Symmetrical balance
One of the most common examples of balance that you come across when browsing websites is symmetry, though you may not realize it, because it’s so seamlessly presented. Symmetry is innately pleasing to the eye, and creates a design that’s aesthetically well-organized and harmonious. Symmetrical balance is defined by placing elements equally on either side of a horizontal or vertical central axis. In other words, both sides of an imaginary diving line across the middle of the page are essentially mirror images of each other. While some critics may write off this type of balance as boring or predictable, it has nonetheless stood the test of time and remains one of the best ways to show balance in web design.
- The same number of elements in the navigation bar (including search icon) on both sides
- The headline and subheadline are equally long on both sides
- The call to action button is perfectly centered
- The same number of elements under the “Quick Tasks” heading on both sides


Asymmetrical balance
The polar opposite of symmetry, asymmetrical balance is possible too. Don’t be fooled by the fact that asymmetry means a lack of equivalence between parts! As you’ll soon see, asymmetrical balance achieves a system of counterweights in design as well… just not in ways you might expect. Asymmetry can be represented in a number of ways on a webpage. For instance, one half of the screen, vertically or horizontally, could boast a more intense element while the other half could have subtler elements. In spite of this inequality, both in strength and numbers, balance is created by the juxtaposition of the contradicting elements. In this way, asymmetry can be truly beautiful, perhaps more so than straightforward symmetry, because it plays on the concept of dissimilarity to create balance. That’s a design paradox, but one that works so well on any site. Asymmetrical balance is therefore more interesting and thought-provoking than predictable symmetry. It evokes themes of modernism, energy and wonder. Designers should take note, however, that creating asymmetry on a page requires more work than regular symmetry. After all, you’re having to represent relationships between design elements that are more complicated.


Radial balance
Radial balance is pretty straightforward. As the name implies, radial balance occurs when all the design elements on a page emanate in equidistant points from a unifying, central point. So if you’d divide the page either vertically or horizontally along a central axis, both sides’ elements would be equally as far or near from the central point. Some of the most basic examples of radial balance are things like rays of sunlight coming from a central point or a pond that has a bunch of ripples on its surface. What makes this form of balance more special is that the radiating effect goes both ways: Just as the attention leads away from the central point, it also leads back to it due to the common center. Because of this, keeping a focal point is easy.
All kinds of balance
By now, it should be pretty obvious that all types of balance have some common bonds. There are uniform factors that consistently appear in any design that features attractive and interesting balance. Balance in web design is all around you. Chances are that you’ve neglected to appreciate it on all the different sites you’ve ever browsed throughout your life; but that’s only because balance isn’t really the first thing you think of when you navigate any site. Nonetheless, balance is important to site design. It doesn’t only provide aesthetic touches that are interesting from a visual standpoint. It also can help the user experience by making the visual information on a site easier to absorb, which is to say nothing of improving site navigation, too. Designers can strive to include better balance in their web design by paying extra close attention to harmony, counterweights and equidistance. The end result of good balance pays untold dividends for your clients and the user experience.Marc Schenker
Marc’s a copywriter who covers design news for Web Designer Depot. Find out more about him at thegloriouscompanyltd.com.
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