different types of grids in graphic design

Designing with type requires adept handling of the hierarchy, refining and designing the display elements for focal emphasis and also refining the quiet details of the text block so it sits perfectly and quietly in its space. Many elements need to be organized to allow the reader a seamless experience when reading the content. Typography is a complicated medium to work with as it contains two levels of information (display and content), and requires its components to be read in proper sequence with proper emphasis, good legibility, and strong contrast to the substrate. Take a look at this book, and devour each and every word, visual, and piece of advice.Compositional organization is complex, but even more so when applied to typography. This book is not only beneficial to novices, but it is also beneficial to teachers who are teaching this subject as this whole book is designed to serve as a lesson. Her explanations resolve all questions I’ve ever had on the subject. I also think her section of the diagonal grid is something that every graphic designer should read, because it clears up so much confusion that can be associated with that type of modular design. These explanations helped widen my own design horizons that I was not comfortable with before reading this book. As a designer who learned graphic design through a more contextual and utilitarian perspective, I greatly appreciate Elam’s explanations and reasoning for the purposes of including a lot of the nonrepresentational elements likes rules and geometry into design. In doing so, I think the reader will fully understand what this book is about as well as how useful the grid can be. I also think that this book should be read through at least once despite it not being designed to do so. I think any designer, from the novice to that experienced pro, will learn and gain at least one nugget of valuable information from flipping through this book. Overall, I think this book is necessary for all graphic designers despite how much experience they have. Not only is this element extremely functional, but it is also a dynamic approach that is usually disregarded and forgotten about in many other design books used to educate designers. It is an enjoyable part of the book that serves as a nice contrast from the rest of the content and design. Not only that, but it is such an interesting element play around with and experience. They are extremely beneficial because they help the reader visualize the complexity that goes into organizing diverse information and elements in order to make it appear simple. It adds an invaluable interactive element to the book that does an amazing job at breaking down the grids of each example. Despite the lackluster design, this book makes up for it by including the transparent overlays that illustrate the structure of the grid of each example. It makes reading the little amount of text mundane, and with the Elam’s writing style, the reader will fall asleep. To be honest, although the design is appropriate for the subject and is contextually appropriate it is still fairly boring. This is something that I have not seen in any other graphic design book about layout, editorial, or primer. She breaks down each grid to its core and explains how each one can be used to its fullest potential. That being said, Elam provides an incredible amount of analysis that any designer can learn something from.

It is better as a teaching tool where each section is digested and applied as on exercise at a time, or as a resource to rely on when one needs a refresher on how experimental a composition can be through using a grid.

Although this book is short, it is not really meant to be read through as a whole. I enjoy that Elam briefly discusses the challenges and the benefits of each type of grid layout, as well as following by up portraying those strengths with the visuals. It is hard to try to visualize the amount of type layout combinations that are viable through a modular grid, but Elam ensures to emphasize that point. Which this book includes plenty of almost too many at some points. The subject is better expressed via visuals. Elam writes succinctly about the grid, as there is no reason to write a long-winded book about this subject. I think the content of this book is very fitting for the topic.

Different types of grids in graphic design