Great for Computer Geeks Too!

books:


	• Grid Systems: Principles of Organizing Type (Design Briefs) Kimberly Elam Princeton Architectural Press, 2004 - 112 pages average customer review:based on 17 reviews view larger image
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I'm not sure I like this book

The organization of the book seems a bit disjointed to me. I would have also liked to have seen a lot of the examples use actual type rather than block diagrams.

The overlays are helpful, more discussion about them would make them even more useful. I want to like the book, but am not quite there. If I had to describe the book in one word it would be sterile.

Great for Computer Geeks Too!

I am a web designer and a someone who appreciates good print design. A lot of books on CSS (cascading style sheets) try to explain the concept of grids, but these are usually written by people that have a great grasp of the tech side of things, but their writing skills, or ability to relate these concepts are limited.

This book doesn't mention web design (so far as I've read), but she perfectly explains grids.

Lastly, this book is a piece of art. It is pretty. It is stylish. It has semi-transparent overlays in many of the sections allowing one to see a page without grids. This book is special.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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 Elam's insightful analysis.

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