GD
CRAP Design Principles
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Graphic Design 1 • First Week

Design Before Software

Contrast • Repetition • Alignment • Proximity

Three-day mini-unit. Day 1 introduces Canva and all four principles. Day 2 goes deeper into Contrast and Repetition. Day 3 revisits Repetition and focuses on Proximity.
DAY 1

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic design is visual communication. A designer makes choices so the viewer can quickly understand what matters, what belongs together, and where to look next.

Prompt: “What makes something feel designed instead of simply decorated?” Let students offer examples from yesterday's scavenger hunt.
DAY 1 • CANVA

Your First Canva Login

LOG IN
School account
TEMPLATE
Starting structure
STUDY
Before editing
DESIGN
Make choices

Canva gives you tools and templates. It does not make the design decisions for you.

Have students log in now. Show where templates live and open one strong template. Do not let them start changing text yet.

Templates Already Use Design Principles

  • Contrast: one thing usually grabs attention first.
  • Repetition: fonts, colors, shapes, and spacing form a system.
  • Alignment: objects share edges or invisible lines.
  • Proximity: related information is grouped.
Open a Canva template and ask students to point to evidence of each principle. Emphasize: template ≠ finished design.

C • Contrast

If two things are different, make the difference obvious.

BIG
small
DARK
light
HEAVY
thin
●   ■
shape
Ask: “What do you see first?” Contrast can be created with size, color/value, weight, type, shape, or space.

R • Repetition

Repeat some aspect of the design so the parts feel connected.

BEARCATPOST 01
BEARCATPOST 02
BEARCATPOST 03
Ask: “What repeats?” Then ask: “What changes?” Repetition creates consistency without making every item identical.

A • Alignment

Nothing should feel randomly placed. Every item should have a visual connection to something else.

ART NIGHTThursday6:30 PMRoom 902
ART NIGHTThursday6:30 PMRoom 902
Say: “Find the invisible line.” Alignment organizes and unifies. Show Canva guides if useful.

P • Proximity

Group related items together. Closeness implies relationship.

Friday$57 PMBearcat NightStudent Union
Bearcat NightFriday • 7 PMStudent Union • $5
Ask: “Which side can you understand faster without reading every word?” Connect proximity to white space.
DAY 1 ACTIVITY

Fix the Bad Template

  1. Identify one problem with each CRAP principle.
  2. Choose a clear focal point.
  3. Repeat fonts, colors, or shapes intentionally.
  4. Use one strong alignment system.
  5. Group related information with spacing.
Students work in the provided Canva template. Their job is not to add decoration. Their job is to make the same information clearer.
DAY 2

Contrast = Hierarchy

Contrast tells the viewer what is most important.

BEARCAT NIGHTFRIDAY • 7 PMStudent Union • $5Bonita High School
Three-second test: briefly show a design, hide it, then ask what students remember. The strongest hierarchy should control the answer.

Contrast Can Come From...

SIZE
WEIGHT
COLOR
TYPE
SHAPE
SPACE
Demonstrate one change at a time in Canva. Example: keep content identical and only change title size. Then compare.

Weak Contrast vs. Strong Contrast

Bonita High SchoolBearcat NightFriday • 7 PMStudent Union • $5
BONITA HIGH SCHOOLBEARCAT NIGHTFRIDAY • 7 PMStudent Union • $5
Ask students to name the specific changes. Do not accept “it looks better.” Require design vocabulary.

Repetition = A Visual System

A family of designs can vary, but repeated visual choices make them recognizable as one system.

01Announcement
02Reminder
03Thank You
Ask students to identify at least three repeating elements. Then ask which elements are allowed to change.
DAY 2 ACTIVITY

Event Poster + Mini Campaign

Create one event poster with a clear three-second hierarchy. Then create a second related graphic.

  • No more than two typefaces
  • One unmistakable focal point
  • Repeat at least three visual choices
  • Pieces should feel related, not duplicated
Quick critique prompt: “What do I see first?” and “How do I know these two pieces belong together?”
DAY 3

Repetition Across Multiple Pages

Repetition becomes even more important in portfolios, presentations, publications, and campaigns.

01
PHOTO
02
PHOTO
03
PHOTO
Connect this directly to next week's student portfolio. A viewer should instantly recognize that page 2 and page 12 belong to the same portfolio.

Proximity = Organization

When items are spread out equally, the viewer cannot easily tell what belongs together. Group first, then style.

EVENTBearcat NightWHENFriday • 7 PMWHEREStudent Union
EVENTBearcat Night
WHENFriday • 7 PM
WHEREStudent Union
Ask: “Where would you add space? Where would you remove it?”

White Space Is a Design Tool

Small spaces connect. Larger spaces separate groups.

EVENTBearcat Night
WHENFriday • 7 PM
WHEREStudent Union
Demonstrate by dragging groups closer and farther apart in Canva. Ask students how the perceived relationships change.
DAY 3 ACTIVITY

Organize the Mess

  1. Identify information groups.
  2. Move related items closer.
  3. Separate unrelated groups with white space.
  4. Repeat heading and spacing styles.
  5. Remove unnecessary boxes and lines.
Students may not delete information. The challenge is organization, not simplification by omission.

Next Week: Your Portfolio

  • Contrast: create hierarchy on the hero page.
  • Repetition: create a consistent visual identity across pages.
  • Alignment: use grids, common edges, and margins.
  • Proximity: organize images, captions, and project information.

Your portfolio becomes your first full design system.

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