sing consistent language is one of the cornerstones of technical writing. Use the same phrase repeatedly, again and again and again. The reader gets used to the phrase and can more easily skim to what is important rather than concentrating on reading the same thing, but phrased differently. Variety, so the technical writing law goes, is great for works of fiction, or indeed most other forms of literature, just not for technical writing.

This article is of course about repetition and the uses it has in any type of design.

epetition is best used when making some aspect of the design repeat itself throughout the rest of the design. The reason for this is familiarity for the end user or viewer, this gives the person a sense of calm and understanding.

When a user becomes comfortable with a design they will come back time and again because they know that every time they are looking for something on the magazine, brochure or web site they know that the format is going to be the same and their answer will always be in that same area.

The essential idea of alignment is mind numbingly simple: to line things up.

The problems here can be hard for many people to spot. For this reason, I always recommend simplifying a design to examine the basic shapes. You’ll see me do this in several of the articles I write on design and you should definitely try it out on a few of your own designs.

Notice that suddenly the elements on the page seem scattered

Alignment creates a sharper, more ordered design. Aligning elements allows them to create a visual connection with each other.

Every element on the page effects how other elements on the page are perceived.

When working with layout, it is essential to focus on balance and the shape of the unused space. By applying principles of figure/ ground relationships, contrast and similarity, and proportion, the designer can structure the space into an effective whole.

Balancing the content of your webpages is more that just producing an attractive layout.

The above example makes good use of white space to lead the eye around the page. It also emphasizes the main features of the page with a logical organization of both text and graphics. Be sure your webpage is properly balanced and organized into logical information zones. Avoid clutter that will cause a distraction

People coming to your website are looking for some specific information and/or product details and the sooner they find it the better your website's performance will be.

his is a very tricky type of asymmetrical balance that often ends up looking out of balance. 

The third type of balance is radial balance, where all elements radiate out from a center point in a circular fashion. It is very easy to maintain a focal point in radial balance, since all the elements lead your eye toward the center.