Principles of Design: Rhythm/Movement

Definition of rhythm
a regularly repeated pattern of sounds or beats used in music, poems, and dances:
+ a jazz rhythm
+ You need a sense of rhythm to be a good dancer.

Rhythm is also a regular movement
+ The rhythm of a boat rocking in the water lulled him to sleep.

Rhythm is also a regular pattern of change:
+ Waking and sleeping are examples of biological rhythms.

In Principles of Design:

Movement is a design principle that guides the viewer’s eye through a piece of art or design. It helps tell a visual story by showing the audience where to look first and what to look at next. Designers and artists use movement to make sure their message flows clearly from one part of the design to another.

Rhythm is a design principle that creates a sense of movement by repeating or varying visual elements. It’s like a beat in music—except what you’re seeing, not hearing. This visual tempo helps guide the viewer’s eyes across a design, giving it flow and direction. When elements like shapes, colors, or lines repeat in a pattern, especially at regular intervals, it sets up an expectation—just like watching dominoes fall in a row. Your eyes follow the motion because there’s a rhythm. Even if you know what’s coming next, the movement draws you in.

What do Rhythm + Movement LOOK like?

In Practice:

Student Versions:

More Cut Paper works by me + students:

        

Today's task:

You have until the end of class to create a cut paper collage exploring 

Rhythm / Movement

I MUST be able to see the focus is this particular Principle of Design.

*this is the last one we are going to do - tomorrow is for seeing what arises

Principles of Design: Repetition + Pattern @HHSLT

Definition of Pattern:

Something that repeats in a predictable way is a pattern. You might find a pattern in a series of numbers, in the material covering your couch, or in the habits of your upstairs neighbor.

As a Principle of Design, both Pattern and Repetition responsible for making designs feel intentional rather than random - by taking a visual element and using it more than once within a design or across a system of designs. The repeated element can be anything: a specific color, a typeface, a shape, a texture, a spatial interval, an image treatment, or even a conceptual motif. The key requirement is consistency. When an element repeats, it signals to the viewer that a relationship exists between the parts where it appears - not by making everything identical, but by establishing threads of visual continuity that hold a composition together. It also includes the structural decisions that make a multi-page story or sequence of images feel like a single, unified piece rather than a collection of unrelated pages. Pattern connects us to different kinds of shared histories, embedding parts of our design into larger narratives like recognizable cultural motifs, time periods or shared experiences and are a specific expression of Repetition.

What does Repetition/Pattern LOOK like?

Repetition and Pattern in practice: 

Student versions:

Some paper explorations I've done exploring Pattern and Repetition with students:

Today's task:

You have until the end of class to create a cut paper collage exploring 

Repetition + Pattern

I MUST be able to see the focus is this particular Principle of Design.

Principles of Design: Emphasis @HHSLT (Dani)

Definition of Emphasis:

+ special importance or significance

+ an object, idea, etc, that is given special importance or significance

+ stress made to fall on a particular syllable, word, or phrase in speaking

+ force or intensity of expression

As a Principle of Design, Emphasis is used to draw attention to a particular part of a composition (creating a focal point) so viewers look there first. You create emphasis by making a specific element differ from its surroundings: often through contrast in color, space around it, or through movement that leads the eye toward it - like shining a spotlight so we know who the main character is, where the treasure is hiding, exactly where the point of impact is etc.

What does Emphasis LOOK like?

Emphasis in practice:

Student versions of Emphasis with cut paper:

Other work with paper (me + a student):

Today's task:

You have until the end of class to create a cut paper collage exploring 

Emphasis

I MUST be able to see the focus is this particular Principle of Design.