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0:00
Welcome to the only guide you need on composition and layout as a graphic designer this year. And you are going to learn a lot today with this video, probably more than you expect. And that starts with something about the different levels of movement and flow on a design. Let's get it. In the realm of graphic design principles, the very first and most fundamental level of movement and flow is simply directing visual guidance. But let's take a look in our starting poster today.
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We have a bold headline in the top left. And this is the natural place for the eye to start in the left to right reading cultures. But below that, a large geometric arrow points diagonally down to a secondary block in the bottom right, the CTA. Here, your brain obviously doesn't need instructions. It sees a bold element and then it just follows the arrow instinctively. It doesn't have to be something as stupidly obvious as an arrow, though,
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just something that acts as a bridge or a path as such. This is the most obvious and literal form of movement in graphic design. But why does it work? Well, it works because the human eye instinctively follows directional cues. You'll see it in everything from wayfinding signage in airports to sports adverts where the athletes gaze or maybe a part of their body points towards the logo or a specific part of the design. At this level, movement is about rule and obvious
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clarity. You're telling the eye exactly where to go. Simple and of course straightforward. But we are going to steadily move into more advanced teachings in this video with each different level. So once you've mastered simple basic direction, the next step is to use hierarchy to create a natural flow without relying on arrows or obvious lines. And it's easier to achieve than you might think. So on our poster, I'm adding a mediumsiz subheading and a smaller detail at the bottom of
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it. And the arrow has been completely banished as you can see. Now, instead of jumping straight from the headline to the CTA at the bottom right, your eye actually stops in the middle before continuing. This happens because of visual weight. Larger bolder elements are seen first, then medium elements, and then the smaller ones. It's like a gravitational pool where size and contrast dictate order on a graphic design. But the question you might have is why? Why is this needed
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or why is this even a thing? Well, the benefit of hierarchydriven flow is that it feels effortless. You don't have to draw an arrow because the composition itself creates an invisible one. Think of editorial layouts in magazines or minimal poster designs where there's no decoration at all, yet your eye on a good design still travels in a deliberate sequence top down. This is where movement becomes more sophisticated. The viewer doesn't feel directed on a conscious level,
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but they're still being guided. Being guided by you, the designer, and this is only stage two in today's video. So, at stage three, we're adding a touch of complexity. Movement doesn't have to be one single journey from point A to point B. You can have multiple flows running at once on a single design, a main route and then smaller micro routes. So, zooming into our central section, I'm adding smaller type blocks and elements that pull the eye into a kind of short loop
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before reconnecting to the main path. This creates a kind of exploration moment. The viewer takes a side road, process extra detail, and then returns to the main path. It's kind of like fractals in nature where we have smaller movement and flows within a main movement of flow. The advantage here is time on a design. By giving people more than one visual path, you keep them looking for longer.
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But of course, this will depend on your brief and what content you've been given to work with. This is just a clear example for you guys today. But the trick is to balance the strength of these secondary flows so they don't overpower the main one. But it can go totally and drastically wrong. Some designers might use too many competing paths and the design might end up feeling chaotic. But done correctly, layered paths give your work a richness and a depth that actually rewards
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multiple different viewings. Now we get into the psychological side of movement. Implied motion is when a still design makes the viewer feel like something is actually moving in some way. And it happens all the time and it's not difficult to do either. This can be achieved with repetition, progressive scaling, blurring, or even directional patterns. So imagine our posers background gaining
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a faint directional pattern that tapers off at one edge. Your brain reads this as acceleration. It could even be something as simple as a gradient from top to bottom with a texture added. Or think about photography in editorial design, a dancer's frozen leap, fabric caught mid swing, or water splashing around a product shot. Even in brutalist design, you can actually create implied motion with repeated geometric forms, ones that get tighter or looser across a composition. The key
