Grid Systems In Graphic Design

Posted on February 11, 2008October 20, 2008 Posted in Books, BookShelf, Design, Grid Systems, TypographyTagged an exhibit in mono, book, braun, build, graphic design, grids, josef müller-brockmann, spin, total design, typographic, Typography, we are the world27 Comments

This weekend I finally picked up Grid Systems in Graphic Design by Josef Müller Brockmann. To say this is a great book would be an understatement. I think it’s one of the most important books on graphic design and every serious designer should put this at the top of their must read list. Brockmann does an exceptional job of explaining why a grid is so valuable to a design, and the important rules of setting type on a grid. This book alone will make me a better designer.

I also picked up Brockmann’s other great book, The Graphic Artist and his Design Problems. I haven’t read it yet but I plan to this week.

I’ve added photos of these books to my Flickr page along with:

We Are The World
Total Design: 40 Years
Braun Design Magazine
An Exhibition In Mono Catalogue
Spin/2: 50 Reading Lists

Kelly 1:1/A Cover Version

Posted on January 18, 2008January 18, 2008 Posted in Books, Design, Merch, TypographyTagged book, catalogue, Design, dutch, ellsworth kelly, experimental jetset, graphic, Swiss, Typography1 Comment

I’ve been searching endlessly for this catalogue designed by Experimental Jetset, featuring the work of Ellsworth Kelly, but I haven’t had any luck in finding it. If anyone knows where I can purchase it or if you have an extra copy, shoot me an email and I’ll be indebted to you forever.

Vote For Me!

Posted on January 12, 2008January 12, 2008 Posted in Design, Grid Systems, TypographyTagged book, Design, graphic, international, layout, minimalism, modernism, style, typographic, Typography5 Comments

Coversourcing

I just finished designing this cover for the Coversourcing competition. If you dig it, head over to the site and vote for my design!

I wanted to do something very simple and clean but with an effective image. The image is from a larger image that I purchased from istockphoto.com, and of course, I used Helvetica and a grid system.

Coversourcing is a competition from Random House and Creative Review to design the cover of Crowdsourcing, WIRED editor Jeff Howe’s upcoming book about the new internet revolution driven by the masses.

UPDATE
Unfortunately I just found out that to be eligible, you have to be a resident of the UK or Ireland. That really blows. Not sure why they would limit the competition like this but it was still fun to design to it. Vote anyway, maybe we can change their minds.

Akkurat Specimen 1-7

Posted on January 7, 2008January 8, 2008 Posted in Books, Merch, TypographyTagged book, Design, font, graphic, lineto, specimen, type, typeface, Typography5 Comments

Akkurat Specimen 1-7

I hate it when I find out about an item that I really want after it’s already sold out. The Akkurat Specimen offered by Lineto and designed by Laurenz Brunner is one of those items. The first edition is sold out and no longer available but they’re currently considering a second revised and extended edition. If you would like to get your hands on a second edition as much as me, shoot them an email and maybe if enough of us request it we can get our hands on a copy.

The «Akkurat Specimen 1-7» package contains 4 booklets showcasing all seven cuts in various sizes and settings. They are punch-cut for easy storage in standard folders. By way of an ingenious folding technique, each booklet unfolds into a poster sized 390 x 600 mm.

4 booklets 150 x 195 mm, wraps and stickers.
2 colour offset printing with spot varnish.
Comes in a special foil-blocked sturdy cardboard envelope for safe delivery.

Printed in a limited edition of 500 copies by Calff & Meischke and Verhil Foiledruk, The Netherlands.
Designed by Laurenz Brunner

Via Swiss Legacy

Round

Posted on December 14, 2007January 16, 2008 Posted in Design, Merch, TypographyTagged australia, book, guide, melbourne, round, sydney, tourists, travel, vacation5 Comments

Round

Here’s another great studio from down under. Round is based out of Melbourne and has produced a solid body of work. My personal favorite is the beautifully designed Sydney Design Guide, a guide for the design savy tourist. Even though I live worlds away from Sydney, I might purchase this book just for the aesthetic aspect of it.

500 Grids and Style Sheets

Posted on November 30, 2007 Posted in Books, Grid Systems, MerchTagged book, grids, style sheets, templates, you work for them

500 Grids and Style Sheets

Interesting book available on You Work For Them explaining grid systems and how they are used. A CD is also included that contains 500 grid templates that can be customized.

Good graphic design relies on a simple, fundamental concept: the grid. With the invisible, unifying structure they provide, grids bring consistency and visual harmony to multi-page or multi-screen documents. The Designer’s Toolkit is the first book to streamline the use of this critical tool, providing a fast-track way for both experienced and amateur designers to identify and employ the best grid for the job. A CD embedded in the book’s cover includes 500 ready-to-use grid templates formatted for the most commonly used design programs. The templates can be used as-is or be easily customized to create professional-quality work. This unique book-plus-CD package provides the foundation for anyone to create effective, original, and sophisticated design.

Dimensions: 8.25″ x 9.25″ (inches)
Pages: 160
Edition: Hardcover w/ CD-rom
Languages: English