-Designers | Visual Learning Center by ... https://visme.co/blog/composition-rules-for-non-designers/
make you think "something just ng

Marke doesn't
Strategiesfeel
Weright" and
Used to content
Grow Visme to that is so pleasing to the eye that it
4M Users
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(h ps:/ closely at its
/www.visme.co/marke different elements.
ng-strategy/?vc=hello-bar-CTA)
In this post, we'll go over some of the ways you can apply basic composi on rules to create more
effec ve, professional-looking visual content, even without a design background.
1 Create a focal point.
One of the most apparent marks of an effec ve design is the way it draws your gaze to a central
focal point.
Just like with any other form of communica on, every design must have a core message and a clear
goal. This can't be achieved, however, if the viewer doesn't know where to look first because there
is no one thing that stands out.
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Mo on Theatre / Dan Dos Santos
For example, take a look at the two images above. What makes them effec ve pieces of visual
communica on is the fact that both of them have focal points created with dominant elements.
Some of the different characteris cs you can vary to create dominance
(h ps://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/09/design-principles-connec ng-and-separa ng-
elements-through-contrast-and-similarity/) in a design include:
Size
Color
Shape
Depth
Value
In the case of the poster to the le , the size of the central image and intertwined le ers is bigger in
comparison with the rest of the objects, which helps to create a central, dominant element.
Its contrast with the dark background, along with the illusion of depth and the lines leading up to it,
cause our eyes to immediately hone in on this part of the poster.
The poster on the right also draws viewers' eyes to a clear focal point. In this case, our gaze is
instantly placed on the face of the girl lying down on the floor.
Besides the contrast created by the green shirt over a muted background, the pa ern of the
pavement and the caped woman's arm both create implied lines that lead viewers to focus first on
the subject's face.
2 Create visual hierarchy.
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The goal of a good visual design is to orient viewers' eyes in a specific direc on.
The first step to doing this is crea ng a visual entry point into your design using a focal point, as
covered above. Then, you can provide a path for your viewers' eyes to follow by applying other
rules, such as visual hierarchy principles, which guide the arrangement of elements in a way that
communicates the rela ve importance of each.
The design on the le , for instance, does just this by varying certain characteris cs, such as size,
contrast, color, typography and spacing. Even a viewer not trained in graphic design can tell that
the most important part of the message is the tle "Camp Fair" in large, bold white le ers.
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Sui Tin Sung / Runner's World Magazine
The design on the right achieves the same effect by applying the same visual hierarchy principles.
When you first look at it, your eyes most likely follow this same path from the most important
element to the least: 1) The tle; 2) The man below the words; 3) The woman next to the man; 4)
The number "800"; 5) And then the text to the bo om right of the page spread.
3 Use leading lines.
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(h ps://visme.co/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04
/rule2headera.jpg)
Another effec ve technique for crea ng a visual journey with your design is to use what are called
leading lines.
Either implied by the natural shape of objects (such as the woman's arm reaching out in the first
example above) or explicit through the use of actual lines, leading lines are used to direct readers'
eyes to other elements on a page.
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Design By Day / Brian Stauffer
A perfect example is the design to the le , which uses this technique to first draw a en on to the
focal point ("unspooling") and then orient the eyes toward the informa on on each of the different
lines; first the list of names in yellow, then the words in red, and so on.
While the image on the right is not as eye-catching as the first, it also uses leading lines to orient
the gaze toward the focal point. In this case, the leading lines are implied by the shape of the piano
and the elongated stems of the flowers over the piano cover.
4 Scale elements to create effects.
(h ps://visme.co/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/rules4.jpg)
Another way to indicate the rela ve importance of elements is to adjust their scale. For example,
the most important elements are usually larger and more prominent than less important ones. In
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this way, scale is used to establish the dominance or visual weight of an object.
S H AR ES
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In an effec ve design, all elements shouldn't

Marke ng Strategies Wehave the
Used to same
Grow visual
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to 4M Users if so, they would all be
compe ng for a en onDownload
and the viewer
for Free wouldn't know ng-strategy/?vc=hello-bar-CTA)
(h ps://www.visme.co/marke where to look first.
Lucrezia Invernizzi Te oni / Wilco
The poster to the le , for instance, uses an oversized element to create a drama c effect and
quickly draw a en on to a clear focal point.
The one to the right uses the same technique, but in this case it is used to emphasize the rela ve
smallness of the bird in rela on to the owl. The leading lines implied by the shadows also lead us to
look from the owl to the bird and then back to the owl again.
5 Balance your elements.
NaN
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(h ps://visme.co/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/rules5.jpg)
In most cases, you will want to achieve a balanced design in order to create visual harmony. But
what exactly does "balance" mean in the context of graphic design?
According to Smashing Magazine (h ps://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/06/design-

