What is formal design?

Answer 1

While I was designing a new contact information update card for an assistant pastor at my church, I addressed the same question to my mother, who studied interior decorating. She told me that in its most basic form, the formal design involves a measure of symmetry, usually vertically or horizontally, and often both.

For example, a person wants to decorate their fireplace mantle in a formal style. They may choose to place two tall candlesticks on either end, a shorter design element on both sides, just inside of those candlesticks, and then a floral arrangement in the middle.

Minimalistic and symmetrical. At least, that's how my mother explained it to me.