Principles of Design Balance: Types, Techniques, and Examples
Balance in design refers to the visual distribution of elements, creating a sense of stability and harmony. Balance goes beyond pure aesthetics and plays a crucial role in user experience, improving the design’s readability and interaction.
When your design elements are distributed evenly, they help naturally guide the users’ eye, making navigation much more intuitive. Well-balanced designs ensure that key information is easily accessible and enable you to avoid any visual clutter, reducing cognitive load for your audience. Whether it’s about web interfaces or printed media, effective balance improves usability, allowing people to absorb your content better and engage more meaningfully with the design. Achieving balance is also essential for retaining your audience’s attention, giving users a professional impression, and making your designs feel intentional and aesthetically pleasing.
Balance also plays a fundamental role in the design’s usability and general accessibility. An unbalanced composition can be complicated to navigate, causing frustration and — ultimately — reducing user engagement. If you’re distributing elements more consciously, you can create an intuitive and enjoyable experience that keeps users engaged while enhancing communication. This all boils down to supporting your brand perception, ensuring that your key messaging is effectively communicated (without distractions). So, when used strategically, balance reinforces credibility and fosters user trust, making it a critical part of any successful design.
What Exactly is Balance in Design?
Balance in design refers to the equal distribution of visual weight across your composition. It’s arguably one of the most fundamental design principles, influencing how people perceive stability and order. Without balance, designs can come across as chaotic or even uncomfortable, leading to a weakened impact. If you can understand different balancing techniques, you’re also able to control how elements interact with one another, allowing you to create structured, engaging visuals.
You can find balance through color, typography, images, and spacing — all of which influence your designs' visual weight and composition. Typography plays a massive part in maintaining balance by controlling the visual weight, readability, and component hierarchy. The size, weight, and spacing of text elements must also be carefully considered to ensure harmony throughout your design. A huge headline can, for example, be counterbalanced with a smaller, lighter body text. Effective font pairings (like a serif header combined with a sans-serif body) can also improve readability while contributing to a well-structured design.
Proper line spacing and text alignment are also great options to prevent overcrowding and create a smooth visual experience, reinforcing your balance in digital and print formats. The goal with design balance is to find harmony among these elements, ensuring they work well together. A big image can, for example, be counterbalanced with smaller text elements, while a bold typography can be softened with enough negative space. Text alignment, font hierarchy, and color contrast all help add to your design’s sense of balance, making it easier for the viewer to take in new information and effectively navigate content.
The Different Types of Balance in Design
We generally speak about four different types of balance in design: symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial, and mosaic. Each type plays a very different role in changing the viewer’s experience and can be used differently depending on your desired effect.
Symmetrical balance
Symmetrical balance happens when elements on one side of a design mirror those on the other. This creates a sense of order and stability, which is often used in corporate branding and layouts. A symmetrical composition communicates reliability and professionalism, making it perfect for businesses that want to build trust. This type of balance is often connected with classical architecture and traditional art forms. Regarding digital design, symmetrical layouts help provide a structured and organized appearance, making them perfectly suitable for government websites, financial institutions, or academic platforms. Symmetry is also commonly used in printed materials, such as posters, business cards, and brochures, as it helps maintain a professional and authoritative feel.
Here’s an example: A well-balanced logo with equal elements on both sides gives the feeling of symmetrical balance. Luxury brands and law firms often use this technique for a more polished, trustworthy aesthetic. Websites with grid-based layouts also (more often than not) use symmetrical balance to create an orderly structure.
Asymmetrical balance
Asymmetrical balance is created by placing elements of different sizes, colors, or textures in a way that maintains stability without exact mirroring. This approach creates dynamic, engaging compositions and is often used in modern web and graphic design.
Using asymmetrical balance requires designers to carefully consider visual weight to ensure that elements complement each other rather than compete for space and relevance. Placing a larger object on one side and balancing it out with several smaller elements on the other is a common design technique. Asymmetry allows for more creative flexibility and can help make designs feel much more organic and visually interesting.
Here’s an example: Websites that have a dominant image on one side with some smaller text elements and buttons on the opposite side often use asymmetrical balance. This technique is often used in advertising and editorial layouts to create compelling, high-impact visuals that “pull” the audience in. Digital product interfaces frequently use asymmetrical balance to direct your eyes to key areas like call-to-action buttons and featured content sections.
