That's C.R.A.P.

Not in a bad way. A good way! Let me explain...

C = Contrast

R = Repetition

A = Alignment

P = Proximity

C.R.A.P. The four main design principles of Graphic Design.

The C.R.A.P. acronym was coined by Robin Williams. No, not Mrs. Doubtfire. The other Robin Williams - the one who authored The Non-Designer's Design Book. She developed the terminology to help visual communicators remember these important design principles. Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity - paired with good typography and hierarchy - are the key ingredients for successful graphic design. Let's break it down.

Contrast

Contrast is needed to help certain elements in your design stand out. Contrast can be achieved through color, type styles, type sizes, or the use of graphic elements like varying shapes. Contrast gives your design the pizazz it needs to draw the viewer in. Think of contrast like speaking, if everything is monotone then it's boring. But if you use inflection in your voice, the conversation becomes more interesting.

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Repetition

Repeating certain elements throughout your design creates consistency. Repetition can be achieved through using the same font color, the same heading and sub-heading sizes, graphic placement on the page, or using the same icon to describe something. When a viewer sees a repeated design element they associate that with the element's meaning, allowing them to retain the information and understand the message. Think of repetition like the chorus of your favorite song, it ties everything together.

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Alignment

Aligning elements on a page or screen creates order in your design, which is very important if you want to communicate your message effectively. Think back to my second blog post in March of this year when we talked about the grid. A grid is a framework of intersecting vertical and horizontal lines. The lines create a grid, allowing designers to organize text and images in a visually pleasing way on the page. The grid is the designer's foundation. Designers use columns, margins, and gutters to create this mathematical structure, which is dependent on the size of the page. We can't just place images and text randomly on the page. Our placement must be intentional and well thought out.

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Proximity

All of your design elements on a page or screen have a relationship to one another. A heading relates to the paragraph underneath it, an image relates to the image caption at the bottom of the page, and an icon may relate to a fun fact that you've pulled off to the side. All of these design elements need to have proximity to one another to feel cohesive. The heading doesn't need to be too far away from the paragraph and the icon doesn't need to be floating in the middle of the page when the fun fact is hanging out somewhere else. Grouping elements makes the message easier to understand.

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Following the C.R.A.P. checklist can help you achieve maximum visual communication, which is always the designer's goal. If our audience can't read it, understand it, and act on it, then we've failed our mission. Good design = clear communication. Join me next month as I reflect on my first year of teaching. Spoiler alert... it's been amazing!

If you have a topic you would like me to cover, or you have a question about a project you're working on, drop me a line. I would love to chat!

Williams, R. (2014). The Non-Designer's Design Book (4th ed.). Peachpit Press.