Principles of Design
Section 1
Proportion
• Relationship of one part of the design
– To the other parts
– To the whole
Proportion
• Must be in proportion to where it is
going to be displayed
• Harmony with the location
Proportion
• Arrangement Height
– Should be 1 ½ times the height of the
container
– May be increased based on the room
– Material may change the proportion
Proper Height
• 4 aspects
– Physical dimension of the container
– Color of the container
– Material and texture of the container
– Shape of the container
• Heavier darker containers will support taller
arrangements
• Glass container is best for shorter
arrangements
Proportion
• Should not obstruct the view of those
people participating in a dinner
conversation
• Arrangements should be kept low or
high
Proportion
• Flowers and foliage of equal or nearly
equal size
• Large mums should not be mixed with
baby’s breath
Scale
• Another word for size
• Overall project compared with other
objects
• 4 areas of scale
1. Flowers to Container
• Container important because it tells the
size of the entire design
• Small=small flowers
• Large = massive showy flowers
2. Flowers to Flowers
• Flowers within the
composition need to be
similar in scale to one
another
• Huge flowers can
overshadow tiny blossoms
3. Flowers to Foliage
• Size of foliage should be in
scale with the flowers
• Various foliages should be in
scale with one another
4. Arrangements to Surroundings
• Size of table or area where sitting
• Size of the entire room
Balance
• Equality in weight
• Achieved through several methods
Physical Balance
• Stability of the plant materials
within the container
• Will not fall over
• Stand freely on it’s own
Visual Balance
• Refers to perception of the arrangement
being balanced
– Being equal in weight on both sides of the
central axis
• A design that is not visually balanced
is much like a crooked picture on the
wall
Visual Balance
• From three views
– Side to side
– Top to bottom
– Front to back
• Two types
– Symmetrical
– Asymmetrical
Symmetrical Balance
• Same balance on both sides of a
central axis
• You could fold the arrangement
in half and it would be the same
• Exhibited in formal settings
• Examples
– Oval, round, fan, triangle,
vertical arrangements
– Oval and round centerpieces
Asymmetrical Balance
• Unequal material
placements
• Informal design
• Examples
– Crescent, Hogarth curve,
fan, diagonal, vertical,
ikebana, scalene, right
triangle
Balance
• Three main techniques to help achieve
balance
– Visual Weight
– Centering
– Counterbalancing
Visual Weight
• Flower’s perceived lightness or
heaviness based on:
– Color
– Shape
– Pattern
• Varying visual weight helps
achieve the compensation in
asymmetrical designs
Centering
• Placing dominant plant
material along a design’s
central vertical axis
• Allows for heavier plant
material to be placed in the
design
Counterbalancing
• Balancing materials on
one side of a design with
visually equal materials
of the opposite end
• Essential in symmetrical
designs
• Can help avoid strict
mirror imaging
Rhythm
• Creating a pathway for the
eye to follow
• Cause the viewer to look at
the entire arrangement
• Two types
– Regular, repeated
– Free, variable
• 5 methods
Regular, Repeated Rhythm
• Materials are repeated
at regular intervals
from the top to bottom
of the arrangement
Free, Variable Rhythm
• Unstructured style
• Subtle flowing movement
5 Methods
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Radiation
Repetition
Transition
Variety
Contrast
Radiation
• Stems radiate out
naturally from the
container
• Top view shows stems
appearing as the spokes
of a wheel
• Crossing stems is
avoided
Repetition
• Repeating something throughout the
arrangement
– Color
– Shape
– Space
– Lines
Transition
• Change of one material
into another
• Should be smooth and
gradual
• Lighter flowers near
the container edge
blend into the heavier
ones towards the center
Variety
• Diverse assortment of
differing components
• Focuses attention
and stimulates
interest and
imagination
Contrast
• Objects have
striking difference
• Beyond mere variety
or diversity taking
variety to a higher
degree
Principles of Design
Section 2
Dominance
• Importance of the design
• Interest and attention captured by one
feature
• Achieved in 5 different ways
5 Ways to Achieve Dominance
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Using dominant plant material
Using an emphasized design element
Using a distinct style
Using a theme
Using a focal point
Plant Material
Emphasized Design Element
Distinct Style
Theme
Focal Point
Focal Point
• Center of interest
• Not all arrangements need
• Several methods for creation
Methods for Focal Point
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Large flowers
Different flower forms
Dark shades
Framing materials
Strong contrast color
Radiation of plant materials to a specific
area
• Use of accessories
Line
• Visual movement between two points
• Help create shape or express an emotional
response
• Created through line materials
Line Materials
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Snapdragoon
Liatris
Scotch broom
Use to create very definite
horizontal, vertical,
diagonal, or curvilinear
lines.
Shape and Form
• Form
– 3 dimensional outline
• Shape
– 2 dimensional aspect of the form
• Can exist naturally or can be created
Common Forms
• Geometric
• Naturalistic
• Freeform
Geometric
• Most often circle and
triangle
• Basic shapes can be
varied
– Ovals, fans, scalene
triangle, right
triangles, crescent
Naturalistic
• Mirror the natural growth of plants
• Often include groupings of plant
material
Freeform
• More contemporary
• Take your own
liberties
• Create
• Don’t have to follow
rules
Flowers
• Form Flowers
– Have distinctive shapes
– Tropical flowers
• Mass flowers
– Round solid flowers
– Carnations and mums
• Filler flowers
– Light airy flowers
– Baby’s breath and sea lavender
Pattern and Texture
• Texture
– Surface quality of the
plant material
• Rough, smooth, velvety,
satiny or hairy
– Also has visual texture
• Fine, airy, lacy, delicate,
or bold
Color
• Most important
• Emotion
• Helps with other
principles