Making and Breaking the Grid

When in doubt, simplify

Creating areas of differing presence or quality—what is known as “contrast”—is crucial; it’s what imparts vitality and ensures that viewers remain engaged as they analyze the varieties of visual opposition with which the designer confronts them.

ORDER AND DISORDER UNITED

Each new screen or page spread engages the reader in a new way

A simple trick to achieving layout variation is to alternately cluster images toward the top or bottom from spread to spread; another is to force a small, medium, and large image onto a spread—and then use the same sizes, but placed in different locations, on the next sprea

the change from horizontal to vertical emphasis enhances visual interest

A system’s expression lies on a continuum between rigid and organic

the grid is a guide—to be followed as much as possible, but deviated from if there’s a good reason to do so

First, that a system exists to encourage flexibility—its rules are made to allow a range of expression

a dynamic visual experience that sustains interest page after page, screen after screen