C.R.A.P. and Sultan Baybars' Qur'an

Like many others, I was surprised at the attention to detail that we have learned in this course thus far -- and it is only week 1! I have always thought myself to not possess much of a creative gift nor an artist's eye, and this was a lesson in humility. I can appreciate C.R.A.P. (that is, the principles of design: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, and Proximity) for establishing a specific scheme for evaluating graphic art, but I cannot help but feel cynicism upon reading the interpretation of the poster for Sweet Home Alabama. The section for Proximity or placement required some tremendous leaps from me for which I do not have the breadth of knowledge. 


This time, however, the assignment is to "investigate ancient manuscripts and books that give you insight into the history of graphic communication and how the principles of design were used in these early manuscripts." For this assignment, I chose Sultan Baybars' Qur'an. My first impression is one of awe and wonderment. The cover, the print, the colors, and the artwork are all so intricate, beautiful, and magnificent (as the assignment states). Needless to say, this book is a work of art not only for the design, but for the level of artistry, the ornate print and artwork, and the richness of the colors used throughout the entire book.


Thinking of C.R.A.P., it is easy to see the contrast between the text and the artwork, the colors used throughout the text and artwork, and the white space (brown in this case) surrounding the text and the artwork. Repetition is also evident in the colors used on the text and artwork as well as the symbols on the margins. There is an abundance of examples of alignment in this book - the contents of each page are perfectly centered, there is symmetry all throughout the text and each individual artwork, and all lines of text are aligned. Proximity is similarly portrayed as there is symmetry all throughout, and symbols are perhaps placed close to what they pertain.


The techniques that the author and the printer used are that of using rich colors and intricate, elaborate designs to convey the importance of the book. The labor and the attention to detail is clearly evident in each page, each character, and in each artwork.