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here is suggestion. You're not physically moving anything, but you're making the viewer's eye behave as if it is. This is particularly powerful in static media because it makes the design feel more alive without actually using any animation. So far, movement and flow has been about actually dictating the journey. But sometimes in graphic design, we need to kind of disrupt that journey. Now I'm adding a bold rotated black square with a red motif right across our main flow path. At
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first it might look like it's a mistake, you know, something blocking the way here, but that is the point. Your eye hits it, it pauses, and then it has to find its way around it somehow. That pulls actually forces re-engagement. Notice how the square is rotated at 45°. And that makes it look even more disjointing compared to the rest of the layout. And that's not a mistake or fluke. It's done intentionally on purpose to add even more disruption. Flow disruption works because the
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brain doesn't like unresolved paths. If something interrupts a journey, we instinctively try to work it out. Now, you can use this to slow the viewer down at key messages or key points or to make the design feel more dynamic and less predictable. It is a highle move that requires intention, not done randomly. So, if you do it deliberately, it can become a tension point that makes the
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design more memorable or even allude to a specific point. So, at the ultimate stage, movement isn't just about where the eye goes, it's about when the eye goes there and how long for. This is called temporal flow. Controlling the rhythm of how long the eye lingers, when it accelerates, and when it pauses. It is kind of like conducting music, but with visuals. So, perfect examples would be in luxury fashion advertising. Think of notorious magazine spreads. You have a full bleed
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image of a model with a sharp gaze. That's a fast hit. followed by the layered details like jewelry, fabric, texture or copy set in fine serif fonts. This is where the eye may slow down and scan a bit. Then a stark white space at the bottom where the logo sits alone. That's the pools. So that sequence forces the viewer through different beats. Impact, linger, release. Or take Apple's product pages. The opening hero image hits you hard and fast. Then you slow down on the technical
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details in clean blocks. That's the slow part of course. And that's before resting on a vast open white space surrounding a single product. That is the pools. And that rhythm creates a subconscious sense of time within a static design. A viewer doesn't just look at things here. They experience it like beats of music that I said earlier. Punch, slow, pull, release. The mastery here is kind of
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like a timebased journey on a design. That's when you've truly mastered flow. But the really really key thing here is that something like I don't know 99% of designers don't consider this temporal flow of time. But if you start to consider it on your designs, be it a poster, marketing brochure, website, whatever it is, you'll begin to create better experiences for your audience.
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Grids go way back 1500 years in ancient manuscripts and then they found their way into the printing presses for newspapers. But I know you don't want to learn about history. You're here to learn about why grids are useful to you as a graphic designer. So let's get right into today's video. So the first useful reason behind the use of grids is that it will not only help you with your visual hierarchy, but it can totally determine your visual hierarchy.
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Now you might have a grid with say six columns running down the page. If you want an important aspect of your design to have dominance, you can stretch it over more than just one column which will help create visual hierarchy. Now, as seen here on this web page for mixd, we can suggest there are three columns running down the design. The text on the bottom left is within one grid column, yet the text in the top right covers two grid columns. Yes, it does seem
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simple, but that is the beauty of it. Grids make hierarchy really simple. Now, I personally would split this design into six columns so you can really generate detailed design assets.
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The next somewhat hidden reason why grids are so useful as a graphic designer is that they can cause some great impact by totally neglecting the grid. Okay, not totally. But for this tip, do make sure parts of your design adhere to the grids. So maybe a few boxes of typography and some imagery that fall in line with the grid columns and rows, but then have a design element that totally breaks the rule. This will create some contrast and visual impact, which is always
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good for grabbing the attention of your viewer. This example here has four columns on the grid. And then elements that totally disrespect it are added in, which creates some contrast and intrigue. This is how you both use grids and go against them in the same design at the same time.
