Graphic Design C.R.A.P. Principles PDF

GRAPHiC DESiGN C.R.A.P. Principles S C R I P T ©KT Design, LLC. ktdesignacademy.com  GRAPHIC DESIGN Script Introduction for Teacher This provided script is just meant to simplify this le...

GRAPHiC DESiGN C.R.A.P. Principles S C R I P T ©KT Design, LLC. ktdesignacademy.com  GRAPHIC DESIGN Script Introduction for Teacher This provided script is just meant to simplify this lesson for you and make it as quick and easy as possible! Every time you see this “click” symbol is when you should click to advance the next element of the presentation. LESSON SCRIPT Slide 1: Slide 4: This power can be simplified into four main Today we are going to talk about the principles which are the keys to unlocking CRAP principles of graphic design. Easy to your design expertise. It is as easy to remember, right? remember as the simple acronym of Slide 2: CRAP. Yep. CRAP. The purpose of graphic design Contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity. These four basic ideas will is communication. When you find yourself provide the understanding you need to noticing an ad or a label or packaging, ask discern graphic design “crap” from graphic yourself what it communicates to you. design masterpieces. Slide 3: Slide 5: Do you remember a time you chose an item based on what the design looked like? It First up is the principle of contrast. A super happens all the time, probably most of the powerful design principle that allows the time without us ever thinking about it. designer to direct the viewer’s attention by creating the hierarchy of the design. Simply put, where do you want the viewer to look With great graphic design comes first, second and so on. great power! ©KT Design, LLC. ktdesignacademy.com  GRAPHIC DESIGN Script Using elements such as as size, shape, Slide 8: color, font, and so on, you can customize your designs to communicate What about this design? Besides color and your message effectively. fonts, what is used to create contrast here? Size is used effectively here to create Slide 6: contrast with the chapter number. An important thing to remember with contrast is that the intended differences must be Slide 9: obvious. Small differences will not convey that one element is more important than another. Contrast can also be created by how you use your space. The placement of your design’s elements alters the appearance By that same token, using too much immensely. contrast can create a chaotic design that confuses the viewer. As with many things in life, a good rule is everything in moderation. Slide 10: Here are some examples of designs and how The next principle is repetition which is contrast is used to create hierarchy. basically self explanatory. Repeat, repeat, repeat! Establish a brand, look, style, and feel to your design and REPEAT those elements throughout your design to create unity and Slide 7: cohesion. What do you see in this design that is used to create contrast? Slide 11: The use of color and fonts are two The purpose of contrast is to create elements here that are used to differences leading to hierarchy, while the differentiate certain aspects such as the purpose of repetition is to bring everything sidebar and headline. together. Repetitive elements can include a color scheme, similar shapes, patterns, lines, fonts, borders and so on. ©KT Design, LLC. ktdesignacademy.com  GRAPHIC DESIGN Script Slide 12: Slide 16: Repetition is the most important when the There are four main alignment options. project has multiple pages, such as a book, Perhaps the most common would be using brochure, or presentation. Creating a cohesive the left side or edge of a word or object. look before beginning projects like these will Alternatively, you can use the right side or help support this design principle. edge of something to align to. Another would be using the center of an element, and lastly would be justified or “forced” alignment. Let’s Slide 13: discuss each one in a little more detail in relation to graphic design specifically. This does not mean that a poster, invitation or other single page design does not need repetition to be successful. Using repetition Slide 17: in this case will help a viewer instantly group items that are related together while Left Alignment differentiating others, such as “action items” This is most often used with larger bodies of like buttons and headlines. text, such as books, but is also largely used for paragraphs on advertisements, brochures, and so on. Left alignment is considered the most Slide 14: legible for readability. Next up is the principle of alignment which is seemingly straightforward, but must be Slide 18: used correctly to keep your design looking professional and polished. The alignment Right Alignment principle’s purpose is that nothing in your This may be the least used alignment option. design should look like it is floating in outer However, it can create visual interest especially space. Every element should be anchored to if the intention is for an unconventional design. something else. Right alignment works for shorter text blocks but should not be used for larger bodies of text. Slide 15: Imagine invisible lines connecting everything in your design. Luckily, there are these awesome align tools in every design program these days making this step a breeze. ©KT Design, LLC. ktdesignacademy.com  GRAPHIC DESIGN Script Slide 19: Slide 22: Center Alignment Going back to the idea of hierarchy again, This may be the most overused alignment always be thinking about where you want the option by beginning designers. The instinct viewer to look first, second, third, and so on. can be to center everything. This is often not the best option and can make things harder The more organized your design, the more to read. Headlines are often your best bet for quickly your viewer can process each element center alignment as well as designs where little or group of elements and understand the text is actually used, such as a web banner message, which is the entire point! or advertisement. Experiment with different alignments in your designs before centering everything. Slide 23: The most extreme proximity relationship you Slide 20: can establish is to layer your elements. Here is an example of a simple sales badge with and Justified Alignment without using layering proximity. This is also called forced alignment as it basically forces the text to align to both the right and left margins. This is most often used Slide 24: in books, magazines, newspapers, and other publications that utilize columns. Here is an Proximity can also be created using borders, example of a justified version of book layout boxes, banners, lines, shapes, etc. Here is versus a left aligned option. a basic ad that shows how keeping all the important information grouped helps the viewer easily absorb the messaging versus the Slide 21: same ad with the information scattered. The last principle we are going to cover today is proximity whose main purpose is to organize Slide 25: and group your elements in your design in the way that makes the most sense to the viewer. Using these four main principles, you are well Don’t make them search for information. on your way to knowing how to lay out an effective, visually appealing design that will communicate your messages in a cohesive and comprehensive way. ©KT Design, LLC. ktdesignacademy.com  GRAPHIC DESIGN Script Ready for more? Click the button below to head over to KT DESIGN ACADEMY. LET’S GO! ©KT Design, LLC. ktdesignacademy.com