Elements of visual style
Visual style is a crucial aspect of user interface design that can significantly impact the user experience. It encompasses various elements such as spacing, colors, elevation, iconography, typography, imagery, motion, and texture.
When designing at warp-speed, having a solid understanding of these visual elements and how to implement them effectively can greatly enhance the quality and consistency of your designs.
We'll cover the following areas:
Each section will provide key considerations and best practices to help you make informed decisions quickly. We'll also include examples related to our Cluster project to demonstrate how these principles can be applied in a real-world scenario.
Prerequisites
Before diving into the checklists for improving visual style, ensure that you have the following:
A basic understanding of design principles and color theory
Example
Familiarity with concepts like balance, contrast, hierarchy, and color harmonies
Access to design software capable of creating and editing visual elements
Example
Figma, Sketch, Penpot, or similar tools where you can manipulate visual properties
Your project's brand guidelines or style guide, if available
Example
For Cluster, have the established color palette, typography choices, and any existing visual style rules on hand
A clear understanding of your target audience and the context in which they'll use your interface
Example
Know that Cluster users are primarily content creators and marketers who will use the tool professionally
Familiarity with your project's technical constraints and capabilities
Example
Understand the limitations and possibilities of implementing various visual styles in Cluster's web-based environment
Basic prototyping skills to test how visual elements interact and animate
Example
Ability to create simple interactions and transitions in your design tool
Now, let's dive into our first checklist on the elements of visual style.