Content - By using the books and a few other online sources I was able to collect together the content for the small publication. As it is not meant to be a large publication, I rewrote and condensed the found information so that it would fit onto a fairly small-sized page. The following headers and content for each page are as follows:
Introduction
Many young designers starting out can find grids confusing. This short guide simply
explains the purpose of the Grid and why they are used in design.
Grids are like the invisible glue that holds a design together, so whether you work in print or on the web you need to understand grid theory. Grids are a widely debated area of Graphic Design with some designers loving them for the order and clarity they bring while others hate them for purportedly locking designers into rigid confines.
The truth behind Grids lies somewhere in between the two opinions. Swiss Designer Josef Müeller-Brockmann, author of Grid Systems in Graphic Design (1961), warned: ‘The Grid system is an aid, not a guarantee. It permits a number of possible uses and each designer can look for a solution appropriate to his personal style.’
Grids simply help to organise and space things out and create balance.
When Designing for a series which may include books, posters and leaflets, using a grid can help create continuity, lining elements up with the same visual rhythm across the project.
Grids Establish a Meter and Rythm
The main purpose of Grids in Graphic Design is establishing a set of guidelines, which elements can be positioned onto within a layout. Not only does an effective grid provide the rhythm for a design, but it also defines the meter.
Rhythm and Meter are important in a layout as they help to make the content more accessible to the reader, allowing the viewer to easily find the next piece of information within the layout.
In essence a grid is like a road-map along which the viewer’s eye travels.
Grids Design and Reflect Proportion
A key function of the grid is its ability to help determine and define proportion. In print, proportions most commonly echo the size of the media; the shape and orientation of the paper are often reflected in the size and shape of images and text included within their layout.
Grids Provide a Foundation and Balance
As we’ve established, grids exist primarily to help determine the position and balance for a layout. This can be used to help ensure that content is presented in an easy-to-understand order, but conversely by providing a firm foundation a grid can also be used to highlight specific areas of content simply by breaking elements outside the grid. The viewer will naturally identify these break-outs and be drawn towards them, giving the designer the opportunity to play with the hierarchy of a layout and tweak the semantic meaning of a piece of work.
Artists that thrive working with a Grid include designer Matt Wiley. He has redesigned the grid systems for many well established publications such as the independent and The New York Times Magazine.
His designs push the boundaries of the Grid System, which makes his work so easily
recognisable and iconic.
Alternatively, designers who loath the grid include designers such as David Carson.
What A Grid Looks Like
What a grid consists of
Who uses Grids?
Grids Establish a Meter and Rythm
The main purpose of Grids in Graphic Design is establishing a set of guidelines, which elements can be positioned onto within a layout. Not only does an effective grid provide the rhythm for a design, but it also defines the meter.
Rhythm and Meter are important in a layout as they help to make the content more accessible to the reader, allowing the viewer to easily find the next piece of information within the layout.
In essence a grid is like a road-map along which the viewer’s eye travels.
Grids Design and Reflect Proportion
A key function of the grid is its ability to help determine and define proportion. In print, proportions most commonly echo the size of the media; the shape and orientation of the paper are often reflected in the size and shape of images and text included within their layout.
Grids Provide a Foundation and Balance
As we’ve established, grids exist primarily to help determine the position and balance for a layout. This can be used to help ensure that content is presented in an easy-to-understand order, but conversely by providing a firm foundation a grid can also be used to highlight specific areas of content simply by breaking elements outside the grid. The viewer will naturally identify these break-outs and be drawn towards them, giving the designer the opportunity to play with the hierarchy of a layout and tweak the semantic meaning of a piece of work.
Artists that thrive working with a Grid include designer Matt Wiley. He has redesigned the grid systems for many well established publications such as the independent and The New York Times Magazine.
His designs push the boundaries of the Grid System, which makes his work so easily
recognisable and iconic.
Alternatively, designers who loath the grid include designers such as David Carson.
What A Grid Looks Like
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| Nine Square Grid by John P. Corrigan, MFA Studio |
What a grid consists of
Who uses Grids?
Matt Wiley
Who doesn't use Grids?
Who doesn't use Grids?
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