principles-composi onal-balance-symmetry-asymmetry/), the concept of visual balance can be
compared to balance in the physical world. Just as the scene of one very small person and another
very large one si ng at opposite extremes of a perfectly balanced seesaw would throw off most
viewers (as this would be physically impossible), so would an unbalanced design.
Like in the real world, each element carries a visual weight determined by its size, color and shape,
among other things. For example, a large circle would have greater visual weight than a small one;
or a highly textured object would have more weight than a fla er element.
Just like you would try to balance physical objects on a seesaw (by perhaps having the larger
person move toward the center), so would you adjust the placement of visual elements on a page
to achieve balance in a design.
Mahya Soltani / Ma Needle

NaN
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9 of 26 2/28/2020, 10:47 AM
Knowing this, you can achieve

Marke balance in aWe
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Used to Grow through
Visme to 4M theUsers
use of symmetry or
asymmetry. While the first is ofor Free
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ps://www.visme.co/marke and balanced, it can also be perceived
as boring due to its sta c nature. Asymmetry, on the other hand, is not conven onally seen as
appealing but can be interpreted as dynamic and s mula ng.
Take a look, for example, at the design on the le . Although asymmetrical, with most of the
elements placed to the lower right of the poster, it is balanced out by the illustra on, which carries
significant visual weight due to its contrast with the dark background image.
Or, consider the poster on the right. It is mostly a symmetrical design that, although sta c and
simple, is cap va ng due to the drama c effect created by the contrast of the orange against the
background and the effec ve use of nega ve space.
6 Use contrast to send a message.
(h ps://visme.co/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/rule7header.jpg)
Contrast is one of the most effec ve tools for making certain elements in your design stand out. As
human beings, one of the first things our eyes no ce is difference, whether this be a difference in
color, shape, texture, size or posi on, among other things.
By nature, we tend to group similar objects together and differen ate between those that are
dissimilar. Take, for example, the poster on the le . Our eyes are immediately drawn first to the
object that stands out the most: the yellow rectangle and the words contained within it. Our gaze
then moves on to the subject's face, the tle and then the surrounding text.
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10 of 26 2/28/2020, 10:47 AM

Projeto Nosotros / Alejandro Flores
In the second poster, we see the same effect. Color is used to create contrast and thereby draw
a en on first to the subject's head and then down to his feet and the textual message.
7 Create a cohesive design.
To create a well-composed visual, you also want to e elements together to form a whole. By using
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complementary elements throughout, you can achieve a sense of unity and cohesion.
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11 of 26 2/28/2020, 10:47 AM
The poster to the le , for Marke

example, effec vely
ng Strategies creates
We Used a unified
to Grow Visme towhole
4M Usersby using a running theme
that acts as the invisibleDownload
thread for that
Free (hpulls the design together.
ps://www.visme.co/marke In this case, this unifying theme is
the use of shapes to create perspec ve, both in the text and the three-dimensional mountain scene
composed en rely of simple triangles of different shades and colors.
Jus n Krout / Barthelemy Chalvet
The same goes for the design on the right. Throughout the visual, the same white flat icons are
used against a vibrant and colorful background.
8 Use repeated elements.
NaN
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12 of 26 2/28/2020, 10:47 AM

Another way to achieve a cohesive design is to repeat certain elements. This way, the viewer
recognizes a visual pa ern and knows what to expect next, especially when crea ng a mul -page
design.
Rough Guides
In this magazine spread, for example, the same 90-degree triangles are seen on several pages,
along with the same typefaces and geometric elements such as circles and hexagons.
Rough Guides
The color orange is also consistently used throughout, although the final two-page spread
introduces a new yellow and black color combina on that might throw the viewer off a bit.
NaN
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9 Effec vely use nega ve space.
You've probably heard this before, but nega ve space (or white space) is just as important to your
design as the posi ve elements. It has many func ons within a visual: It lets the readers' eyes rest;
it gives room for visual pathways that the eye can follow; it draws a en on to the main elements
of your design; and it makes your design look clean, sophis cated and efficient.
Budi Satria Kwan / Jon Klassen
NaN
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Just look at how the design to the

