Universal Principles of Design, Updated and Expanded Third Edition

006 Alignment

The arrangement of elements along a common axis based on their edges, centers, or areas.

Every element in a design should be aligned with one or more other elements. This creates compositional unity and cohesion, which contributes to the design’s overall aesthetic and perceived stability. Alignment also improves the efficiency by which information is processed, and can be a powerful means of leading a person through a design. For example, the rows and columns of a grid or table make explicit the relatedness of elements sharing those rows and columns, leading the eyes along horizontal and vertical axes to reduce error.1

When elements are roughly symmetrical, they should be aligned by positioning their edges or centers along a common ...