As Creatives, it’s all about mood boards and design elements as we collaborate our resources to prepare our plan of visual communication.
I have found the following Design Principles are a great go to when we are Merchandising & Styling.
Contrast: Think opposite ends of the scale e.g black & white, old & new, big & small. They all sound so simple yet make a profound difference when Merchandising. Some speak louder than others so always be mindful when using these bold differences.
Emphasis: What do you want to speak the loudest? Your reason for this may vary, you have new stock and ordered a large quantity or it maybe a pre-sale and you want to generate as much interest as possible, it varies for everyone. Just be clear about what it is that you want to stand out.
Pattern: The human eye has a great ability to process the nature of patterns, whether we realise or not. A pattern is usually compromised by a repeating element of Design drawing our attention and capturing the details. A great resource when styling and Merchandising.
Repetition: This is one of favourites, I love the subtle, yet prominent effect it has. It doesn't matter if we are using colour, lines, forms or shapes, the repeated use of these elements brings the entire frame together to make it more meaningful.
Movement: It’s the details that keep the viewers eye engaged and travelling across work work. So when we say movement is not always the literal sense, interesting right! As a photographer I also like to reference examples like the golden ratio and the rule of thirds, a great representation of how the predicted eye travels across a scope of work.
Space: We have space in between and the "hero" space, this all comes down to positive and negative space. Positive space is where you put all your important pieces whereas the negative space is the space in between. They are both equally important and if used well, have have a profound impact on your displays.
Balance: Think of visual weight and the impact of its composition. Symmetry is one of the most common types of balance, where two halves of a scene perfectly balance each other out. When Merchandising I've realised that I default to symmetry, not always intentionally but I do live the end result. Everything lines up so well and is so pleasing on the eye. Proportion and scale are also related to the balance principle of design, again another eye pleaser.
Summary: If you sit back, you will probably realise that you naturally gravitate to some, if not all, of these Design principles when Merchandising & Styling. They all play an important role when creating beautiful spaces to help engage with your viewers.
