This week in my PR Publications class, what caught my attention most wasn’t the addicting typography online games or learning how to deconstruct designs. No, what intrigued me most was that the most important rules of graphic design are CRAP.
Literally. They are literally CRAP: Clarity, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity. It definitely says something about my immature level of humor when I admit that I still snickered whenever my professor mentioned the acronym during class. While I still think the name is hilarious, I’ve also began to truly appreciate those 4 rules of design, particularly proximity. Proximity, according to the slideshow viewed in class, basically means space. As a self-professed lover of words, this was interesting to me, as I had only ever considered proximity to be how close one thing is to another. While this definition still holds true in the graphic design world, the concept of space is equally important.
After learning about proximity, the concept of minimalism was also introduced. I had heard of this term before, but had never fully appreciated it. I simply thought minimalistic designs were for CEOs who lived in apartments in New York City with all glass walls and few (yet incredibly expensive) possessions. However, learning about minimalism with a graphic design mindset made me realize just how intentional every aspect of the design is.
After learning of those four graphic design rules, and of specific designs like minimalism, I began to notice how these approaches were implemented in conceptions all around me: the ads I saw on TV, in magazines or on billboard, the logos of my favorite restaurants and clothing stores, and so much more. The main design that I noted that utilized all these concepts was the Lindsey + Asp logo. As a member of Lindsey + Asp, I have seen the logo countless times while working in the agency on the second floor of Gaylord. After class, though, I began to see it differently. One font and only two colors (red and black) are used throughout the entire design, representing repetition, continuity and unity to the viewer. It uses the space provided, showing proximity. It is symmetrically aligned, and the words and message are incredibly clear to the reader.
It’s strange that I’ve seen this logo so many times before, but have never truly thought about how intentional every aspect of the design is. I hope to continue learning about concepts in class that allow me to rethink things around me that I have never looked twice at.
