1. C.R.A.P
C=Contrast
“Contrast” is a means of avoiding elements in a design which look too similar. According to the Robin’s Principle of Contrast, “If two items are not exactly the same, then make them different. Really different.” I enjoy playing with contrast because it allows the opportunity to be very specific with where I want the eye to be drawn.
R=Repetition
According to Robin’s Principle of Repetition, you should “Repeat some aspect of the design throughout the entire piece.” This helps to create a sense of unity throughout the design, and makes an image seem well-polished. Too many differing elements can make it look unfocused and chaotic. I love using repetition because it also provides the opportunity to set up a convention, then make deliberate choices about where to break it to tell a story or create emphasis.
A=Alignment
Robin’s Principle of Alignment says: “Nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item should have a visual connection with something else on the page.” Making sure elements are aligned means being intentional with placement. There is meaning embedded in the spacial relationships between elements, and so a good designer must be conscious and deliberate about this.
P=Proximity
Actually, I find Proximity and Alignment to be very similar…I suppose Proximity might have more to do with closeness/distance, while Alignment refers to the planes that visual elements occupy.
According to Robin’s Principle of Proximity, you should “group related items together, move them physically close to each other so the related items are seen as one cohesive group rather than a bunch of unrelated items.
2. Vector
I became familiar with this term while we received our introduction to Adobe Illustrator. It came up during a comparison between AI and Photoshop. While the two programs have some commonalities, they’re meant for different types of projects. Photoshop is designed for editing photographs, and uses a bit map. This means that all images are made up of a sea of pixels which can be manipulated individually. When you zoom in on photoshop images, these pixels become more visible. In contrast, Adobe Illustrator uses a vector graphics format, which means that the shapes are all made mathematically. This allows it’s users to shrink or expand their images without getting a pixelated look. Apparently, AI is made specifically for branding designs, since logos often need to be resized, while still maintaining a polished look.
3. Rasterize
To “rasterize” an image means to convert it from a vector format into a pixel image, or bitmap. I can see this as being useful if you are wanting to edit an element of a photograph onto a vector image.
I read an article online titled “Understanding Type and Text in Photoshop, Part 1″ by Peter Bauer on the website “Peachpit,” (http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=715009) to better understand the benefits of rasterization. According to Bauer, “The primary advantage of raster art is its capability of reproducing fine transitions and gradations in color, such as those found in photographs.” I look forward to experimenting with the different capabilities of both vector and bit map images.
4. Opacity
“Opacity” is the lack of transparency, and is an element of design which can be manipulated along a spectrum between the two opposites to create different effects. I think that manipulating opacity is a useful tool when trying to create depth in an image, by creating layers of varying opacity/transparency levels. By using layers in your design which are not completely opaque, you can add a specific color, and make the bottom layer image blend into the background, so that other words or images can be more in focus in the foreground. Below are some examples of design images which I think do a good job of using opacity/transparency to create interesting layers and depth:
