Alignment

Much of what we recognize as "good design" is determined by invisible relationships.

How does Apple create such a simple but luxury brand aesthetic?

It's often the tiny decisions that you wouldn't think of as particularly influential -- possibly only even noticeable subconsciously -- that pull a piece of design work together. 

Once we're able to consciously leverage the principle of alignment, our work gets more and more satisfying to look at.

It's a skill you'll master with time, but there are training wheels available:

The grid underlying the design below is based on the Golden Ratio, and it makes it very difficult to design anything that doesn't strongly consider the principle of alignment.

Here's the Golden Ratio Grid in action:

Top Alignment Takeaways:

1. Create relationships between floating elements.
2. Rely on the grid and rulers.
3. Let things breathe.