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Now, the third point when using grids that you might not be aware of is that grids are insanely versatile. They don't just need to be kept for layout design for such things like magazines or newspapers. Oh, no, no, no. They can also be used for pretty much everything from logo designing, website creation, font design, posters, and just everything else you can likely think of. Grids are easy to set up and they can be used on almost anything that you want to design. Understanding
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this versatility does help any design from the get- go. Now, I've spoken about micro and macro white space on this channel before about how it's so important to take note of, but grids actually help you create that white space on your designs effectively. Simply just thinking about which rows and columns of your design will have empty spaces can be a great way to make that white space. Also, if you have, say, for example, three columns and four rows, it might be wise to split each
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column into six columns and each row into six rows. So, you have a lot more detail to work with within that micro white space. And remember, micro white space is that smaller space between lines of text and closely packed together design elements. Tip number five is that the viewer's eye can be helped along your design by the use of grids. Subconsciously speaking, audiences of your designs will typically would not like lines of text to be too long or too short because it
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makes the information harder to digest. Having grid systems in place can help with this issue, but that's not the only instance where grids can help with the viewer's eye. If you have a layout that's really busy and heavy with lots of text or design elements, using grids can make the viewing experience a whole lot easier simply by arranging everything neatly and in an orderly fashion. This helps the viewer when seeing your work as they're not swallowed into utter chaos. Essentially,
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baseline grids are used to align all body text, headlines, and captions across multiple columns. And this ensures a clean, consistent spacing and improves readability throughout the article or your graphic design. Or that's the attention anyway. Now, consider using different type sizes that still align with the baseline grid. For instance, use a multiple of your base leading. So like 28 points for headlines if your body text is 14 points. This creates a harmonious relationship
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between the text elements without losing that crisp alignment that we're looking for. Now a column grid is a versatile layout tool commonly used in magazines, newspapers, and multicontent websites. This grid divides a page into four equal vertical sections, giving designers flexibility to organize content whilst maintaining a balance and structure. To create even more visual interest, try overlapping elements like images or text across multiple different columns. For example,
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a featured image can span across three columns while the accompanying text could just flow into one. With a modular grid, each product, image, or graphic gets its own module. This can be an image, a title, description, price, whatever. And this ensures consistency across multiple pages while allowing the designer flexibility to showcase different types of content. That's often used in websites. And this grid layout keeps the layout looking clean and easy to navigate. But try this.
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Vary the module size based on product categories of importance. So, for example, maybe highlight best sellers or new arrivals by giving them more space in the grid. or even spanning two modules horizontally. This trick not only makes certain products stand out, but also creates visual interest, breaking the monotony while still keeping things organized, which is important. The manuscript grid is pretty straightforward. It doesn't need much explaining. It's just a single
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column grid used to organize the flow of text in a book. And it uses margins for notes or images, ensuring the content is easy to read without any distractions. Can Hierarchy utilize grids? Yep, it sure can. In fact, there's even a grid based around hierarchy. And you can use this grid to place large images or important text in blocks such as headline or call to actions. While secondary information like navigation or footer links is placed less prominently. Now, you can
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start by setting up a grid with different size and shape modules and then add the content thereafter. But moving on from that, try creating contrast between your primary and secondary elements using color and size. For instance, make your headline bright and bold, but keep the subheadings or navigation links in a muted tone or smaller font. In logos like the Twitter Bird or Apple logo, the
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golden ratio plays a subtle yet powerful role in making them look balanced and visually appealing. This ratio, roughly 1 to 1.618, 618 is all about creating perfect proportions. And when applied to the logo design or any design for that matter, it helps the shapes and curves feel just right to our eyes. Or so says the theory. You don't have to stick rigidly to the golden ratio. Try using it as
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a starting point to guide your proportions, then tweak and adjust based on what feels right for the specific project. You don't want to pigeon hole yourself into a corner with this one. Using an asymmetric grid is a great way to give your design a dynamic, eye-catching look while still keeping things organized. Now, asymmetric grids tend to break away from a balanced and symmetrical system.
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So, they're not really that rigid, that generic by letting the hero image or headline take up more space. You're naturally drawing the viewers's attention to what's most important on your design. And at the same time, the smaller columns for text or extra images provide a secondary flow of importance and information without overwhelming the design. As a bonus tip, try some layering by letting your text overlap with images slightly or use subtle diagonal lines to further break up
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space. This creates a sense of depth and motion, making the design feel more alive and less static.
