ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN: Dot & Asymmetrical Balance

Discover the Power of the Dot in Decorating Your Room

A DOT has almost hypnotising properties in visual design, be it a painting, a billboard, a poster, or an interior space. It becomes the focal point of the design. It is hard to escape a dot in a room. When you start using dots in decorating your space, you can achieve very interesting results. Experiment, play with dots. Life is fun!

Asymmetrical Balance is King of Design

Forget symmetry. Symmetry is safe, boring, and heavy on the eye. ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE is the Holy Grail of any great design. Think about both these words: asymmetrical and balance. Aim at design that is balanced, left and right has similar visual weight. Also, top and bottom should have similar visual weight. They should not be the same, but they have to balance each other.

ELEMENT

The dot shape is a geometrical two-dimensional shape that creates a focal point. However in the above case we have lines of orange dots (wall decals) that have been employed to dictate the mood of the interior.

PRINCIPLE

The principle of asymmetrical balance has been applied here. Asymmetrical balance brings the impression of equal and well-weighted design, the asymmetry breaks the monotony that symmetrical balance would otherwise introduce. Although the actual design is made of straight lines of orange dots, but the perceived impression is of very asymmetrical balance, due to the perspective that the two neighbouring walls create together with the curved corner.

OUTCOME

The orange dots have been applied in lines that create asymmetrical balance. The outcome is a lively and energetic space that manages to be well-balanced. It’s not easy to achieve an interior that is lively and yet well-balanced, so this is a great overall result.

Next page: Texture and Pattern For Great Interiors