Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
THIS WEBSITE COMBINES
multiple column grids, each used in specific areas to organize specific
content and navigation, rather than attempting to accommodate all the material on one overly
complex grid.
Studio Blue
United States
Grid Development
Building an appropriate grid for a publication involves assessing
the shape and volume of the content, rather than trying to assign grid spaces arbitrarily.
The shape of the content, whether text or image, is particularly important—its propor-
tions become the source for defining the grid spaces. When considering text as the es-
sential building block, the designer must look at variations in the text setting. Con-
sidering image as a source for the grid spaces is another option. If the publication is
driven by its image content, this might be a more appropriate direction. The proportions
of the images, if they are known, can be used to determine the proportions of columns
and modules. The result of both approaches is that the structure of the page develops
naturally from the needs of the content, presenting an overall organic, unified sense of
space.
Grid by Image
A grid might be defined by image content through comparison
of its proportions. Beginning with a universal height or depth for the images, and a con-
sistent alignment among them, will allow the designer to assess how varied they are in
format—squares, verticals, and horizontals. The designer must then decide how the im-
ages are to be displayed in terms of their size relationship to each other: will the images
