From the course: Graphic Design Foundations: Layout and Composition

The beauty of symmetry

From the course: Graphic Design Foundations: Layout and Composition

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The beauty of symmetry

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- The earliest buildings in Western civilization were symmetrical, that is on a centered axis. Ancient people constructed structures one block on top of another, supported by centered columns. So it is logical that the earliest books and printed material used a symmetrical approach. Because symmetry is a traditional form, it is often discounted as being old-fashioned or stodgy. Like all design, if managed with skill and craft, this couldn't be less true. Symmetrical typography and layout can be spectacular and communicate quality, strength and classical ideals. The danger of symmetrical design is creating work that is expected and mediocre. Everything is centered on the page. There's little hierarchy or differences in scale, contrast or interest. Good symmetrical design like any composition relies on balance, tension, and harmony. Years ago when I first started working, a very smart and revered topographer told me to think about the shape of a chandelier when I worked with a centered layout. This doesn't mean copy the shape of a chandelier. The goal is work with the scale and line breaks to minimize creating blocks of type. A chandelier is balanced and appears light, even though it may fall and crush you with its weight. The title here is dominant, but the open letter spacing maintains delicacy and lightness. The addresses at the bottom are broken on different lines to aid in reading, create a pleasant rag, not a wreck tangle. Try this, rather than aligning the typography and elements to be justified on the left and right, play with the scale. Think of the forms balancing as a mobile. Solid shapes will add weight and smaller typography feels lighter. This will also create varying line lengths that activate the space. Tension is maintained by the relationship between the topography and the scale and form of the solid shape. Proving that symmetry does not need to be staid, the firm Brighten the Corners breaks the text apart with German on the left and English on the right. What could have been a dull block of type in the middle of the page is energized by the action, restrained typographic, the playful use of color, an ample negative space. A symmetrical layout can be tricky since we don't have the same freedom with placement as asymmetrical layouts. But there are times when a centered approach speaks about dignity, and is formal. In those instances, the details are critical. Every choice, from type style and scale to color is presented to the world with no distractions. Don't be daunted by this. Remember the cooking analogy, if you work with incredible ingredients, in the case of layout, typography, imagery, and form, it's hard to make something bad.

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