FOCALPOINT 1.1 HOW TO

The more contrasting the change, the more the point demands the viewer’s attention. Many puzzles and fun memes on the internet challenge us to find the different shape in a sea of many shapes which are the same as each other but only slightly different from it.Ĭolors - A shift in color can create a focal point in a design. The eye loves to go to find something different straightaway.

Shapes – If you are using a group of similar shapes on a page (say, rectangles), then using a different shape (say, a circle) will instantly draw the eye. This is automatic – the human eye will catch it so, it’s important that you make the distraction meaningful. For example, if your design uses horizontal lines and if you break the pattern and use a vertical line, it will stand out as a point where attention is required. When you change this flow, you call attention to the point on the page where the flow is broken.

Lines – Many designers use a specific linear flow to determine the overall direction of the page. Most often, we use emphasis to drive a call to action (e.g., a sign-up, purchase, or login button, etc.).Īs a designer, you have many tools to create emphasis in your product. You can use lines, shapes, colors, textures, size, etc., as well as many other elements to create emphasis. The aim is to create a focal point in the design: an eye-catching part that stands out, distinct from the rest of the design elements. However, we are sure that you can recall some of these “emphasized” elements without too much effort! Reading on, you’ll see how common they are. Emphasis surrounds us, even if you might not realize that it’s called “emphasis”. We see emphasis used in most fields of design, including architecture, landscape design, and fashion design. That could be to an area of content, to an image, to a link, or to a button, etc. Įmphasis is a strategy that aims to draw the viewer’s attention to a specific design element.

FOCALPOINT 1.1 HOW TO

It’s important to have a good grounding in the Gestalt laws before moving on, because, from knowing how to apply those, we can improve our designs even further, using emphasis. Now that we’ve seen, understood, and appreciated the value of the Gestalt principles, let’s build on our grasp of those and explore something else.

Focalpoint 1.1