Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
61st out of 62 books
—
34 voters
Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type
Although grid systems are the foundation for almost all typographic design, they are often associated with rigid, formulaic solutions. However, the belief that all great design is nonetheless based on grid systems (even if only subverted ones) suggests that few designers truly understand the complexities and potential riches of grid composition.
In her best-selling Geometry...more
In her best-selling Geometry...more
Paperback, 112 pages
Published
August 12th 2004
by Princeton Architectural Press
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
486)
The text can get heavily jargoned, but there are ample examples to get you through what she means. Also I loved the overlay pages, where they had reproductions of real life products (book layouts, posters, programs) with a transparent sheet over it marking the grid lines to show you how it was laid out. Some seemingly simple designs were quite complex.
I would have liked there to be more design critiques - there were a handful of examples where they 'fixed' bad design. I learned more from those.
I would have liked there to be more design critiques - there were a handful of examples where they 'fixed' bad design. I learned more from those.
This book provides an excellent foundation into the construction and concepts of grids, and provides great examples of each. However, that said, I DO NOT recommend this book to those who already understand the concepts. Instead, I would go with something like LEARNING AND BREAKING THE GRID.
It will be good for reference, but doesn't provide the strategic design insights one would gain from Ellen Lupton's Thinking With Type and/or Edward Tufte's Envisioning Information.
A very strange book. If you are into typography, you are likely familiar with the grid. Basically there are aesthetics involved in laying things out in certain grid patterns that are pleasing to the eye. This book shows many examples of text laid out in grids, but does little to explain why they are laid out in that manner. Overall, this book could give you some ideas, but leave you wondering what the purpose is. There is just very little explanation behind the theory of the grid system. This le...more
Very good if you're just beginning to learn layout design.
It changed the way I worked! And it is also a wonderful souvenir from my trip to London ♥
9
Not bad, but a little bit too basic.
Jun 22, 2007
Erica
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
graphic designers, confused about typographic grids
i really liked this book, i thought it was clear and easy to understand. a lot of pages had overlays with the grids printed on them, so you could see the composition with or without the grid. there were a lot of pages explaining why certain compositions worked or didn't work, and how to fix them if they didn't. I wish there were more pages with the overlays, because i found them very helpful, but that's my only complaint.
A strangely organized journey through various grid systems, from basic to more complex. It doesn't seem to be written as much as collected and assembled, but the attentive reader will still gleam some knowledge and inspiration from this book. The most magnificent part is the construction of the book itself with meticulously drawn grid-overlays of respected designs.
This book is fantastic for the budding graphic designer that is struggling with how to communicate effectively with text blocks, hierarchy, tension, and locking of graphical elements. An excellent read that is a must-have for any design student.
Essential reading for graphic designers. Even if you think you know all there is to know about grids, you still need to get this book.
A competent but joyless primer, there's little besides a (thorough!) book-length treatment of a single design exercise.
Very essential in layout design, especially with type heavy projects
Good detail and elaboration on the classic Allen Hurlburt book.
A great intro into the concepts of design.
A great book for web designers!
May 16, 2013
Michael
added it
May 14, 2013
Korbinian Polk
marked it as to-read
May 08, 2013
Anabela
marked it as to-read
May 02, 2013
Abdeljaber
marked it as to-read
Apr 30, 2013
Aurélien
marked it as to-read
Apr 19, 2013
Ivaylo Todorov
marked it as to-read
Apr 18, 2013
Marian Mota
marked it as to-read
Apr 09, 2013
Sally Adams
marked it as to-read
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Kimberly Elam is a writer, educator and graphic designer. She currently chairs the Graphic + Interactive Communication Department at the Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL, where she has developed an academic minor in the Business of Art and Design. Her previous design education positions include the Kansas City Art Institute, North Carolina State University and The Ohio State Univer...more
More about Kimberly Elam...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jul 06, 2007 11:31pm