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June 24, 2006

Great Find: Is Your Design C.R.A.P.?

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 8:57 am

This link comes from Cat Morley, of Designers who Blog. It was waiting when I got to my computer this morning. If you know Cat Morley and Mike Rundle, you’ll want to read this article as much as I did.

Great Find: How C.R.A.P. Is Your Design by MIke Rundle
Permalink: http://www.thinkvitamin.com/features/design/how-crap-is-your-site-design

Audience/Topic: Blog and Webiste Design Review
Content: I’ve had the pleasure of working with Mike Rundle. I worked with him when Succesful Blog was with 9rules. Mike designed the SOB badge. He’s considered one of the best designers in the blogworld. So when Mike writes about blog design. It’s worth checking, especially when the person who points out the article is Cat Morely, who is also highly recognized for her design skills.

Mike’s article explains a popular design approach and acronym, called C.R.A.P. coined by designer/author Robin Williams. C.R.A.P. stands for

Contrast + Repitition + Alignment + Proximity

In his article, Mike goes beyond explaining each concept. He provides screenshots and reviews the conceptual points in action — when they’re working and when they’re not. Think of this as a multi-page primer of design basics that you want beside you, when you start tweaking at your template. To read the article click on the title shot below.

How CRAP Is Your Design

Design can make reading your blog inviting, welcoming, and easy on the reader. It’s one more form of branding and blog promotion. Great design lets readers see that you have an interest in them and a stake in what you’re doing. The finest content means hardly anything, if no one can get past the design to read it.

Thanks Cat, for pointing us to this article, and thanks Mike, for taking the time to write it.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
I’ll be adding this Great Find to the NEW BLOGGER PAGE.
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Blog Promotion: Checking Out Curb Appeal

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7 Comments to “Great Find: Is Your Design C.R.A.P.?”

  1. June 24th, 2006 at 10:27 pm
    Mike Rundle said

    Thanks Liz!

  2. June 24th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
    ME Strauss said

    You’re welcome, Mike!

  3. June 25th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
    Tania from Germany said

    I LOVE your new background colors! Soft as well as clear. I’m very sensitive to any kind of distraction and I do appreciate pages which I can read focusedly. No, I don’t say that your blog was distractive…what I find is that you really added value by taking these colours.
    I’m sure you know waht I mean.
    Smiles
    Tania
    ….always screwing up languages…

  4. June 25th, 2006 at 3:45 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Tania,
    These are just a few small changes on the way to a face lift. I’m hoping that soon you’ll see the finishe product. I’m very happy with where things are going too. Things look newer, fresh, and more alive. Don’t they!

    Thank you so much for saying something! :)

  5. June 26th, 2006 at 12:14 am
    Designers who Blog: Design, Illustration, Photography, Web, Advertising, Branding … said

    […] ME Strauss with ‘Successful Blog’ […]

  6. September 15th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
    Successful Blog - Cat Morley, Designers who Blog & the Header said

    […] Related articles Great Find: Is Your Design C.R.A.P.? The Mic in ON in Tuscany! Blog Promotion: Checking Out Curb Appeal […]

  7. January 9th, 2007 at 9:00 am
    Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Reluctant Readers: Content Is King, But . . . I’m Too Tired to Read said

    […] Related articles Frosted Mini-Wheats Design that Hooks Readers Great Find: Is Your Design C.R.A.P.? The “Got Milk?” Man, Chartreuse, & Liz Singing in Harmony […]

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