Three important concepts of design...

At this juncture, I think the three most important concepts of design are repetition, culture, and perception. Repetition provides structure, culture provides expectations, and perception provides results. Together—along with other design elements—these concepts provide a firm foundation for developing a strong and unified document design.

Repetition plays such a vital role in document design—for both the designer and the viewer. Repetition can be used effectively to present an idea in multiple ways. A designer can take a relatively complex idea and present it in an elementary way so that the viewer has no trouble understanding what the message is. In the same way, a good use of repetition can help a viewer relate all elements of a document back to the overall message. Repetition can be used to connect various aspects of a document to each other in a uniformed manner. Repetition can be specific color schemes, words and phrases, or design elements used multiple times throughout a document. It can also be the absence of anything consistent.

Additionally, culture is important also. It is important for a designer to understand his or her audience and what their expectations are for a particular document. If a certain color or a certain phrase is associated with a certain issue, why should a designer go against a norm and throw a viewer off in his or her expectations? Likewise, a viewer is familiar with a certain expectation, and that expectation should be met in the design of the document. However, if a designer knows his or her audience well enough to know when those norms can be broken without experiencing a negative reaction, then the best approach should be taken every time. A designer can choose to break certain design rules in order to relay the best message.

Lastly, perception is important. Perception is closely tied to culture because perception is dependent upon the viewer, although perception does not rely upon a viewer’s expectations. Perception is what is seen or derived from a document. What does the viewer see? What does the viewer take away from the document? Has the document given the viewer what he or she needed, or does it leave him or her wanting? Perception can also leave long-lasting positive or negative impressions on the viewer. If a document is designed to catch viewers’ attention, will be arouse curiosity or resentment? A designer must consider these questions and anticipate answers in the preliminary stages of design. If a designer is going for an offensive campaign, he or she must also consider the consequences of such actions.

Overall, each concept of design is important, but repetition, culture, and perception are the most important because they affect the viewer the most. These concepts must be explored by the designer up front before a design can be implemented since the implications could be extensive. By exploring these concepts in depth, a designer can incorporate the most effective elements so that a viewer can take away the most effective message.