Blog #8

Why do you think the CRAP Principles are important in design?
Robin Willliam’s overall points out the CRAP principles as the basic way to become and produce first time graphic and layout designs. They are obvious techniques that most people could point out but the way that Williams describes them makes it seem that much simpler to a first timers. Williams seems to know that a lot of people out there are intimidated by design software’s and programs and it tends to stop them in their creative path, but the CRAP principles can direct a user even in word or an art program. In a simple word document you can incorporate the same techniques of repetition, eye lines, proximity, alignment, and contrast. To a lot of people simpler layouts are always more appealing and a lot of the time more successful in the audience they are reaching, the CRAP principles do just this. Plain and simple to assist any user.

Blog #7

After reading the two McCloud pieces, how do you think McCloud views comics as visually rhetorical?

As a rhetorical tool, using visuals and images to convey a message is very successful after reading McCloud comic piece. McCloud makes the point and views comics as a great tool to communicate valid information. As reading the comic piece I personally found it a lot easier to understand each individual point McCloud was making. The form of comics separates each point into its own enclosed area with no other distractions, as when reading the sentence before and after can easily overwhelm the reader. Usually I need to highlight individual sentences just to understand a single point the author is trying to make. Although using visuals to send a message doesn’t necessarily work successfully for everyone. If someone uses too many visuals with too many details it makes it difficult for the audience to unwrap and understand clearly. The visual tool is something that needs to be used to delicate balance. The text and the visual need to work together as a partner to show and explain in two different ways the point being conveyed. I believe using visuals and images in a scholarly way is a rising tool because of the technology and options we have in making a perfect visual for a message. Text is becoming so outdated and old school that many people don’t want to gravitate towards it. Its easier, faster, and more satisfying to view something to understand rather than reading through a chunk of text. We are slowly becoming addicted to the highest appealing image out there.