Marke le creaWevely
ng Strategies Usedblends
to GrowinVisme
negato 4Mve space
Users with posi ve elements,
drawing a en on first Download
to the colorful skyline,
for Free (h ps:/ then to the
/www.visme.co/marke buildings and rain, down to the lone man
with the umbrella.
Or, consider the example to the right which uses a significant amount of nega ve space to create a
sense of drama and suspense. Also, it is useful for highligh ng the smallness of a co age in the
middle of a vast and barren se ng.
10 Use grids to align your elements.
One way to ensure that your design doesn't look disorganized and unprofessional is to use grids to
align your elements. (You can learn how to use grids within Visme here (h ps://visme.co/blog/how-
to-design-professional-content-using-grids/).)
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15 of 26 2/28/2020, 10:47 AM

Envato Download for Free (h ps://www.visme.co/marke ng-strategy/?vc=hello-bar-CTA)
Look at how these two posters use the same grid layout to properly place elements in a
harmonious and visually appealing manner. Since the layout has already been predetermined, it
makes the work of composing your design a whole lot easier.
Envato
So, instead of simply eyeballing the placement of your elements, try to use a grid to make your
designs look more organized and balanced. They can also help you iden fy your focal points and lay
out the visual path you want viewers' eyes to take.
11 Follow the rule of thirds.
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Finally, there's the very important rule of thirds, which you can follow by simply dividing your
canvas area into thirds, both horizontally and ver cally, as seen above. According to this simple
principle, your focal points should lie at the intersec ons of these lines.
Although not a principle that must be followed for each and every design, the rule of thirds is
helpful for crea ng dynamic designs that are not completely centered and symmetrical.
Also related to the rule of thirds is the Fibonacci sequence. When expressed as a rectangle, it
produces a golden spiral seen in many well-known ar s c pieces, as well as in nature, from
hurricanes to flower petals.
Levente Szabó / avantgarde
When you overlay the Fibonacci spiral on the two posters above, you see that both have elements
placed in accordance with this golden ra o and have focal points at the intersec on of an invisible
grid of thirds.
How have you applied these composi on rules to create be er designs? We would love to hear
NaN
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17 of 26 2/28/2020, 10:47 AM
your comments and ques Markeons. Or, if you would

ng Strategies We Used like
to to share
Grow Visme your project
to 4M Users with us, don't hesitate to
drop us a line in the comments
Download forsec
Free (hon
ps:/below.
/www.visme.co/marke ng-strategy/?vc=hello-bar-CTA)
SPEAK LOUDLY. SPEAK VISUALLY.
65% of the population are visual learners
(h ps://www.visme.co
/?utm_source=BlogCTA&
utm_medium=BlogCTA&vc=Bo omBanner-
CTA)
NaN
S H AR ES
18 of 26 2/28/2020, 10:47 AM

About the Author

Nayomi Chibana is a journalist and writer for Visme’s (h p://www.visme.co/) Visual Learning Center.
Besides researching trends in visual communica on and next-genera on storytelling, she’s
passionate about data-driven content.
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NaN
S H AR ES
19 of 26 2/28/2020, 10:47 AM

8 responses tofor“11
Download Free (hRules of Composition
ps://www.visme.co/marke for Non-
Designers”
不是設計師，也可以學會的十一個構圖技巧 (http://www.as-creative.com.tw/adobe
/%e4%b8%8d%e6%98%af%e8%a8%ad%e8%a8%88%e5%b8%ab%ef%bc%8c%e4%b9
%9f%e5%8f%af%e4%bb%a5%e5%ad%b8%e6%9c%83%e7%9a%84%e5%8d%81%e4
%b8%80%e5%80%8b%e6%a7%8b%e5%9c%96%e6%8a%80%e) says:
July 17, 2016 at 10:31 pm (https://visme.co/blog/composition-rules-for-non-designers/#comment-17794)
[…] 原文連結：11 Rules of Composition for Non-Designers […]
Reply
(https://visme.co
/blog/composition-
rules-
for-non-
designers
/?replytocom=17794#respond)
不是設計師也會做的十一個構圖技巧 – 瑪妃工坊 (https://mavis886.wordpress.com

/2016/07/24/%e4%b8%8d%e6%98%af%e8%a8%ad%e8%a8%88%e5%b8%ab%e4%b9
%9f%e6%9c%83%e5%81%9a%e7%9a%84%e5%8d%81%e4%b8%80%e5%80%8b%e6
%a7%8b%e5%9c%96%e6%8a%80%e5%b7%a7/) says:
July 24, 2016 at 12:50 am (https://visme.co/blog/composition-rules-for-non-designers/#comment-17943)
[…] 原文連結：11 Rules of Composition for Non-Designers […]
Reply
(https://visme.co
/blog/composition-
rules-
for-non-
designers
19 of The Most Common Mistakes Made By Non-Designers | Visual Learning Center by

