| Lecture 3-2 |
| 'Balance
in Design'As
described in the lecture on ‘unity’, we look for unity in every day life
experiences to make order of things and to make sense of ‘the whole picture’.
‘Balance’, too, is desirable, and is sought out in our everyday lives. We
balance our checkbooks, eat a balanced diet, and try to keep a balance in our lives
between work and play. Balance is physically a part of our functional lives. We as human
beings are symmetrically balanced. If you were to dissect a human, or any animal,
straight down the middle you would have two identical halves. There is a need for
symmetrical balance for animals to function (move around) on this planet. One might see
this as form following function. Many of the objects we use in everyday life are also
symmetrically balanced. Cars, for example are for the most part the same on both sides.
Chairs, tables, double doors, and numerous other items are symmetrical in design. Look
around at the objects that surround you and mentally divide them in half. How many do you
find symmetrically balanced?
Balance in general is seen as equal visual weight. ‘Symmetrical Balance’ would be described as a central axis dividing the composition in the middle, horizontally or vertically, with the same design on both sides, what we would think of as a mirror reflection. See examples for Symmetrical Balance ‘Radial Balance’, has a central focal point in a generally square compositional format. Some examples of radial design are, targets, and traffic signs (yield, stop). Radial balance is also used in many culture’s artistic works See examples for Radial Balance Another form of balance we will examine is called ‘Crystallographic Balance’. This kind of balance is also known as "all over" balance. Within a grid-like composition, certain variation is introduced to direct the eye throughout the design, with many focal points. Some familiar examples would be quilt design or a game of checkers in the middle of the game. |