- It's hard to imagine,
but the differences between symmetry and asymmetry
have destroyed friendships,
built design movements,
and been aligned with politics
and social values.
I'd love to be that rigid
and committed to one approach,
but either can work beautifully with a grid.
Many people are inherently drawn to symmetry.
While we aren't perfectly symmetrical ourselves,
the basics hold true.
We have two eyes,
two arms, and two legs.
Mirror images of the other side.
We look at symmetrical design
and designate it as "classical" and "traditional."
But it can be compelling and dynamic
with a good grid and proportions.
Asymmetry allows for more flexibility in design.
It is a set of elements that are not mirror images,
but a balancing act.
This creates a stronger sense of energy and dynamic
than a stable symmetrical layout.
But this allows for more flexibility
and a huge range of options.
How large is the content?
Where is it placed?
What are the relationships?
This is where a good grid comes to the rescue.
I could spend a week moving things around
if I randomly place my elements on a page.
I could run the headline at the top
and make it big,
or I could center the headline
and make it a giant date in the corner.
This might take days,
and I would be working with no structure.
When I add a grid to the page,
I have a set of guides for scale and placement.
If I use a grid based on a consistent proportion,
the elements will be placed and scaled on the grid,
giving me the structure I need.
Since the grid is mathematically consistent,
the elements on the grid will also be consistent.
The grid creates a system of units.
I can scale an image to be one unit wide,
the next image is two units,
the last one is three units.
And I can place the text to fit
within the same structure.
The content will always have
a mathematical relationship
wherever I place the pieces
and however I scale them within the grid.
The negative space will also be consistent.
This helps solve the issues of creating balance
in asymmetrical design.
It's almost impossible to create
a composition that is unbalanced.
The secret to success with both
symmetry and asymmetry
is consistent proportions.
The history of symmetry and asymmetry
is filled with hard-line manifestos
for both approaches.
Fortunately, we live in a time
when designers are free to work
with symmetrical and asymmetrical layouts.
It's doubtful that anyone will refuse to acknowledge you
because you used a symmetrical layout
on your last project.