PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

The principles of designs are concepts used to organize or arrange the structural elements of design.
1. BALANCE
According to this principle, from the center of the dress, design should be identified on both sides and
may be achieved in ways:
a. Symmetrically or the formal balance - can be described as having equal "weight" on equal sides of a
centrally placed like a see saw.
b. Asymmetrically or the informal balance - When the structure decoration and accessories are
different both sides from the center of the design.
2. PROPORTION
Proportion refers to the relative size and scale of the various elements in a design.
3. EMPHASIS
Every pleasing design has one part that is more interesting than any other. This is the center of interest.
4. RHYTHM
Rhythm can be created in three ways in a design:
a. Repetition of lines, colors, or accessories
b. Radiation
c. Gradation
5. HARMONY - means a relationship of different portion of a design.
COLOR THEORY
The first thing you usually notice about clothes or anything is their color. Color is the most powerful
element of design.
The Color Wheel
A color circle, based on red, yellow and blue, is traditional in the field of art. Sir Isaac Newton developed
the first circular diagram of colors in 1666.
1. PRIMARY COLORS - the sources of all colors, even though there are thousands and thousands of
colors in the world, they are all made up of these colors – red, blue and yellow.
2. SECONDARY COLORS - are produced when mixing two equal amount of primary colors.
red + blue = violet red + yellow = orange blue + yellow = green
3. INTERMEDIATE COLORS - are produced by mixing two equal amount of primary and secondary colors
RED VIOLET, RED ORANGE, BLUE VIOLET, BLUE GREEN, YELLOW ORANGE, YELLOW GREEN

PURE COLORS - are the primary, secondary and intermediate colors because they have no white, black
and gray in them. Pure colors are also called ―normal, true and basic colors
TINTS - when pure colors are mixed with white, they are made lighter (example: pink)
SHADES - when pure colors are mixed with black, they are made darker (example: maroon)
GRAYED COLORS – Grayed colors are also referred to as soft colors or dull colors
NEUTRALS – are black, white and gray
WARM AND COOL COLORS
Cool colors – are green, blue-green, blue, blue-violet, violet. Blue is the coolest color
Warm colors – are red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, and orange. Red is the warmest color
QUALITIES OF COLOR
Hue – is the family group name of a color. It is the name of a color. Ones they are combined differently
and given new names.
Value – refers to the lightness or the tint or the darkness of the shade. The scale of the value colors are
from the very lightest tint to the very darkest of the shade.
Intensity - means the brightness or dullness of a color
COLOR SCHEMES
1. ONE-COLOR HARMONY (MONOCHROMATIC COLOR) – the easiest color scheme to follow is one that
uses the same color in different values and intensity.
2. ADJACENT OR ANALOGOUS - Adjacent colors (also called analogous colors) uses colors that neighbor
each other on the color wheel.
3. COMPLEMENTARY COLOR HARMONY
a. Complementary Colors – directly opposite in the color wheel.
b. Single Split Complementary uses a primary color plus colors on either side of its complement.
c. Triad - A triadic color scheme uses colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel.