C.R.A.P. is an acronym for contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity. These are basic design principles that can be used to create a more interesting, dynamic, and organized design. Designers can utilize all of these principles or choose one to make more prominent. This will depend on the specific design project and what the designer decides is important to highlight. These rules can be intentionally broken only after gaining a solid understanding of these fundamental design principles.
Vector art is created using an illustration program such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. It is generated by a mathematical equation and can be scaled without loss of quality. Raster images can be be made into vector art by tracing. Hand drawn sketches can also be scanned and transformed to vector imagery. When I think of vector art I tend to think of simplified forms with flat color, however there are advanced tools and techniques to create more dynamic artwork that has line qualities of an actual painting or drawing. Most logos are vector art because they are intentionally simplified in order to convey a message visually in a concise manner. In a way this is much like an organization’s mission statement is meant to be short and easily understood by the general public.
Rasterize: This is the act of transforming a vector image into a rasterized image, which is one that is made up of pixels or dots. An example of this would be a Photoshop document, and the resolution of the image would be measured in ppi (pixels per inch) or dpi (dots per inch). Rasterizing allows you to work with an image in different programs, but it is always a good idea to save the original file.
Opacity is how much light is shown through an object, or how opaque it is. The opacity of a vector or rasterized image can be adjusted, for example if you want to make it less opaque for a background image. One reason for doing this is might be so that it doesn’t compete with text or another image in the foreground. When I think of opacity I think of opals which let some light in and create interesting shapes and colors as they reflect light. This idea also relates to oil painting; the paint can be diluted with mineral spirits to make it less opaque. This can be used to build up layers or create a physical texture in the painting.
Unification is the process of bringing something together or making it whole. In design this might mean creating a theme that ties everything together. In branding, unification of design elements creates a cohesive feel in order for a brand to be easily recognized. For example, a theme throughout a website creates a sense of cohesion, and this also makes navigation easier.
