Lesson 19

Todays lesson was all about grids. When we look at a newsletter we see the final outcome of the work and admire the layout, however this does not occur by chance. There are various grids that are used to create that perfect final design we see on each magazine and newsletter. Although there are probably more than the three grids we were taught, which were the modular grid, the modular grid, the aspect ratio grid of 1:1.414 and the star grid, these three grids were different and can be used to create different designs.

First was the modular grid, the modular grid was the most basic one of all where the canvas is divided equally into rows and columns to get a rigid square grid. This is what a modular grid looks like



http://robinseaman.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/modular-grid-for-project-6.gif

This is the simplest grid of all that we learnt and it is a very useful one. I will probably use a modular grid if i want to get a very neat design. Here are also more examples of the modular grid system



http://www.vanseodesign.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/the-grid-system.png





http://www.webdesignstuff.co.uk/ta006/files/2011/01/grids4-example1.png

The next grid we learnt was the aspect ratio grid. The ratio of an A4 paper is 1:1.414 and hence the grid follows this ratio. This is what the grid looks like when completed













http://www.markboulton.co.uk/images/uploads/grid_pt1_2.gif

Here is an example of a possible layout i found using this grid. What i like about this grid is that it is more flexible than the modular grid and can probably make more flexible designs















The last grid we learnt about was the star grid. This grid was an interesting one to me. As the name suggests, there is a star visible in the middle of the page. Lines can be added vertically and horizontally to get the required effects wanted. What i like about this grid is the creativity factor, compared to the first 2 grids, this layout is less rigid and there is more freedom to work with.




Here are some examples of the star grid




http://retinart.net/wp-content/uploads/media/images/secret-law-of-page-harmony/canon-3B-L.jpg











http://www.elliotjaystocks.com/assets/article_digest_4.jpg

Of course we were looking into all these grids for a reason, we had to learn to draw and use this grid to sketch out a layout for our project. I faced some difficulties in drawing the grids, firstly for the modular grid i found it time consuming drawing the many required lines. The aspect ratio grid of 1;1.414 was complicated at first but was simple to draw after some clarifications. As for the star grid i felt it was the easiest to draw out.