Written by Akansha Gupta

In the video and design lab room, Sarah Nichols of Whitney High School presented Design Thinking. Students leaned forward in their chairs to learn tips on utilizing the principles of design for maximum impact.

Before Nichols began, she was careful to emphasize there are no rules for design. “Design is how we attract eyeballs,” she said,“It’s not about a certain size, or certain style.” Then she used magazine spreads and newspaper front-pages to demonstrate examples of contrast, emphasis, linkage and use of whitespace. In an informal, lively discussion, she invited students to speak up and explain what they liked or disliked about each design.

She reminded students over and over again that each aspect of design needed to have a function. “Graphic elements should never decorate.” she said, “They should either isolate it, emphasize it or unify it with another element.”

At the end, she encouraged yearbook and newspaper designers to mix and match. “You should find what you like and figure out ways to incorporate the techniques that work,” she said.