Radial balance
Radial balance happens when elements radiate outward from a central point. This technique directs users’ focus toward the center, making it useful for designs requiring a strong focal point.
Here’s an example: Mandalas, circular logos, and infographics that emphasize a central concept can effectively use radial balance. A restaurant menu with items arranged around a central image of a dish can also be an example of radial balance in practical use. In web design, radial balance can be used for interactive elements like your navigation menu or promotional banners to draw users into a central focal point.
Mosaic balance
Mosaic balance, or crystallographic balance, evenly distributes elements across a composition without a distinct focal point. It’s often used in patterns, abstract backgrounds, and designs where uniformity is key.
Unlike symmetrical or radial balance, mosaic balance tries to create an engaging sense of movement and texture. It’s ideal for backgrounds, editorial spreads, and dynamic interfaces. A mosaic approach can be more practical in responsive design, where elements must adapt to different screen sizes while maintaining a visually appealing layout.
Here’s an example: Websites with grid-based layouts (where every element shares more or less equal visual importance) are perfect demonstrations of mosaic balance. Collages and artistic arrangements often use mosaic balance to create a visually intriguing composition.
| Type of balance | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Symmetrical balance | Elements on one side of a design mirror those on the other, creating order and stability. Often used in corporate branding and formal layouts. | A well-balanced logo with equal elements on both sides. Websites featuring grid-based layouts often use symmetrical balance. |
| Asymmetrical balance | Created by arranging elements of different sizes, colors, or textures to maintain harmony without mirroring. Used for dynamic, engaging compositions. | Websites featuring a dominant image on one side with a smaller text element and buttons on the other side. Used a lot in advertising, editorial layouts, and digital product interfaces. |
| Radial balance | Elements radiate outward from a central point, drawing your focus to the center. Often used for designs that require a strong focal point. | Mandalas, circular logos, and infographics that emphasize a central concept. Can also be applied in things like restaurant menus and interactive web elements. |
| Mosaic balance | Also known as crystallographic balance, mosaic balance refers to elements that are evenly distributed without a distinct focal point, creating a feeling of movement and texture. | Websites with grid-based layouts where every element has (more or less) equal visual importance. Used in collages and artistic designs for a visually intriguing composition. |
How You Can Achieve Balance in Design
This is not always an easy task. Creating balance requires many thoughtful placements of elements, considering things like size, color, texture, and spacing. Designers must ensure that every aspect harmoniously interacts with one another, avoiding cluttered or clashing compositions.
Use color to create balance
Color is one of those things that can significantly impact the balance of your design by influencing the perceived weight of your different elements. Darker and more saturated colors can come off as heavier than lighter hues, meaning their placement must be carefully considered. Complementary color schemes and strategic contrast can also help create a well-balanced design.
Try to use a color palette that distributes your visual weight evenly. If a bold color is used on one side, introduce a smaller accent of the same color on the opposite side to maintain balance. Color can also be used to create emphasis, guiding the viewer’s eye through the composition in a more natural way.
Balance shapes and forms
Shapes can significantly contribute to the overall weight of a composition. Big and bold shapes tend to require counterbalancing with smaller elements to avoid an unequal design. Designers should experiment with different arrangements to achieve a uniform look.
Circles, squares, and triangles all carry different levels of visual weight, and their placements must be intentional to create that harmonious effect you’re looking for. A composition with too many large shapes on one side may appear unbalanced. In contrast, a thoughtful distribution of forms is more likely to enhance the readability and flow of your designs.
In a well-designed web page layout, a large hero image on one side can be perfectly counterbalanced by strategically placing text and navigation elements on the other. Your site maintains an engaging yet organized flow as you use a dominant image on the left and balance it with article snippets and headlines on the right. The Coca-Cola logo balances bold typography with a generous white space in branding, ensuring a cohesive and visually appealing composition.
Understand the impact of negative space
Negative space, or — in layman’s terms — the space around elements, is an essential part of finding visual balance. It prevents overcrowding while drawing attention to key information. Proper spacing helps ensure that each component has room to breathe, which massively enhances your design’s clarity and focus.
