To assist in developing an understanding of how to use Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity to improve communication.

1. Design
for
Effective Communication

2. Design to enhance
communication
 We write and create to express and communicate.
 Pretty does not help this if the document is not read.
 Are you communicating effectively or just making
pretty shapes?

3. Design Principles
ontrast
epetition
lignment
roximity
C
P
A
R
Link toUsing CRAP

4. Contrast
 Created when two things are different.
 If two things are not the same …….
 Make them…….
Really different.
•
Don’t be a wimp!

5. Contrast – not a new
concept
 How did we create
the contrast?
ontrast
epetition
lignment
roximity
C
P
A
R

6. Contrast
 How did we create
the contrast?
You
are
warmly
invited
to
attend!

7. Contrast
 How did we create
the contrast?
CD
ROMs .
CD ROMs
Children’s CDs
Educational CDs
Entertainment CDs
DVDs
Educational .
Early learning
Language arts
Science
Maths
Teacher tools .
Books
Teacher tools
Videos
Hardware & Accessories .
Cables
Input devices
Mass storage
Memory
Modems
Printers and supplies
Video and Sound

8. Contrast
 How did we create
contrast?

9. Contrast
 How did we create contrast?

10. Something else which helps
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN THEATRE GUILD
DECEMBER 2001
THEATRE COOPERATIVE
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
SIR ROBERT HELPMANN MEMORIAL THEATRE
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN THEATRE GUILD
DECEMBER 2001
THEATRE COOPERATIVE
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
Sir Robert Helpmann Memorial Theatre
Where is the contrast greatest?
Block capitals are poor for contrast!

11. Contrast
 For contrast to work, things can not be similar.
 Different elements must be very different.

12. The purpose of Contrast
 Adds visual interest to the page.
 Helps with organization of information.

13. Using Contrast
 Most often achieved through choice of typeface.
• Font
• Size
• Style
• Colour
• Weight of line can be useful

14. Repetition
 Repeat some aspect of design throughout the
whole document.
• Bold font
• Thick line (rule)
• A bullet
• A colour
• A particular format
• Spacial relationships
• Repetition leads to Consistency.

15. Remember this list
CD ROMs
CD ROMs
Children’s CDs
Educational CDs
Entertainment CDs
DVDs
Educational
Early learning
Language arts
Science
Maths
Teacher tools
Books
Teacher tools
Videos
Hardware & Accessories
Cables
Input devices
Mass storage
Memory
Modems
Printers and supplies
Video and Sound
Originally there were
some headings.
Children’s CDs
Educational CDs
Entertainment CDs
DVDs
Early learning
Language arts
Science
Maths
Books
Teacher tools
Videos
Cables
Input devices
Mass storage
Memory
Modems
Printers and supplies
Video and Sound
CD ROMs
CD ROMs
Children’s CDs
Educational CDs
Entertainment CDs
DVDs
Educational
Early learning
Language arts
Science
Maths
Teacher tools
Books
Teacher tools
Videos
Hardware & Accessories
Cables
Input devices
Mass storage
Memory
Modems
Printers and supplies
Video and Sound
Better use of Proximity
improved readability.
Repetition of bold
headings is better.
CD ROMs
CD ROMs
Children’s CDs
Educational CDs
Entertainment CDs
DVDs
Educational
Early learning
Language arts
Science
Maths
Teacher tools
Books
Teacher tools
Videos
Hardware & Accessories
Cables
Input devices
Mass storage
Memory
Modems
Printers and supplies
Video and Sound
Repetition of bullets
and rules is better still.
CD
ROMs .
CD ROMs
Children’s CDs
Educational CDs
Entertainment CDs
DVDs
Educational .
Early learning
Language arts
Science
Maths
Teacher tools .
Books
Teacher tools
Videos
Hardware & Accessories .
Cables
Input devices
Mass storage
Memory
Modems
Printers and supplies
Video and Sound

16. Repetition
Use existing elements
to improve consistency.
Turn them
into repetitive graphic symbols.
Strengthen headings
and subheadings
and format them
using the same font and style.

17. Repetition
 Repetition of visual elements throughout a
document
 Provides unity on the page
 Essential on multi-page documents
 Also called Consistency

18. Repetition at work
What are repeated on all these?

19. The purpose of Repetition
 Unification – the elements look as if they belong
together
 Adds visual interest to the page

20. Using Repetition
 Extend consistencies by emphasizing them.
 Consider adding elements to create repetition.
 Avoid overdoing repetition.
 Be aware of the value of Contrast.

21. Alignment
 Place nothing on the page at random
 All items should have a visual connection to
other items on the page.

