Visual Design Principles (Smore Flyer)
Reflection:
(04/25/2015)
The purpose of this assignment was to learn effective visual design principles. In the past, I’ve always tried to design with general elements that I felt made my presentation more “attractive” and “clean.” Through this exercise, I learned about the CARP Principles of Contrast, Alignment, Repetition, and Proximity. I was directed to produce a flyer using Smore.com, an online template program. Wanting to stay within my portfolio theme, I chose to advertise careers in construction for my topic.
This project came together fairly easily for me. Working through a template helped me to focus on my vision for the final product and prevented me from getting bogged down in finicky design technicalities. I am pleased with the end result and I believe that my positive experience with this project has given me a deep, practical understanding of CARP Principles and how to employ them.
Whether I am using a Web 2.0 tool like Smore or PowerPoint or even if I’m designing a help-wanted ad, I know that the effectiveness of my message relies on its visual appeal. Now, with a foundation in design principles and understanding how they aid in transmitting a message, I can design meaningful presentations. This is important for any audience, but I think it is especially pertinent for learners in the construction environment where attention spans for academia are short and instruction must be direct and directly relevant.