Maybe you can recognize good design when you see it on the web. But most people don’t really know what makes a design good. Although there is some subjectivity within good design, there are artistic principles that good design is built from.

1. Design Units
Items that are in close proximity to one another become one visual unit. items that are related to one another should be grouped together. Laying out related items on a website page this way helps the eye associate the information and enables the viewer to mentally categorize the information easily.

It is important to organize information in a way that enables viewers to quickly and easily comprehend. When information is organized, people are more likely to read it and respond. People are also more likely to remember information that is organized.

How can you determine if items form a visual unit? Squint your eyes and look at the page on a website. Now count the number of times your eye stops as it views the page. On a page that is using the principle of proximity well, your eye will stop three to five times. In other words, there will be three to five groups of information for the eye to comprehend separately.

2. Repetition
Good design repeats some aspect of the website design throughout the site. It’s this repetition that makes all the pages in a site look like they belong together. Color scheme, graphic elements, typefaces-all of these elements should be repeated-used consistently-throughout.

I try to use some element in a company logo as a major graphic element in the design or create patterns that are repeated throughout the design. Sometimes it helps to take a small element and place it somewhere on each page for a whimsical look.

Repetition can create consistency and add visual interest, creating a professional, polished look that the eye is drawn to.