C.R.A.P

Week 3 Blog Assignment

 As I am working on creating my own website and have already considered possibilities for the content, it is important to begin researching ways to format and present said information. There are some basic rules to follow and keep in mind when trying to make a site aesthetically pleasing, and I have found some sources that sum these ideas up very effectively and logically.

First, there is the site called Principles of Design, through About.com that organizes the information into color, font, layout or navigation folders. From there, you can search through dozens and dozens of sub-categories that all further explore effective web design basics and principles. 


Check it out for yourself! 

For a site that focuses on layout and design principles with consideration to C.R.A.P. (contrast, repetition, alignment and proximity), a better source would be to check out this YouTube video, where it is essentially a powerpoint/lecture of these exact terms. 

This source is great because it gives you the information with accompanying examples and pictures to demonstrate the terms being said. Visual learners, such as me, will appreciate this difference from simply reading information like most sites.




A third site that I found to be helpful is titled, "Design Better with CRAP" and does a good job of not only explaining this helpful acronym but also address the way today's ease-of-use and powerful computer applications has raised the bar for the expected quality of design and how to meet these expectations.


Have a look here!


These sources will help me as I am working on my own individual website by knowing what makes a layout not only appealing but also how to organize the content in a way that can actually increase the understanding of my viewers. It really is amazing how much the proximity/clumping on information can cue a reader as to what the key points are and how the information can be divided. This was something that we covered a lot in my Communication 416 course these previous Fall quarter. Hopefully these sites will be helpful for anyone else who is still trying to grasp these concepts that make all the difference.

Bibliography:

Barry, R. (2007). C.r.a.p.- basic layout and design [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF_mWi6r-9I


Wax, D. (2005, July 30). Design better with crap. Retrieved from  http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/design-better-with-crap.html

Web design/html. (2012). Retrieved from http://webdesign.about.com/od/webdesignbasics/Principles_of_Web_Design.htm