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A square grid is like the backbone of a visually pleasing gallery. It's all about that clean, uniform vibe that just feels right. So imagine scrolling through an Instagram profile or website where every image or post lines up perfectly in neat little squares. It's not just satisfying to look at, it also makes the content super easy to navigate. And to make your square grid even more engaging, consider adding a pop of color or a subtle pattern as a background for certain
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squares. This way, you can create visual interest without disrupting the overall grid structure. The rule of thirds grid is like your secret weapon for creating stunning visuals. It's super simple. You just divide your design into nine equal parts with two horizontal and two vertical lines, and this forms the grid. This method helps you position key elements in a way that feels natural and engaging. While the rule of thirds is great for initial placement, you can experiment with
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breaking it up a bit for dramatic effect. Maybe you place your main subject slightly off the grid to create tension or surprise. Combining a column grid for your product listings with a modular grid for the product details is like having the best of both worlds, and it's called a compound grid. It's all about making your layout flexible while keeping everything looking super clean and organized. But crucially, don't forget to keep some breathing space. Just because
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you're combining grids doesn't mean you should cramp everything up together. And this goes with pretty much every grid. Use white space strategically to separate different elements. Using an isometric grid is a fantastic way to add a cool 3D vibe to your illustrations or designs. Perfect for making buildings or data structures looking really cool in infographics. It's all about that depth and dimension which can make your design stand out while keeping things
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clear and organized. Don't shy away from colors and shadows. Adding different shades can enhance the 3D effect and help define the shapes. Use lighter colors on top and darker ones underneath to give a sense of volume and realism. Using a circular grid for a logo sometimes can be a game changer, especially when you're working with round organic shapes. It's all about symmetry, balance, and making sure everything just feels right. But a circular grid doesn't just help
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with positioning. It also gives you a chance to create interesting shapes in the spaces between your elements. And then we have the triangular grid system. Say on a modern product box, use a triangular grid to create geometric patterns or just position elements like a logo and product details at specific points of interest. And this will give the packaging a unique dynamic look. Now, you can combine the triangular grid with some bright colors or textures to really
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bring your design to life. For instance, use a subtle gradient that flows along the angles of the triangles or incorporate metallic foil accents at those key points where elements meet.
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Okay, let's break down how leverage points actually shows up on real designs and more importantly how you can start building them into your work. So take the Nike campaign here. This design has a clear leverage point that is the model. That's what grabs your attention at first. Why? Well, because the designer used contrast, bright neon outlines, a misty background, and there's also scale at play here. The figure dominates the composition. And then there's the
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isolation. Nothing else in this layout competes. That is apart from the neon green logo, which acts as the leverage point of this small proximity group in the lower left. This design knows exactly what it wants you to see first, and it makes sure nothing else gets in the way. That's leverage. That is control. Now, compare that to this poster. It's more complex, but it still uses leverage
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really well. The artist's face is the focal point, and it's not just because it's centered. It's the largest element in frame. And that's surrounded by softer floral shapes that actually help draw your eye into it. The rest of the elements, the text, the overlays, the graphic details, they all sit back and support the main point. Even though there's more going on visually speaking, the hierarchy is still clear. And that's what a good leverage point does. It leads the viewer
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even on busy designs. And of course, a design can have multiple different leverage points depending on the brief. Start by asking what is the single most important thing on your layout. That's your leverage point. Now, use design tools like scale, contrast, positioning, or isolation to make sure it dominates the design. Push back anything that competes with it. Use supporting elements to guide
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the eye towards it, not away from it. Now that you've established a clear leverage point or points, the next step is internal rhythm. And that's the eye in the lift system. This is how you guide the eye through the layout from this first point. The bowl title here acts as a strong visual anchor, immediately grabbing attention. And from there, the eye is pulled downwards toward the 3D object and then across to the right hand side where secondary information and the call
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to action lives. This path isn't accidental. It's actually choreographed. The designer controls the eyes journey using consistent spacing, predictable alignment, and deliberate contrast. This is what we call eye choreography. It's a visual path built to guide not to confuse. And look closely how the elements are grouped. We have navigation links that are evenly spaced and outlined. The
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supporting stats and the feature list are tight and structured while the 3D object sits centrally breaking symmetry in a controlled way to create energy. This balance between consistency and surprise keeps a viewer engaged. Predictable spacing builds trust. When margins and gutters are consistent, this actually relaxes your brain and it starts to absorb the message more easily. But a wellplaced disruption like the glowing call to action or dynamic 3D visual actually
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re-engages attention. This rhythm predictable with purposeful shifts is what makes complex design feel effortless to navigate. And to apply this in your own work, start by asking, how does the eye move across my layout? Are there going to be jumps or is it going to be smooth transitions? Are related elements visually grouped? And is your spacing consistent throughout? Use spacing and positioning to control the speed of engagement? Fast rhythm for skimable, simple content,
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and slower rhythm for more deliberate flow to dense, complex layouts, often with lots of information. The goal is to make the journey feel natural, each step leading logically to the next.
