Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type

About this book

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 of Design Elam shows how proportion symmetry and other geometrical systems underlie many of the visual relationships that make for good design. Now Elam brings the same keen eye and clear explanations to bear on the most prevalent and maybe least understood system of visual organization: the grid. Filled with extensive research and more than 100 informative examples from the Bauhaus to Nike ads Grid Systems provides a rich easy-to-understand overview and demonstrates a step-by-step approach to typographic composition. It suggests design strategies that transcend simple function and reductionist recipes to allow grids to become a means of truly dynamic communication. Any designer educator or student will benefit greatly from this elegant slim book chock-a-block full of colorful examples helpful vellum overlays and Elams insightful analysis.