The C.A.R.P. Theory of Graphic Design
Great design is about making material as clear and easy to understand as possible for viewers. There are four principles of message design that, when adhered to, can guide you as you design your ePortfolio to be understandable, digestible, and memorable. Those principles are contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity or more commonly referred to by the acronym CARP. A lot of what follows may seem like common sense, but it is easy to overlook these simple techniques when caught up in building your ePortfolio.
Three Types of Balance
- Formal Balance: balance repeated on each side and is highly symmetrical and can be boring
- Informal Balance: surprising but not distracting or jarring
- Imbalance: jarring – dynamic but can be distracting – best to avoid
Color Schema
- Traditional color wheel illustrates relationships between various colors
- Color blind confuses red/green – sees mainly in shades of blue and yellow
- Do not juxtapose complementary colors - red/green for example, eyes cannot focus on both at same time and thus creates vibration between the two
