Document Design through Résumés and C.R.A.P.

1. Document Design through Résumés and C.R.A.P. Teaching Demonstration By: Mike Tardiff

2. Agenda (assuming 50-60 minute class) • A quick exercise (10 minutes) -accessing already present knowledge/experience • Rationale, some background (5 minutes) -transparency/heading of question: “why?” • A tool called C.R.A.P. (10-15 minutes) • Heuristic rule rather than algorithmic • An exercise in reading and evaluating résumé design(20-25 minutes) • Experiential moment, capacity building, putting theory into practice • Looking forward (5 minutes)

3. An warm-up exercise • Take the provided piece of paper and pen and quickly sketch a résumé; you don’t need full detail… just create a visual represenation of what a résumé LOOKS like. • Take 3-5 minutes.

4. An warm-up exercise • Let’s compare. • What are some shared features? • Why do you think a résumé looks the way it does? • How do you imagine reading a résumé? Is it different than reading regular prose?

5. Why résumés and document design? Résumés are: 1.) deeply rhetorical (i.e. they communicate and, ideally, make arguments) 2.)visual(i.e. their success is predicated, in part, on their design.)

6. Why résumés and document design? The average employer spends less than 35 seconds reviewing the typical résumé, meaning an attention to visual design is imperative. Design helps information STAND OUT.

7. C.R.A.P: A tool for document design Contrast Repetition Alignment Proximity

8. Contrast Contrast simply means difference. • Used to differentiate, order elements; • If things are not the same, make them DIFFERENT; • Contrast can be achieved through typeface (size, bold-face, etc.), color, spacing,

9. Examples of Contrast…

10. Examples of Contrast…

11. Repetition Repetition simply means the reusing similar elements throughout your design. • Creates predictable patterns; • Develops sense of cohesiveness;

12. Examples of Repetition

13. Alignment Everything needs to be visually connected to something else; nothing should be out of place or random • Connects like elements through shared invisible line

14. Examples of Alignment

15. Alignment

16. Proximity Related items should be grouped close together so they become one visual unit rather than several separate units. • Reduces clutter; • Allows for easy access of particular information;

17. Proximity

18. Let’s apply these ideas to some examples • In groups of 2, do the following. • Take exactly 45 seconds (we’ll pretend the reader is being generous) to read the one of the sample résumés • Write down on a separate sheet of paper what you remember from that reading • Swap résumés. REPEAT. • Together, write a C.R.A.P. analysis of the more effective résumé; comment on each of the four elements.

19. For next class… • Please bring a draft of your résumé; try your best to engage the C.R.A.P. principles.