Whether you are a small business owner making your own social media content or a budding graphic designer, you will benefit from a good understanding of CRAP.
C.R.A.P., a design principle developed by Robin Patricia Williams, stands for Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity. These four principles lead to designs that delight users and get them to engage with your content.
Contrast is all about making elements stand out and is used to drive a person’s attention to specific elements in a design. Besides differentiated colors, contrast can be established using different element types, shapes, sizes, and so much more.
Repetition is how you maintain consistency in a design. It helps users get familiarized with the way information is presented to them. For instance, bullet lists use repetition of circular dots to present information. The repetition of dots helps readers scan and read the list quickly. Additionally, the repetition of elements is what gives an identity to a design with the color, shape, texture, size, and other attributes of the elements in a design.
Alignment dictates the way every element is placed in a design. With alignment, no element in a design is positioned arbitrarily. Each element visually connects to other elements, leading to cohesiveness in a design.
Proximity states that elements that are associated with each other should be grouped together. The application of proximity leads to a better user experience.
Don’t just take our word for it. Experiment with your site design and graphics to figure out what exactly works for your target audience and positively impacts your key metrics.
