Layout Essentials – 100 Design Principles for Using Grids
Article by Martin Gibson – @embody3d @martingibson – 09.06.2011
People often say not to judge a book by its cover, and that premise certainly holds a lot of truth in most scenarios. But as a reviewer I find it’s important to see whether the inner contents of a title live up to the subject matter and promises made by the cover or as I like to call: the advertising. Layout Essentials – 100 Design Principles for Using Grids by Beth Tondreau and published by Rockport has one of the most standard covers I have seen, but deep inside is a wealth of knowledge about how to design quality layouts using the grid concept. Put quickly, this book is brilliant, but please read on.
‘Layout Essentials – 100 Design Principles for Using Grids’
I am always sceptical about books that are in a list format or a micro chapter format that offer a nice rounded number like 100. Because it often suggests that they either had to get rid of concepts that might be important to just make 100, or they had to add in fluff to reach the well-rounded figure. Yes granted, some of the 100 micro chapters could be fused together, however reading these principles from start to finish it becomes immediately apparent the value every principle annunciates. All the information is valid and constructive.
Before getting into Layout Essentials I also questioned the fundamental question: is using grids the most effective and designerly way of approaching layout design anyway ?I know many liberal designers when they think about layouts as a table or an array of grids systems they feel like they are being restricted, and they fear the design may lose its organic nature and be a bit cumbersome. After thinking long and hard about alternative concepts to layout design I came to the conclusion that grids are probably the best way to interpret layouts which is transcendent and flexible. And besides all design programs like Adobe Illustrator and Indesign and not to mention web interfaces that work with HTML tables all use this mathematical input for generating layouts. The great part about Layout Essentials is that they really push the concept of the grid to the limits. So by following these principles outlined one can achieve organic, purely aesthetic and un-structured layout designs. There are even parts dedicated to website design and structure which could be of interest to developers.
One of the great aspects of Layout Essentials is the attitude Beth Tondreau takes in addressing her very own guidelines. Continually stated throughout the book is that these are guidelines not rules. Her approach is a helpful and constructive one, like one seeking the assistance by a teacher rather than the dictator-like rules of a principal. Even some of her rules like number 99 (Follow Your Heart) and 100 (Forget the Rules) enforce the notion that layout design is an art not a science; layout design is fashionable and continually evolving and creativity should be applauded not rebuked.
For both seasoned designers, and those perhaps without formal design education who find themselves generating reports, documents, stationary, books and really any document you can think of this book has some great pointers about how to use a page canvas to create maximum interest, readability, structure and aesthetics. The book really is a call to action to think more critically about how we use type, diagrams and images on pages. Especially large format works like books and reports that need to be consistent, but modular enough to facilitate different media. The approach taken in Layout Essentials is to view layout design the same way you would construct any design project whether it is a fashion item or an automobile. User ergonomics, aesthetics, structure, features and content all need to be justified and vetted.
Great large diagrams and example layouts are featured throughout to give the reader tangible evidence and great exposure to the concepts at hand. I think it is a slight shame the book didn’t use negative examples in parts to accentuate the risks of not following the principles, but this is definitely tolerable.
Layout Essentials – 100 Design Principles for Using Grids is an invaluable resource on a subject matter which is often overlooked as a given or just considered being not that important. Coupled with other guides on typeface selection and image manipulation one could generate really beautiful and thoughtful designs.
[rating:4.5]
