Gareth David Studio

Graphic design is not simply about making things look good. In Graphic Design there are principles of Design that can be considered. These principles are what typically separate good design from bad design. These principles all have a relationship between each other and appear in every well designed piece of work you see. A good grasp of Design Theory or mean there is always substance behind your work. The key principles of Design are: Contrast, Hierarchy, Alignment, Balance, proximity, Repetition, Simplicity and Function. Whatever work you produce, be it for a magazine, a poster, a website or an advertisement, the principles of design should be considered. A good designer will keep these principles and guidelines in their toolkit and will consciously use them to develop their ideas.
5th key element: Proximity
Proximity is the grouping and the shaping of objects in a composition. In design we use proximity for two main reasons: to create connections and dispel connections.
In design related elements should be grouped together so that they will be viewed as a group. Unrelated elements should have distance and should not be in close proximity to each other.

Sense of Proximity
Layout Design Example
Combination of Shapes and Their Proximity