Try to avoid filling every inch of a design. Strategic use of negative space can elevate visual hierarchy and improve its readability. The best designs use negative space to frame focal points, improve aesthetics, and create an elegant, clean look.
The Psychological Impact of Balance in Design
By now, it’s probably clear that balance plays a significant role in 1) how a viewer perceives a design and 2) the emotions it creates. Symmetry often establishes a sense of calm, stability, and order, which is why it’s frequently used in corporate branding, by legal firms, and financial institutions. On the other hand, asymmetry adds movement and energy, making designs feel more dynamic and engaging.
When applied correctly, symmetry adds a sense of trust and confidence, while asymmetry can create a feeling of excitement and unpredictability. Minimalist luxury brands like Chanel, for example, use symmetry to project timeless elegance, whereas modern technology brands like Apple often use asymmetry to communicate things like innovation and creativity.
Humans naturally seek balance in visual composition, and — whether you know it or not — you’re probably no different. When a design is well-balanced, it reduces its cognitive strain and improves engagement. Web interfaces with balanced layouts usually have a lower bounce rate and higher conversion rates simply because they feel intuitive and aesthetically pleasing. Understanding how balance can influence human psychology allows designers to create impactful, user-friendly experiences that make a massive difference for the user and your business’s bottom line.
Some Real World Examples of Design Balance
Balance in design is not something that only exists in a small corner of the world. It’s a natural phenomenon. It’s present in all markets and industries, throughout web design, branding, and graphic design. Here are a few examples of design balance in the wild.
Asymmetry in modern web design
Salesforce's homepage is an excellent example of asymmetrical balance in web design. It places a large image (with a video on top) on one side of the page, with supporting text and call-to-action buttons on the other.
This asymmetrical approach creates a visually engaging experience, ensuring users' eyes are drawn toward the most critical information. The negative space around the different content blocks — combined with the few (but essential) colors — further reinforces balance, preventing the layout from feeling chaotic.
Symmetrical balance in branding
Many brands use symmetrical balance in their logos and marketing materials to convey a sense of reliability and stability. A classic example is McDonald’s logo, where the famous golden arches are evenly mirrored, reinforcing brand recognition and trust. Another example is Target’s bullseye logo, which uses radial symmetry to create a clean, visually appealing design that feels balanced and inviting.
Companies like Rolex and Bentley use symmetrical balance in their typography, layouts, and logo designs to communicate prestige and sophistication. This extreme attention to balance boosts brand perception and communicates consistency and quality over time.
Common Balancing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
While balance is essential in making your designs feel on-point, it’s also easy to overdo it or make mistakes that can have the opposite effect on your composition. To help you avoid them, here are a few common pitfalls and some ways to avoid them:
| Mistake | Description | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Overcrowding the design | Adding too many elements can make a composition feel cluttered and overwhelming. | Use negative space to help your design elements breathe and maintain clarity |
| Excessive symmetry | Over-reliance on symmetry can make designs feel static, boring, or uninspired | Introduce some slight variations to create a feeling of movement and natural flow in your designs. |
| Ignoring visual weight | Large elements should always be counterbalanced with multiple smaller ones. | Experiment with different compositions and try to adjust proportions to achieve calm. |
| Lack of contrast | Designs with low contrast can feel unbalanced or even difficult to navigate. | Use color, typography, and spacing to create distinct focal points and improve the design’s readability. |
| Disregarding user flow | Poor balance can really mess up the otherwise natural path a user’s eye would follow. | Guide the user with a pleasant visual hierarchy, and thoughtful alignment, to make sure people have a seamless experience. |
As you actively recognize (and address) some of these common mistakes, you’ll be better able to create designs that feel natural, functional, and aesthetically pleasing for everyone.
Conclusion
It’s essential to understand and apply the principles of design balance to create professional, visually engaging designs. Whether using symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial, or mosaic balance, you must consider your color, shape, space, and weight. As you slowly learn to master these techniques, you can create visually compelling and structurally sound designs that effectively engage your audiences.
So what’s next? Do you need some help getting started? Our expert guidance in crafting balanced, professional designs has helped many successful brands—check out our digital UI/UX agency to learn more. We specialize in creating intuitive interfaces, well-structured layouts, and visually engaging compositions tailored to your brand’s identity.