Summer School – It’s Your Turn to Learn: Symmetry/Asymmetry
We’re so glad to have you here today for another fun day in the MFT Summer School classroom. Yesterday’s lesson on repetition is a simple and effective one that we often forget to employ. If you missed the lesson on repetition, you can find it HERE.
Symmetry and asymmetry both fall under the umbrella of balance (like yesterday’s lesson on repetition). We covered two more balance lessons in session one — Line and Quiet Space — and we’ll have one more tomorrow. I guess it just goes to show that creating balance is an important factor in designing.
Grab your notebook and a cup of coffee and let’s get started on today’s lesson. Are you ready class?
Lesson #12 – Design: Symmetry/Asymmetry
The concept of using Symmetry/Asymmetry in your designs is all a matter of balance. Let’s look at a couple of examples from Mayuri and Yoonsun Hur to begin with.
Symmetry is balanced proportions in design. If you were to slice Mayuri’s design in half vertically, it is essentially the same on each side.
Asymmetry is the placement of non-identical forms to either side of a balancing point in a way that the two sides seem to be of the same visual weight but aren’t. In the card below, Yoonsun placed the sentiment and images on the right and balanced the weight with the blue line down the left side.
Today’s instructor is My Favorite Things Design Team member Keisha Campbell. Let’s see what she has to teach us about using Symmetry/Asymmetry in your designs.
Keisha started with elements to create two cards — one symmetrical and one asymmetrical in order to show the difference.
To begin with, she placed the focal point circle in the middle of the symmetrical card and up and to the right in the asymmetrical card. Your immediate reaction to the one on the right may not be positive, but you’ll be able to see what she did in the next image to create the proper balance.
On the symmetrical card, the butterfly was placed directly in the center of the circle. For the asymmetrical card, the circle that was placed to the right gets a butterfly placed on the left of the circle to create balance.
The finished cards both have a sense of balance, and despite the fact that they use essentially the same elements, the two cards end up looking quite a bit different! Pretty cool, huh? Notice also how Keisha’s use of the Rule of Thirds helps with the balance of the asymmetrical card. Well played!
To aid in your learning, we have created a My Favorite Things Summer School Session Three Study Guide. Download it HERE, and then print it. It will be a handy tool that you can refer to as you design!
This week you’re the student, and instead of grades, we’ve got two prizes per day and two ways to win. Using today’s lesson, we’d love for you to create a project that exemplifies what you learned and upload it to the link below. Master the lesson and win a $50 voucher from My Favorite Things and be featured on the blog on August 25th. Just by participating, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a $20 voucher, so everyone has a chance!
All entries must be submitted by noon EDT on August 21st. Winners will be announced here on the blog on Tuesday, August 25th.
Here’s your homework for your chance to win:
- Create a project following the lesson you learned today.
- Be sure to link your project below for your chance to win!
Before you go, be sure to stop by the blogs of these members of our Creative Team for more lessons in how to use Symmetry/Asymmetry in your projects.
Now make sure to do your homework! Class dismissed.