General Principles of Publication Design

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General Principles of Publication Design
C.A.R.P. 4 design principles that can be applied
to documents or web pages. Contrast
Alignment Repetition
Proximity
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Proximity

• Proximity, or closeness, implies a relationship.

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Proximity

• Key idea
• Group related items together

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Proximity
Problem Readers eye must bounce all around card
to obtain information

• All examples from The Non-Designers Design Book

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Proximity

• Solution
• Group together related elements

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Proximity

• Problems
• The two items in top left are in close proximity
  but not related
• Gaps separate related items

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Proximity

• Solution
• Regroup information
• Change to caps/lowercase
• Use squared edges
• Let image break out of box

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Proximity

• Problem
• Everything is close to everything else

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Proximity

• Solution
• Contents are grouped
• Contrast is added with headlines/rules

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Alignment

• Key idea
• Nothing should be placed on the page
  arbitrarily. Every item should have a visual
  connection with something else on the page.

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Alignment

• No element has any connection to the others.

• Elements aligned

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Alignment
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Alignment
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Alignment
Text alignment plays a part in the readability of
a document. Text aligned on the left is the most
readable. It can use the optimum word spacing and
letter spacing that the designer built into the
font.

• Trapped white space pushes elements apart

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Alignment
Text alignment plays a part in the readability of
a document. Text aligned on the left is the most
readable. It can use the optimum word spacing and
letter spacing that the designer built into the
font.

• Find a strong line and use it. Flush right type
  makes use of images border.

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Repetition

• Key idea
• Repeat some aspect of the design throughout the
  entire piece.

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Repetition

• When you get to the end of the information, does
  your eye just wander off the card?

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Repetition

• Repeated bold type encourages reader to bounce
  between the two dominant typefaces

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Contrast

• Problem
• What is the focus?
• Border? Eagles? Type?

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Contrast

• Solution
• Contrast
• Alignment
• Repetition
• Proximity

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The end