The CRAP Principles
Basic Design Guidelines- Taken from Robin Williams' Non-Designer's Design Book.

Contrast

  • Creates an organizational hierarchy for readers/viewers
  • Avoid elements that are merely similar (make them identical OR very different)
  • Adds visual interest
  • Don’t be a wimp

Repetition

  • Repeat some element of design throughout the piece such as color, shape, texture, bullets
  • Adds consistency
  • Helps to unify all parts of a design
  • Helps to organize information

Alignment

  • Every item should have a visual connection with something else on the page
  • Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily
  • Find a strong line and use it
  • Helps to indicate relationships between elements
  • Alignment helps to create order which generally makes us feel better about the quality of a page/document

Proximity

  • Group related items together Grouping implies a relationship between pieces of information
  • Proximity organizes information and reduces clutter