You Should Give a CRAP about Design
December 13th, 2006 by John Herman, under branding, design, small business. No Comments
Thinking about designing your own marketing materials? Don’t have any design experience. Well, that’s okay; you can still do a good job. Just make sure you have your CRAP together. Yep, I said CRAP. That’s the acronym designer Robin Williams coined in her book The Non-Designers Design Book. By following her guidelines, many novice designers are able to create some pretty decent marketing pieces.
Here’s the scoop on CRAP (no pun intended):
- C stands for Contrast
Elements that aren’t the same should be very different so they stand out. Making them “slightly different” confuses the reader into seeing a relation that doesn’t exist. Strong contrast between page elements allows the user’s eye to flow from one to another down the page creating a dynamic and interesting piece. - R stands for Repetition
Repeat styles down the page for a cohesive feel. If you style related elements the same way in one area continue that trend for consistency in other areas. - A stands for Alignment
Everything on the page needs to be visually connected to something else, nothing should be out of place or distinct from the other design elements. - P stands for Proximity
Elements that are related should be grouped together and separate design elements should have enough space in between to communicate they are different.
There are other elements to be considered, but this CRAP will certainly get you started. Check out blogs for designers and visit your local library for more books and ideas on design. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Even amateur designers can create some pretty impressive work by following a few basic steps and principles. Keep checking our blog for more information to help you succeed as you take steps to build your business. Also, for more information about CRAP check out http://www.thinkvitamin.com/features/design/how-crap-is-your-site-design.