Comments on: Layout Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Using Grids

By: orangekay

orangekay — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 06:12:49 +0000

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.
Rating: 3 / 5

By: Fin

Fin — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 05:07:19 +0000

This book is a great guide for getting started on a layout when your are stuck- straight-forward, clean, and simple. Don't let the term 'simples' fool you. Tondreau provides a guide on how to use grids to make information fun, flexible and playful- even leaving room for surprise!

Unlike many graphics books (where I just look at the pretty images), I actually enjoy reading the text because it was more than just a bunch of fluff.

I am happy I bought this book. I sometimes wish I had two copies- one for work, one for home. Rating: 5 / 5

By: Edward J. Omagbemi

Edward J. Omagbemi — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 05:06:50 +0000

I thought that the book would teach me how to create grids. How to calculate them. How to define them. Something like the 960 grid website does.

Instead it shows you examples of great design and comments on them. For an experienced designer this explains the great reviews. Just looking at the designs is a joy.

For a novice or better Non-designer it doesn't leave too much to use when reading. Maybe when studying and measuring and analysing with a ruler but definitely not when just reading.

I guess I'll have to keep searching for the right book.

Cheers,
Edward Rating: 2 / 5

By: E. Welker

E. Welker — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 03:27:43 +0000

This book is similar to other Rockwell published books that I have read, they give you 100 instances that may or may not directly related to the topic of the book, present very sparse amounts of information about them with a few examples thrown in, and only devote 2 pages to each instance.

I think the sparseness of the information was intended to make the audience think about the 100 topics. The problem is that the limited examples only give a small view of the possibilities. It also takes a lot of discipline to stop and reflect on each topic once you've read it. I think that more text and more how-to type information would help most readers of this book, however, if you do stop and think about each topic, you may well get a great deal from this book (I sat reading with a notebook, and drew out many of the diagrams... that helped me).

My only other complaint is that some of it simply makes no sense. After re-reading some of the topics 4-5 times, I still had no idea to what the author was referring. There were only a few (2-3 cases) where this was the case, but still, it's the author's responsibility to make the written word clear to the reader, and it didn't seem like that was always the case. Rating: 3 / 5

By: Ewa Satalecka

Ewa Satalecka — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 02:23:45 +0000

Well organized materials for beginners, good for students of graphic design and all using typography. Would be helpful for people organizing any publication, also no professionals. For teachers as a list of possible subjects to teach. Clear written and well assuming material.
Rating: 3 / 5