All successful design employs solid conceptual ideas, the result of a thorough brief and the initial creative process. It's in the application of these ideas that the design really takes shape. During this time the designer has a set of guidelines in their toolkit that they consciously use to develop their design.

THE 5 DESIGN PRINCIPLES:
Alignment creates a sharper, more unified design.
Repetition unifies and strengthens a design by tying together otherwise separate parts.
Contrast is the most effective way to emphasise and generate impact with a design.
Hierarchy creates organisation and direction.
Balance provides stability and structure to a design.

A good designer can tell you which principles they use in their design, in most cases all of them. Shillington College teaches design principles from the introduction stage using basic briefs through to complex, multi-layered Photoshop documents using photographic images, graphics and type.

There are many specialist areas of design that use a variety of tools, however these basic principles are a common foundation on which all great work is produced.

Good design uses type in a constructive and visually effective way. It creates hierarchy and balance to deliver a clear message that has impact. Visual communication has existed for hundreds of thousands of years. Whether it be an ancient inscription on a column in Rome, an Art Nouveau sign for the Metro in Paris or a coffee table book on gardening, typography plays a significant role in getting the message across to it’s audience.

To design something with type that is clear, simple and visually arresting requires great typographic skill. Shillington College teaches the basics of technical typography, the correlation of art movements and type, the role of design principles and type, through to its usage with the applications InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. Every lesson is another step in understanding that successful design is about good typography.

Visually, the sensation of colour affects us more than anything else. It has the remarkable ability to alter our moods and, when used in graphic design, can evoke a range of, often sub-conscious, emotional responses. Colour psychology and colour trends are important areas of consideration for a graphic designer.

What colour would you apply to a poster advertising an exhibition for Picasso? For a sign that signifies danger? An annual report for a major financial corporation? Or even the menu for a juice bar? Designers are given the responsibility to create and apply a colour scheme as a major part of answering a brief.

At Shillington College, all students are taught the analysis and application of colour. Whether it's a simple press ad, a flyer for an art gallery or a calendar depicting the seasons, most briefs in the curriculum will require the assessment of colour.