Design is the process involved in the creation of an artwork, and this process uses the elements of art to portray concepts and ideas. There are several basic principles of design, each contributing to the presentation of a work of art. These principles of design include: balance; emphasis; pattern; proportion; rhythm; unity; and variety.

Balance is a term referring to the arrangements of parts of an artwork in a certain manner in order to convey a certain sense of equality in terms of visual weight. This balance can be symmetrical, asymmetrical, or radial in nature. Emphasis in regards to design refers to the visual stress, accent, or sense of importance that is created in an artwork through the use of color, shape, size, and placement of an object. Emphasis can also refer to the object or area within an artwork that draws the viewer's attention. Pattern in design refers to the regular repetition of certain elements within the artwork, including shapes, lines, colors, or forms. Proportion in design refers to the relationship between the size, placement or amount of one area or part of an artwork to another part of the artwork. Artists need to be mindful of the sizes of different parts of an artwork to ensure that it is conveying the correct proportion. Rhythm refers to the sense of movement that an artwork achieves through the use of repetition of elements of art, such as lines, color, shapes, or forms. Unity, an important component of design, refers to the harmony that is present within artworks that is achieved through an effective combination of artistic elements in order to create a...

The final principle of design is variety, which refers to the use of diverse artistic elements in order to make an artwork interesting.
The subject of an artwork is most contributed to by the design principle of emphasis. The sense of importance the artist is trying to convey is made possible through components of emphasis, including: center of interest; dominance; exaggeration; and focal point. The center of interest of an artwork is that part of the work that is noticed first by the viewer, and is considered as the most important part of the artwork. Dominance refers to the manner in which a work of art displays emphasis through the presentation of one element or object as strongest in the composition. Exaggeration is the technique used to show an element of an artwork in a way that overemphasizes or enlarges the importance of it. Finally, the focal point of an artwork refers to the use of emphasis in which the artist sets up a center of interest by setting a certain element within the artwork apart from the other elements.