Visme (https://visme.co/blog/graphic-design-rules/) says:
September 24, 2016 at 6:12 pm (https://visme.co/blog/composition-rules-for-non-designers/#comment-
22679)
[…] Now that you’ve seen some of the most common mistakes made by non-designers,
learn more about the 11 rules of composition for non-designers here. […]
Reply
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/blog/composition-
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for-non-
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NaN
S H AR ES
20 of 26 2/28/2020, 10:47 AM
Howard Perry (http://www.howardperry.com)

Marke ng Strategies We Used tosays:
Grow Visme to 4M Users
March 1, 2017 at 11:01 pm (https://visme.co/blog/composition-rules-for-non-designers/#comment-
34490) Download for Free (h ps://www.visme.co/marke ng-strategy/?vc=hello-bar-CTA)
Thanks for sharing these great tips.
Reply
(https://visme.co
/blog/composition-
rules-
for-non-
designers
Nayomi Chibana (http://www.visme.co) says:

March 22, 2017 at 12:01 pm (https://visme.co/blog/composition-rules-for-non-designers
/#comment-35232)
Thanks, Howard. Glad you found it useful.
Reply
(https://visme.co
/blog/composition-
rules-
for-non-
designers
Annija says:
April 22, 2018 at 4:15 pm (https://visme.co/blog/composition-rules-for-non-designers/#comment-51482)
Thank you! I just made a poster and found out that it follows the Fibonacci sequence
it`s much easier to make designs by knowing this.
Reply
(https://visme.co
/blog/composition-
rules-
for-non-
designers
Shakeal Kitchings says:

November 11, 2018 at 8:39 pm (https://visme.co/blog/composition-rules-for-non-designers/#comment-
73751)
Your guides and advice is unbelievably helpful, I was thoroughly scratching my head
on where to start studying elements of motion graphics design. But, I’ve just been
going through one visme article after another and I’m walking away now with a
wealth of information that’s incomprehensibly prepared me better than I had been a
mere few hours ago. Thanks so much!!!
Reply
NaN (https://visme.co
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rules- Download for Free (h ps://www.visme.co/marke ng-strategy/?vc=hello-bar-CTA)
for-non-
designers
Payman Taei (http://www.visme.co) says:

February 5, 2019 at 4:47 pm (https://visme.co/blog/composition-rules-for-non-designers
/#comment-83341)
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you found it useful.
Reply
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11 Rules of Composition for Non-Designers | Visual Learning Center by ... https://visme.

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

11 Rules of Composition for Non-Designers

make you think "something just ng

1 Create a focal point.

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

Mo on Theatre / Dan Dos Santos

2 Create visual hierarchy.

Sui Tin Sung / Runner's World Magazine

3 Use leading lines.

Design By Day / Brian Stauﬀer

4 Scale elements to create eﬀects.

In an eﬀec ve design, all elements shouldn't

Lucrezia Invernizzi Te oni / Wilco

5 Balance your elements.

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

According to Smashing Magazine (h ps://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/06/design-

Mahya Soltani / Ma Needle

Knowing this, you can achieve

6 Use contrast to send a message.

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

Projeto Nosotros / Alejandro Flores

7 Create a cohesive design.

The poster to the le , for Marke

Jus n Krout / Barthelemy Chalvet

8 Use repeated elements.

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

9 Eﬀec vely use nega ve space.

Budi Satria Kwan / Jon Klassen

Just look at how the design to the

10 Use grids to align your elements.

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

11 Follow the rule of thirds.

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

Levente Szabó / avantgarde

your comments and ques Markeons. Or, if you would

SPEAK LOUDLY. SPEAK VISUALLY.

65% of the population are visual learners

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

About the Author

Related articles How to Videos

Access Free Design Assets

Start Creating Now for Free

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

[…] 原文連結：11 Rules of Composition for Non-Designers […]

不是設計師也會做的十一個構圖技巧 – 瑪妃工坊 (https://mavis886.wordpress.com

[…] 原文連結：11 Rules of Composition for Non-Designers […]

19 of The Most Common Mistakes Made By Non-Designers | Visual Learning Center by

Howard Perry (http://www.howardperry.com)

Thanks for sharing these great tips.

Nayomi Chibana (http://www.visme.co) says:

Shakeal Kitchings says:

Payman Taei (http://www.visme.co) says:

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

RECENT FEATURES & ARTICLES

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

Marke ng Strategies We Used to Grow Visme to 4M Users

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