Say what?! Sorry, let me make myself a little more clear:
Contrast
Repetition
Alignment
Proximity
Make sense now?...No?...Really?....Oh....
Well then, CRAP is an acronym for the Principles of Design. These key elements listed are crucial when creating a poster, website, advertisement, CD cover, etc. Any piece of printed advertisement you see consists of at least one of these principles. To prove this point, I randomly selected four images that I found on the internet that pertain to each of the principles of design.
Principle of Design Numero Uno: CONTRAST
Example: DRIVE Movie Poster
This example holds a revolutionary use of contrast. This movie poster shows the contrast of image - that is, the contrast between the photograph of Ryan Gosling, and the typeface of the title. If we were to separate the photograph from the typeface and analysed the two images as individual graphics, we would get a very different interpretation of what the film could be about.
First let's analyse the image of Ryan Gosling:
Ryan's white V-neck shirt is covered in what appears to be grease, sweat and dirt, his face is very tense, and there is a bridge in the background. These "images" give off an industrial, masculine feel. Possible genres of the film could be action, drama or thriller.
Now let's analyse the typeface:
It's pink, and it's cursive. What type of "image" does this give the viewer? Usually, cursive typeface, especially when it's pink, is used for, and resembles: a wedding invitation, a cake shop, a flower shop, a clothing store, etc. Possible genres of this film could therefore be romance, comedy, or family.
The contrast between these two images adds a unique style to what the poster is trying to tell us. Now you decide: Do you like this contrast or not?
Principle of Design Numero Due: REPETITION
Example: BREAST CANCER brochure
This brochure for Breast Cancer has a nice use of repetition, giving the pamphlet a clean and professional look. The brochure achieves this look by the repetition of colours and images.
The brochure's front cover has the organizations breast cancer logo at the bottom-centre of the page, and it is the first thing you see. It is also the last thing you see when you close the brochure, for that same logo is in the same spot, but on the back of the brochure. The typeface is all the same colour giving the brochure a clean look, and the whimsical design at the top and bottom of the brochure is the same for each page, allowing for a design that is not too overdone, but instead, polished.
Principle of Design Numero Tre: ALIGNMENT
Example: MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA novel cover
The cover to the novel Memoirs of the Geisha by Arthur Golden has a specific alignment (left) that is appealing to the eye and creates a visual connection. The placement of the letters correlates to the image of the Geisha's sweeping hair, allowing for a nice, dark background for the light letters to rest against. This works well because it does not create a cluttered look, but instead, a polished an even one. It is easy for the eye to read and that makes a book cover very appealing - because if the cover is confusing and disorientated, what can you expect from the actual novel?
Example: WEDDING INVITATION
This wedding invitation is an exemplary example to show proximity. Proximity first of all, is grouping of like terms of events to create a neat and clean look to an advertisement, invitation, etc. As we can see on the invitation, the "special couple" is separated from the invitee, which is separated from the location, which is separated from the date, and finally the RSVP. I enjoy this wedding invitation because it looks formal, professional and royal! What do you think? Yay? or Nay?
