Layout Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Using Grids [Hardcover]

Beth Tondreau (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1592534724 | ISBN-13: 978-1592534722 | Publication Date: February 1, 2009 | Edition: 1

Adhering to certain layout and grids standards and principles is important for any job from brochures, to annual reports, to posters, to websites, to publications. However, knowing how to bend the rules and make certain grids work for the job at hand takes skill.

 

This book will outline and demonstrate basic layout/grid guidelines and rules through 100 entries including choosing the a typeface for the project, striving for rhythm and balance with type, combining typefaces, using special characters and kerning and legibility. These essentials of grid design are critical to the success of any job.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Beth Tondreau own and serves as creative director of BTD Design in New York. Prior to establishing BTD in 1985, she was design director of Viking/Penguin.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Rockport Publishers; 1 edition (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592534724
• ISBN-13: 978-1592534722
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #298,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn the Essentials...Avoid Gridlock, May 25, 2009

By 

John McSwain "Compound J" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Layout Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Using Grids (Hardcover)

Tondreau makes very few assumptions about readers' foreknowledge of grids and as such, jumps right into the fundamentals within the first 20 pages. Tondreau provides a vocabulary for grids that might seem obvious at first (i.e. columns, modules, margins, spatial zones, and flowlines), but also explains complex grid systems (i.e. hierarchical grids, modular, multicolumn) and methodologies for implementing them (i.e. typography, color, media forms, etc). What makes the book interesting and eliminates it from simply being a reference guide is the constant use of real world projects that illustrate the grid principle being addressed as well as a source of inspiration. In addition, the book makes a conscious effort to inform readers that there is a difference between `principles' and `rules' and designers should not 'lock' into a paradigm that stifles creativity.

I strongly recommend that this book be read not only by designers, but by anyone person that builds interfaces that will be viewed by large audiences. It will only improve the quality of the final product.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lovely, but pretty light on information, December 1, 2009

By 

orangekay (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Layout Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Using Grids (Hardcover)

This is a beautifully assembled book with tons of full color plates which are sure to inspire just about any designer finding themselves stuck in a rut, but it's more of a collection of axioms than it is an informational text. Read through the online preview--that's about as much technical information as you're going to find in here. What's left is just a bunch of pretty pictures and cutesy phrases that essentially amount to "think outside the box" over and over and over.

Definitely worth looking at, but worth owning? Not for me.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on the topic, March 16, 2009

By 

S. Dell'Orto "Artist, Design Educator" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Layout Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Using Grids (Hardcover)

Grids are back! This book breaks down over 100 projects to show how the grid works in each of them, and explains the layouts in a very clear and useful way. The designs that were chosen are done by some of the best designers working today (nationally and internationally). This is a great book for beginning and experienced designers--it will help illuminate and clarify this complex subject. Features print and web grids. So good I'm considering using it for teaching as my Intro to Design textbook.