Containment
The use of visual barriers to keep elements of a design neat and organized; the four methods of containment are dividers, borders, fill, and shadow
Why it matters
Grouping is most of visual organisation, and containment is its heaviest instrument: dividers, borders, fills and shadows all say “these belong together”. The craft is using the lightest tool that still groups — every container adds ink the content has to shout over.
See it
Six identical items, identical spacing — the boundary alone decides whether you see six things or two groups.
The numbers
- 4 methods — dividers, borders, fills, shadows, in rising weight
Related terms
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