Many of us are born with the ability to “feel” these principles even if we don’t really know what they are, and we can tell when something is out of balance or too busy, etc. But if you weren’t born with that extra sense (or don’t think you were), we are here to help. The principles can be learned and practiced, and the more you practice, the more they will actually become a part of your natural perception.

There are as many ways to present this information as there are well-meaning folks presenting it, but often, stepping through the information in a logical sequence becomes too “textbook” and more about facts than feelings. But, the experience of good design is a “feeling” and so we are going to “feel” our way through the facts and aim for an overall understanding of the whole.

The Dance of Design
Think of your encounter with any work of art as you would think of a dance with a stranger. The first visual encounter is either pleasing to the eye or not. If it’s pleasing, there must then be a connection (i.e. the stranger asks you to dance). If you accept and become “interested” in the experience, you follow the ensuing movements and enjoy the dance.

Experiencing a work of art or a good design is very much the same thing. It first attracts your glance. Then, there must be something that invites you into the experience. Finally, you must be “moved” through the piece until the “dance” is over.

Through the next few Art School 101 articles, we will explore what makes that happen. The first step (when our art attracts an initial glance) is the result of varied and random events and circumstances, which we can’t readily control, but once our work receives that glance, it is up to us to engage the viewer’s attention and hold it for awhile. Turn the page to begin to learn how.