Understanding Basic Design Concepts Through Nature
Need help with a particular design principle? Let nature guide you. Looking at forms in nature can help you learn about design and give you inspiration.
1. Color - Put down your Pantone swatch book and look to nature to find a rich, vibrant color scheme. Color theory can be very complex, but many forms in nature provide beautiful color combinations that you don’t have to be an expert to see.
- Monochromatic:
- Analogous:
- Complementary:
2. Focal Point - Creating a focal point within a design adds interest and pulls a viewer into the composition. Use this technique to emphasize an important element or message. Or use a strong focal point to distract viewers from other elements. By using focal points you can create a hierarchy within a composition.
- Moths use spots on their wings to create fake “eyes” to trick predators and take attention away from their real eyes and bodies.
- Nothing stands out more in the night sky than the moon. It’s the first thing you see when you look up and it can be used for navigation in the night.
3. Contrast - Liven up a design by using contrasting colors or elements. Contrast is another way to create hierarchy and add interest.
-Lightning immediately grabs your attention and stands out brightly against a gray sky (even if only for a second).
- A zebra’s contrasting light and dark stripes are a matter of life and death. They camouflage the zebra in tall grasses.
4. Repetition - Repetition can help unify a design and emphasize an overarching concept. Using similar type, colors, shapes, etc. through out a design creates a sense of consistency and guides a viewer through a composition.
- Each ring radiating from the center of a tree trunk guides you through the life of the tree.
- The shape of honeycomb is the most efficient shape for bees to work with. Each cell is used either for honey and pollen storage or to lay eggs. The hexagons fit together perfectly and waste the least amount of space.
By following basic design principles your compositions will look more professional and interesting. You can find examples of these concepts all around you.
