In the visual design class, we often discussed how we see things every day and expect them to look a certain way regarding colors, symbols, fonts, and layout. For example, the blue login button on Facebook is easy to recognize and feels comforting because it’s familiar. This principle extends to other aspects of design, such as the red notification dot that signifies urgency and demands attention. These elements not only guide user interactions but also evoke specific emotions and responses, showcasing the power of effective visual design.
Our professor often said that visual design is about making things look appealing and easy to use. For example, colors can affect how you feel. Red can make you feel excited or urgent, while blue can make you calm and trusting. Similarly, typography is about how the text looks; a simple example is reading a fairy tale book. The fancy, curly fonts make it feel magical, while a bold, simple font in a newspaper makes the news feel serious and important. Layout is the way things are arranged on a page. A good layout helps you find information easily and makes the design look neat.
Here is a good read on layout design and its principles.
https://www.socialectric.com/post/layout-design-getting-to-know-its-principles-why-is-it-so-important-to-visual-designs
One of the activities assigned to us involved redesigning a cluttered poster, incorporating various layout design elements. Visual design poster.
The activity helped us learn and use different visual elements to make something that looks good and works well.
