When I review a design — whether it’s mine, a client’s, or someone else’s — I’m always looking for the same three things:
Consistency, hierarchy and balance.
To me, these are a few major (but quiet) forces behind every great design. When something feels off, it’s usually because one of these is missing (or just not achieved very well).
1. Consistency
This is all about repetition in design. Reusing the same heading styles, button shapes and colors, spacing units, icon treatments — it creates a visual rhythm that feels intentional and predictable.
Without consistency, everything feels a little scattered. Users don’t know what to expect, because the rules keep changing from section to section or page to page.
2. Hierarchy
Not everything should be shouting at you. Good hierarchy guides users where to look first, second, and third — whether through size/scale, weight, color, or layout.
Use proper hierarchy to your advantage if you want a seamless page design that allows users to quickly glance.
If everything is bold, nothing is bold. If everything stands out, nothing does.
3. Balance
Design needs breathing room (yes, that white space is intentional). A layout that’s too top-heavy or crowded on one side creates tension and feels off-putting.
I often ask: does this feel evenly weighted? Are the elements distributed in a way that feels calm and natural?
Sometimes it is about perfect visual symmetry, but it’s often what looks best to your trained eye.
These principles aren’t something you see in a brand guide, but they’re always top of mind every time I sit down to design.
Once you’ve nailed consistency, hierarchy, and balance, how do you take your design to the next level? That’s where visual interest comes in…
Next time, I’ll share a few ways I think about adding visual interest — that extra 5% that often differentiates your design from others.
Until then,
