Ever since I attended the the wonderful Kristine Kolodziejski || MVP || #PrinCSS (@kristinekk94) / Twitter UI/UX in a day workshop, which if you didn’t get the chance to attend and if Kristine runs another one you really should attend, it was a fun day with lots of learning and interaction which kept everyone involved and was fun at the same time, the examples and It was during the day when Kristine was presenting the CRAP design principles and how they should be applied when building Power Apps and during the following discussion the phrase you should ‘KISS the CRAP’ was born! I was enthused even further when attendees starting using the term on Linked In.
I wanted to expand on this for our internal design principles and bringing the three (keeping it simple) design principles we use for designing all our solutions. and so we have ‘KISS the CRAP with Gestalt’.
- KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) – This design principle emphasizes the idea of simplicity in design. It states that design should be as simple as possible, allowing users to easily understand and use it. The goal of this principle is to minimize the amount of information and steps needed to complete a task.
Our goal here is to create an app that a user with no training can open and use it without further instruction.
- CRAP (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity) – This is a set of design principles that focus on the visual aspects of a design.
- Contrast refers to the difference in brightness and color between two elements in a design. This helps draw the user’s attention to important elements and makes it easier to distinguish between them.
- Repetition refers to the consistent use of design elements throughout the interface. This creates a visual rhythm and makes the design feel cohesive.
- Alignment refers to the placement of elements in a consistent and organized manner. This helps create a sense of structure and balance in the design.
- Proximity refers to the placement of elements in close proximity to each other. This helps group related elements together and makes it easier for the user to understand the relationship between them.
Our goal in using CRAP is to ensure our designs ‘look’ and ‘act’ as you expect, the KISS and CRAP are things we can create in our designs, governing the doing is the third principle:
- Gestalt Design Principles – The Gestalt principles of design refer to a set of laws that govern how the human mind perceives visual elements. These principles can help designers create more effective and meaningful designs.
Using the Gestalt design principles as our governing rules of design sets out the why we KISS the CRAP.
When designing accessible Power App, it’s important to keep all three principles in mind. By using KISS, designers can keep the interface simple and easy to understand, which is particularly important for users with disabilities. CRAP can be used to create a visually appealing and well-organized design, while the Gestalt principles can help ensure that the design is meaningful and engaging. By combining all three principles, designers can create accessible apps that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
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