- Harmony is defined as the combination
of simultaneously sounded musical notes
to produce chords, or chord progressions,
having a pleasing effect.
In design, the sense of harmony is achieved
when many disparate elements work together
and produce a pleasing solution.
Many designers, mistake uniformity for harmony.
A barbershop quartet sings in perfect harmony,
not because they are all singing the same notes.
Combining different notes simultaneously creates the sound.
The same is true in design.
Repeating the exact same element
does not necessarily create harmony.
The goal is to create a solution that feels like
the different elements came from the same family
like siblings, not clones.
There are several ways to create harmony in design.
The primary tool in every approach is to echo shapes.
This isn't repeating the exact same shape and color,
it's using it in a different way.
In this poster for Dole Pineapple,
the French designer A.M Cassandra applies similar shapes,
color and painting techniques,
trade harmony with many different forms.
He echoes the circle of the moon in the guitar.
The same curves of the leaves are repeated,
and gradations from light to dark are used multiple times.
Similar proportions will also create harmony.
The spread in this book has multiple telephones
from various areas,
but they are arranged within similar proportions
that relate to each other mathematically.
This book spread appears to have a wide range
of type sizes, but each line of type
relates to the other by using consistent divisions.
All of the typography is multiples of four.
One line is eight point, another is 12 point,
and 24 point and so on.
The common use of one typeface and two colors,
also creates a sense of a complete whole.
Color is also a good way
to combine multiple forms into a cohesive design.
This website looks dour with too much information.
Adding color that comes from a unified palette,
provides energy, harmony, and feels less daunting.
I'd love to have a simple equation
to tell you to make perfect harmony,
but there is no singular one size fits all solution.
Harmony is a delicate dance between forms,
but that complexity is what keeps the solution
engaged and interesting.