There are three main design principles when is comes to designing any 3 dimentional space. These are Continuity, Unity and Rhythm. These are very ambiguous terms and are difficult to describe let alone explain to a student. Never the less understanding how these principles work in harmony with each other and when used in conjunction with Bubble or Functional diagrams they do help guide the students to obtain viable and practical design solution.
Video and description by Duncan Heather.