22. Enfield 5085Grand Junction Road
(618) 8262 1468David Roberts
Enfield High School
Consider
David Roberts
Enfield High School
Grand Junction Road
(618) 8262 1468
Enfield 5085
Improving Proximity improved the connections.
David Roberts
Enfield High School
Grand Junction Road
(618) 8262 1468
Enfield 5085
The elements on this card were all aligned with each other.
A stronger invisible line connects all elements.

23. Report
On
History of Desktop Publishing
Alignment
Report
On
History of Desktop Publishing
By David Roberts
Enfield High School
By David Roberts
Enfield High School
Typical report cover – all centred
Invisible line connects two distant elements.
Hard left alignment – more sophisticated.

24. Aligned Centre
You are warmly
invited to attend!
Centred – dull and boring
Make the centring obvious
You
are
warmly
invited
to
attend!
You
are
warmly
invited
to
attend!
Try setting the centred off-centre
You
are
warmly
invited
to
attend!
Experiment with making centred
text more dramatic

25. Alignment
 Every element on a page has a visual
connection with some other element.
 Provides unity on the page

26. The purpose of Alignment
 Organisation
 Unification – the elements look as if they belong
together
 Can determine the ‘look’ of the page –
sophisticated, formal, fun, serious.

27. Using Alignment
 Be conscious of where an element is being placed.
 Always look to align each object with another object.
 Try to avoid multiple alignments.
 Centre consciously – not because it is the easy way out.

28. Proximity
 Refers to how close together items appear on
a page.
roup
elated
tems
ogether
G
T
I
R
• Keep
unrelated items
further apart.

29. Enfield 5085Grand Junction Road
(618) 8262 1468David Roberts
Enfield High School
Consider
Grand Junction Road
David Roberts
Enfield High School
(618) 8262 1468
Enfield 5085
The grouping (Proximity) adds sense to the words.

30. Consider this
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN THEATRE GUILD
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
SIR ROBERT HELPMANN MEMORIAL THEATRE
DECEMBER 2001
THEATRE COOPERATIVE
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN THEATRE GUILD
DECEMBER 2001
THEATRE COOPERATIVE
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
SIR ROBERT HELPMANN MEMORIAL THEATRE

31. Lists can be difficult
Books
Teacher tools
Videos
Children’s CDs
Educational CDs
Entertainment CDs
DVDs
Early learning
Language arts
Science
Maths
Children’s CDs
Educational CDs
Entertainment CDs
DVDs
Early learning
Language arts
Science
Maths
Books
Teacher tools
Videos
Cables
Input devices
Mass storage
Memory
Modems
Printers and supplies
Video and Sound
Cables
Input devices
Mass storage
Memory
Modems
Printers and supplies
Video and Sound
Proximity
(grouping)
adds sense.

32. Proximity
 Close objects - single visual unit.
 Logical path through a document.

33. The purpose of proximity
 Organisation
 More likely to be read and remembered
 Better use of white space

34. Using proximity
 Avoid too many elements on page
 Avoid the 4 corners and middle
 Avoid equal spacing
 Strengthen relationships that exist
 Don’t create relationships between unrelated
elements

35. Improving Design Skills
 Decide on the focus.
• Make it big and bold
• Set in upper/lower case
• Decide on the groups.
• Set the groups together (Proximity)
• Leave space between the groups
• Arrange elements on a strong alignment.
• Remove conflicting elements

36. Improving Design
Comment on the Design Principles

37. Contrast
All block capitals
Reduces contrast
All the same font
Reduces contrast
Heavy border
Reduces contrast
By reducing
white space
Logos in corners
Reduces contrast
By reducing
white space

38. Repetition
All the same font
Good repetition
(Perhaps 2 fonts
would be better,
allowing
Contrast)
Logos in corners
Good repetition
But cause
problems by
reducing white
space

39. Alignment
Everything
centred
Boring alignment
Logos all aligned
with each other
Text aligned
with graphic
top and bottom

40. Proximity
Little grouping
of text
Poor proximity
They are
Theatre Supplies
Poor proximity
People mixed up
with objects
Poor proximity
Properties
hyphenated
Poor proximity
And belongs
with Professionals
Poor proximity
Phone number
poorly grouped
Poor proximity
Quotes are
Obligation Free
Poor proximity

41. Improve Me
 Decide on the focus.
• Make it big and bold
• Set in upper/lower case
• Decide on the groups.
• Set the groups together (Proximity)
• Leave space between the groups
• Arrange elements on a strong alignment.
• Remove conflicting elements

42. Bibliography
 Tollett, J and Williams, R. 2001, Design Workshop, Peachpit Press, Berkeley
 Williams, R. 1994, The Non-Designer’s Design Book, Peachpit Press, Berkeley
 Weildon, C. 1990, Communicating or Just Making Pretty Shapes, Newspaper Advertising Bureau of
Australia Ltd, North Sydney