the four basic principles of designCONTRAST, REPETITION, ALIGNMENT & PROXIMITYCRAP for short

It's important to understand is that if you can get these four principles under your belt, then over time you’ll develop a feel for why something doesn’t work, and you’ll identify that really, really fast.

CRAP

C is for Contrast

Make your elements different to increase understanding

CRAP

Contrast is all about making things stand outYou make things stand out by making sure they look different

from other elements on the page. You do this to ensure your

users know where to look first, second, third, and last.

CRAP

CRAP

Weak vs Strong ContrastStep away from your design. Good contrast is easy to spot from a distance.

Light and Dark elements Just a bit of Colour creates impact Large Text gets noticed first

CRAP

R is for RepetitionRepeating visual elements to create strong unity .

CRAP

CRAP

Repetition is about recognition and rhythmBy using consistent fonts, type sizes and graphical elements

throughout your work, give a sense of unity that makes it

easier for the reader to understand your design.

CRAP

Even though this

designer uses

different images on

each page, they

keep a sense of

unity by using the

same type of fonts

and same red box

throughout.

A is for AlignmentPlace elements deliberately and rationally to improve clarity

CRAP

CRAP

Alignment is about purposeful placementThe whole point of the alignment principle is that nothing

in your slide design should look as if it were placed there

randomly. Elements should be connected with the rest by

some invisible line.

CRAP

By adhering to the

principles of

alignment, you can

keep your design

united into

one coherent piece.

P is for ProximityPlace related elements together to convey relationship

CRAP

CRAP

Proximity is used to separate & group elementsProximity is the quickest way to relate similar content or

distinguish one group of content from another. Objects that

are close in proximity are often associated with each other.

CRAP

In this poster design, the

artists places the related

items closer together, like

the actors at the top left,

the title in the bottom

middle, and the lesser

important information

along the bottom of the

poster.

First assignment:

CRAP