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The third part of this system is friction and flow. This is where a lot of designs can break down because friction is often misunderstood. Friction in graphic design is tight spaces, jarring objects, uncomfortable tight faces, and is often seen as a negative thing by designers. But strategic friction is actually smart when you do it properly. So on this design, the friction is seen as the very tight spacing between the lines of text, the leading. It's the blurred out faces.
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It's the scribble across the face even. And we actually even have half of a word missing at the bottom here. But this friction on this design is entirely intentional. And it's not acting alone. But the flow is preserved by clearly defined zones. Smooth reading sections like the mission statement below versus more intense friction zones at the top that demand attention. That's a difference between good friction and bad friction. Good friction grabs the
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eye and bad friction loses the message and causes unwanted discomfort. And to apply this onto your own designs, review your layout and ask, is this element adding clarity or just visual noise? Are there too many fonts, too many color choices, or multiple focal points competing all at once?
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Tighten spacing where it matters, but don't overload. And remove any decoration that isn't really doing a job. Friction is like seasoning, just enough add some flavor and some depth. And too much will ruin the whole thing. The best designs use friction and flow together. One for emphasis and the other for ease. A great design doesn't just look good once. It works across every format, every size, every platform. If your design only works in one perfect setting,
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an ideal setting, then it's not a solution. It is a problem. This exhibit visual identity does a great job of maintaining consistency and energy across multiple different formats. Whether it's a large scale hero poster or a smaller social post, the key elements remain intact. The bold contrast, the warp topography, the surreal portraits, and the recurring iconography and color scheme. Even
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when reduced in size, the hierarchy still holds true and the central idea, the strange compelling mood of the exhibit still translates. And that's a sign of a scalable system. The layout flexes, but the identity still stays strong. And to apply this or to think about this on your designs, test your designs actively. Shrink them down. Can you still read the type properly? Can you still recognize the visual identity? Try placing them on a dark and a light background. Do they
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hold up still? Then move them across formats. Do you think this design will work on mobile screens, a print flyer, a motion graphic? Even great designs scale like great brand voices, clear, flexible, and instantly recognizable in any context. And transferability isn't about making a layout that just looks cool. It's about creating a design that lives everywhere the brand has to. and it still speaks the same language thereafter. Let's wrap up this system by looking at how this
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layout design brings the entire lift system to life. So the moment the design loads, your eye goes straight to the bold orange band in the center of the design. And that's not by chance. It's deliberate. It's a leverage point. The use of a strong color contrast, central alignment, and subtle motion creates a focal point that leads the entire composition. It's literally saying start here without needing to shout. And yes, that subtle amount of motion
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graphics does elevate this leverage point quite a lot. Now follow the eye movement. After you lock onto the center, you're pulled gently outwards by the spacing and symmetry. The supporting type, these small animated elements, they're not just placed, they are paced and they are intentional. You'll find repetition in margin size, even rhythm between motion and stillness. This layout breathes
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in steady tempo. That's internal rhythm, building trust by creating visual predictability. That is while keeping the flow engaging. But here's where it gets smart. The band graphics ever so slightly overlapped by some typography. And also, if you look at the text in the top right, it's laid out in a very non-uniform way. This is your friction. But where is the flow? Well, there's intensity in
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the center, but the outer space gives your eye time to breathe. That's the balance right there. It's the friction to wake up the viewer and then the flow to guide them through. And you do need both to different degrees on a design depending on the brief. Too much tension creates chaos and too much smoothness creates boredom. And this layout knows when to push and when to let go. And so the last part, transferability. If we shrink this design down to thumbnail size,
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the orange band will still hold. The identity, the hierarchy, the balance, it all survives. Whether this runs on a mobile ad, Instagram story, or full width hero banner, the core message stays intact. But importantly, the concept of the design is so strong that the visual language can be taken to different platforms, rearranged, even made more minimal, and you still recognize it as being linked to this design. This is how the Lyft system considers slightly more advanced areas of
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layout design, and while you should be considering it on your next project. And if you want to keep your educational journey moving forward, then just click that video on screen to learn more skills as a graphic designer. And until next time guys, design your future today. Peace.
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