Understanding Rhythm: Principle of Dominance Design

When creating a design, rhythm plays a crucial role in making it visually appealing and effective. In this article, we will explore the concept of frequency and its application in designing rhythms.

What is Frequency?

In simple terms, frequency refers to the distance between different elements in a composition. It can be regular or random, with varying distances between frequencies. To create a rhythm, an object needs to have varying distances between several frequencies.

Types of Frequencies

There are two primary types of frequencies: even and uneven. Even frequency occurs when there is an equal distance between repeating elements, while uneven frequency happens when the distance between elements is not consistent.

Repetition in Design

Repetition is a key principle in design that helps unify the visual elements, making it consistent and highlighting relationships between components. This can be seen on Apple's website, where blocks for different products share similar characteristics with variations only in content.

Identifying Shared Features

When there are multiple common features among components, we choose the most dominant characteristic based on hierarchy, size, or other factors to determine which feature is repeated. It does not matter if other features differ; what matters is that one common feature is shared among different components, such as form or size.

Principle of Dominance Design

The principle of dominance design suggests that a component is repeated when other components with similar features are arranged in a composition. This repetition helps create a rhythm and makes the design more visually appealing.

By understanding frequency and its application in designing rhythms, designers can create harmonious compositions that engage users and convey their message effectively.

Principle of dominance design