Unity is the goal you want to achieve in your design, and if you abide by all the principles you can attain unity.

Sometimes unity is also called harmony, and the connection to music is true. If you've ever heard music playing that is not in harmony, you can understand how not having unity in a piece would cause issues in the design.

Unity does not mean everything is the same, instead, it is more about assuring all design elements flow together in a cohesive piece.

Proximity is when elements are combined together to highlight their relationship. Add meaning to your design by a discerning use of the space between design elements.

Your eye generally will see elements that are by each other as being related, even if they have no connecting components.

It's a common saying that variety is the spice of life, as it can spice up your life, it can spice up your design as well. But, as with life, too much spice is never a good thing, so remember a little variety can make a big difference in your design.

When handled accurately, variety in colors, shapes, typography and more, can keep the viewer engaged with your design.

Proportion, occasionally called scale, relates to the corresponding size of all the elements in the design like images, graphics, patterns, text and more. By simply adjusting the size of one item compared to another can give the appearance of being more or less important. It also can influence the dominance of that element in the overall design.

Hierarchy refers to the link between elements, such as proportion, emphasis, and alignment. The important factor is visual hierarchy, which aids in building the order of importance in your design. Typically, size suggests hierarchy, meaning the most important elements should take up the most space in your design. Although there are more subtle ways to show hierarchy.

The emphasis principle helps navigate the viewer's eye around the design informing them where to read/look first. Emphasis will aid you in drawing attention to headers, charts, graphs and other important elements of your design.

Rhythm, in this instance, indicates the constant use of elements used as such, to propose movement, patterns, or action. It offers visual energy and indicates vitality in your design.

As with music, rhythm may seem a bit random or repetitive, it is the same with design. One could design a varying rhythm by repeating multiple elements in a design.

Contrast is not just about color selection, it could mean the fonts you pick, shapes, patterns, textures, graphic size and more. With contrast you can accomplish several of the other principles.

Repetition applys to using the same or comparable elements in various places throughout your design. This design principle is frequently used for headers, patterns, lines, and shapes.

Repetition is one of the simplest design princes that you can use in your designs, but that means it is often overused. When using repeating visual elements it is smart to have a light hand and be careful how often you use it.

Alignment deals with how elements in your design work together. To manage a good proximity of associated objects, hierarchy of objects, repetition, white space and more, you need to stay on top of how all elements align.

Alignment can aid the audience in understanding the data being presented in your design.

White space, also known as negative space, doesn't have to be white, instead it relates to the space between objects. One of the main tips for beginning graphic designers is to make sure your designs have enough white space.

Movement guides the eye from one element to the next through the design. Sometimes principles like hierarchy, repetition and rhythm generate movement. If you use these principles of design, the viewer's eye will follow through the design.

Balance in design is not about adjusting the scales, it is not about giving all the elements the same weight. Instead, balance indicates a harmonious or even arrangement of elements in your design. In other words, it means making sure that each segment of your infographic takes up the right amount of space equal to its importance.