1. What was the most interesting topic from this week, or the topic you enjoyed doing the most? What did you like about it? 

The most interesting topic we learned this week was graphic design principles. I thought it was interesting because there are so many components to graphic design that I had no idea about. Learning about these principles is interesting because it is something that I am passionate about. I love painting, drawing, and creating graphics, which involve the process of using these principles. Before this lesson, I understood how to compose my designs, but after learning more about this topic, I will be implementing a ton of these design principles to make sure my work communicates its intended purpose. 

2. What is something that you found challenging about this topic? 

I think the most challenging part for me was distinguishing proximity from similarity. When I first looked at the definitions between these two, I thought I had an understanding of the two, but once I started to use them in my projects, it quickly became evident to me that I did not fully understand. To understand, I had to start the process of defining these key terms in my own words. I found that proximity is when objects that are close together are perceived as a group, and therefore grouped. On the other hand, similarity is when objects are grouped because they are the same size, color, or shape. Now I understand that the main difference between the two is that objects that are grouped by proximity don’t have to be similar in shape, size, or even color.

3. Give some basic instructions on how one would go about setting one of these things up or searching for how to do them. 

In regards to setting up a magazine design, the first thing I would do is pick two or three key design principles that I think will help me convey my intended message. For instance, in my magazine, the main message I wanted to convey was cat-related. When I thought about how I wanted to structure my magazine, the two principles of design that came to mind were hierarchy and contrast. I used hierarchy to organize the elements based on importance. For example, the magazine title stands out because I chose the largest font, while less critical information has smaller fonts. This is important because, by having a large font that reads “The Cat,” the reader can recognize that the magazine will likely be about cats. The next graphic design principle that I chose was contrast. The use of contrast was necessary in my magazine because it highlighted important information against my dark background colors.

Overall, learning about graphic design principles is important because it creates a guideline for creating visually appealing content. The cool thing about it is that the principles that I used in my magazine are not a one-size-fits-all. Any of these principles can be used to expand on one’s creativity.