- Content will always drive the type of grid
best suited to a layout.
This creates commonalities in different media.
This is great because the grid structure can help a viewer
quickly identify what he or she is seeing.
A book with mostly one kind of text, like a fiction book.
May use a single column, minimal typographic variation,
and generous margins.
Now compare that type of grid with a magazine grid.
Magazines use a multiple column structure
that allows for side-bars, multiple images, pull quotes
and other elements to grab the viewers attention.
A magazine designed with a fition books grid
will no longer read as light magazine content.
Newspapers use a modular grid
that allows for maximum flexibility,
as the content length and type can change day to day.
A newspaper grid tells the viewer that he or she
is looking at information.
Websites use a type of grid, typically 12 columns
suited for the screen.
Like any medium, some of these forms have been used so often
that they are mistaken for hard and fast rules.
The content will dictate some of the structure.
But I prefer to challenge a preconceived idea
if a better solution exists.
Exhibition design relies on a strong proportional
consistency and three dimensional grid structure.
The grid will inform flat surfaces as well
as placement of the exhibition cases and items.
Even posters that may seem simple on the surface
succeed with a strong underlying structure.
A grid will organize the information and make sure
that the primary message remains
the most important element on the page.
As I stated earlier, the content and form
will help determine the type of grid for your project.
And remember that the viewer will recognize
the type of information by the style
of the grid before they read the content.
For example, we know that a newspaper
has news just by seeing the format of the layout.