zing noun 2 a : an
enjoyably exciting or
stimulating quality : ZEST
Merriam–Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition

Design

Focal Point
What the eye sees first
The central theme or message of the visual

Contrast
The difference between two or more
elements
Make it look the same or completely
different
Similarities cause conflict

Contrast by Size
Big vs. Little

Contrast by Weight
Thick vs. Thin
Black Bold Semibold Regular Light

Contrast by Structure
Serif Script
Book Antiqua Brush Script
Garamond Edwardian Script
Times New Roman Garamond Italic
Sans Serif Decorative
Arial Bauhaus 93
Gill Sans Curlz
Myriad Pro
SF Collegiate

Contrast by Form
ALL-CAPS vs. lowercase
Roman vs. oblique
Roman vs. italic

Contrast by Orientation
V
E
Horizontal
R
Vertical
T
I
d
C
le
g
n
A
A
L

Contrast by Orientation
Tall Flat
This is tall This is flat text because it is oriented horizontally
text because and a long, flat plain.
it is oriented
vertically
and forms a
column.

Contrast by Color / Special Effects
Cool vs. warm
Light vs. dark
Textures and special effects
With vs. without

Don’t Contrast by Alignment
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and
darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was
light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good:
and God divided the light from the darkness.

Repetition
Repeating an element, style, point, image, theme,
or design
Unifies a presentation
Maintains a consistency throughout

Hierarchy/Relevance
Organizing and segmenting the structure of
the content
Keeping relevant information together
Separating irrelevant or indirectly connected
information

Alignment
Arranging elements to very few vertical or
horizontal rules
Very clean; removes clutter
Defines and maintains hierarchy

Simplicity
Giving only important information
Especially with technical data (charts, graphs, etc.)
Refraining from too many effects
KISS

Eye Flow
What the eye sees first and where it goes from there
Arrange things “chronologically”
Timing influences flow
Gives information one bite at a time
Keeps the audience from reading all the points before

White Space
“Rest areas” for the eyes
Powerful yet most-neglected tool
Absence suggests cramming and poor planning
No white space makes for irritating reading

Balance
Maintaining a proportional visual “weight” of
design elements
Balance doesn’t mean symmetry
Prevents monotony

Eye Candy / Special Effects
What catches and keeps the eye
Gives zing to any presentation
Holds the eye in anticipation for what’s next
Often ignored; often overused

Psychology
Knowing mental and physical reactions
Hardest to learn; takes time and experience
Subliminal relevance
Things don’t have to be big
Color influences psychology

Knowledgeable Recognition
Once you know about it, you’ll see it
People often remember by association