Project One: Modular Grid Terms

01. Absolute Measurements are measurements of fixed value. For example, the point and pica are the basic typographic measurements and have fixed values.

02. Relative Measurements are based on relationships within the design. For example, character spacing is linking to type size, which means that their relationships are defined by a series of or relative measurements. Leading is another example of this type of measurement.

03. The Point is the unit of measurement used to measure the type of size of a font. This is the height of the type block, not the letter itself. This is an absolute measurement and can be located in front of the font, 12pt Times New Roman. There are 72 points in an inch.

04. The Pica is a unite of measurement equal to 12 points that is used for measuring lines of type. There are six picas in an inch.

05. The Em is a relative unit of measurement used in typesetting to define basic spacing functions and is linking to the size of the type. It is a relative measurement, so if the type size increases the em does as well and visa versa. The em is used for defining elements such as paragraph indents and spacing.

06. The En is a unit of relative measurement equal to half of one em. This type of rule is used to denote nested clauses and can also be used to mean 'to' in phrases like 1987-89.

07. Legibility is a study that resists absolute rules or categorical statements. It is more of an intuition gained through knowledge and experience. Legibility is the ease with which the eye can identify letters and distinguish them from one another. It is determined by formal and physiological influences as well as cultural norms and expectations.

08. Rags occur when highly noticeable shapes form by the line ends of text blocks that distract from simple, uninterrupted reading. This includes noticeable inclines or exaggerated slopes.

09. Type Alignments:

The advantage of flush left alignment is that it is easily read and the most common and traditional alignment considering we read from left to right. The only disadvantage would be the asymmetrical ragged right end, which could cause problems in the design.
The advantage of flush right alignment is that it is effective for setting small bodies of text and captions within an asymmetrical body of text. The disadvantage is that it reduces the readability of the design.
The advantage of centered alignment is that it is effect in the design of single pages in formal context. It also reduces readability.
The advantage of justified alignment is that it creates a neat rectangular text area. The disadvantage is that difficulty of spacing words in order to avoid rivers and excessive spaces.

10. The Word Spacing has traditionally been based upon a space equivalent to the body width of a lowercase ‘i.’ This space can be adjusted to fit a certain design criteria and sometimes the legibility becomes clearer when words are closer. A more fluid sense is created because of fewer interruptions to the flow of the sentence.

11. Rivers usually occur in justified text blocks when the separation of the words leaves gaps of white space in several lines. A river is created when white space gaps align through the text. This is best noticed when flipping the page upside down or squinting at the page.

12. Indentation provides the reader with an easily accessible entry point to a paragraph. There are four basic types of indents such as, first-line, running, hanging, and on a point.

13. Leading refers to the space between the lines of text in a text block. The purpose of this is to allow the characters within the text block room to 'breathe' and make the information easy to read.

14. Kerning is the space between letters that if done correctly ensures a consistent rhythm of intercharacter space, which enhances legibility and readability.

15. Tracking is also known as letter spacing and is the overall space between letters rather than between two characters. By expanding the tracking across a body of text the sense becomes more airy, while negative tracking should be used sparingly.

16. Weight is most commonly known as bold, but can vary from intermediate weights to book, medium, demi, black, or ultra bold.

17. The Scale of a type is the increased or decreased point size. This creates variation, emphasis, and differentiation within the content.

18. Typographic Variation is the incorporation of various weights, sizes, bolds, italics, and fonts to clarify visually for the reader a specific emphasis and prioritization. This variation establishes consistent distinctions between different kinds of content and its importance,

19. An Orphan is when the final one or two lines of a paragraph are separated from the main paragraph to form a new column. This should be avoided at all times.

20. A Widow is a lone word at the end of a paragraph. This should be avoided at all times as well.

Josef Müller-Brockmann

'I would advise young people to look at everything they encounter in a critical light . . . Then I would urge them at all times to be self-critical'

“The grid system is an aid, not a guarantee. It permits a number of possible uses and each designer can look for a solution appropriate to his personal style. But one must learn how to use the grid; it is an art that requires practice.”

Josef Müller-Brockmann

Josef Müller-Brockmann is one of the most important twentieth century designers because of his crisp, clean style and memorable, significant poster designs. He was born in Switzerland in 1914 and studied art history, architecture, and design at the University and "Kunstegewerbeschule" in Zurich, which is the name for advanced school for applied arts in German-speaking countries. He began his career as an apprentice and then later established his own graphic, photography, and design studio.

Brockmann quickly became a leader in the modern Swiss Style, which emphasized cleanliness, readability, and objectivity. He also popularized the grid-based design or the modular grid, which has consistent horizontal divisions from top to bottom as well as vertical divisions from left to right. This system allowed him to organize his subject matter and create the most effective designs. This style of design is unique to Brockmann because of his use of clean and simple typography. He used the recognizable attributes in the designs of numerous concert posters and reinforced them in his design books and articles.

Brockmann stands out in importance because of his clean and simple designs, but also because of his consistency in producing great work. He is almost the opposite of Jan Tschichold in that he more classic and traditional and less avant-garde. This is a respectable attribute and one to take into consideration when working with design subject matter and typography. Brockmann seems to take the less is more, straightforward approach, which has a certain charm and appeal. He is not afraid to be clean and simple, which is not an easy road to take.

Jan Tschichold

Jan Tschichold is a German typographer who made his mark on the design word in the 1920s with the refashioning of the classic Penguin paperback novels. He also made an impact with his work Die neue Typographie, which gave a strict outline of what modern design, should and should not consist of, including non-centered designs and sans serif as the only appropriate text. Tschichold designed several typefaces including Transit, Saskia, Zeus, and Sabon and also introduced the Tschichold grid. This grid was more abstract than the former and included diagonal and non-centered layouts.

Tschichold's father was a sign writer, so he naturally gravitated to the arts and worked as calligrapher for advertisements. Surrounded by the world of print in his hometown of Leipzig, Tschichold was influenced by the growing print and design movements of the time and joined the Bauhaus exhibition where he gained fame and importance. He found himself at the center of the European avant-garde movement and was able to publish his first major work, The New Typography or, as mention above, Die Neue Typographie. This book planned out a rigid structure for good design, which included the use of sans-serif fonts, standardized paper sizes, photographs rather than illustrations, and asymmetrical rather than centered layouts. This was a new abstract form of typography due of Tschichold's use of multiple colors, hand drawn text, diagonal grids, and photographs cut into obscure shapes and silhouettes.

The Nazi party, though, did not tolerate these progressive ideas, and Tschichold was taken into custody and only able to leave on account of a compassionate prison guard. Despite political backlash, Tschichold is an important figure in design because he set new standards for modern design and created the classic English penguin logo that can be recognized anywhere. What inspired me most about Tschichold's life was his use of hand drawn typeset, multiple colors, and small photographs cut into interesting forms. This is such a common occurrence in logos and design today that its genius and importance goes unnoticed. Tschichold's bold and abstract design instincts truly transformed the world of design and gave it a new life and importance in society.

Typography Terms and Definitions

"Grid" defined:

A grid is the skeleton or framework that allows for arranging content within the space of the page. It is the building block of all digital images and marks and is not a rigid formula, but instead a flexible, resilient structure.

As a designer the benefit of using a grid is to have the ability to arrange text in as many different ways within the structure of the grid as possible. The grid allows designers to experiment with variations of alignments, fonts, sizes, arrangements, and ideas quickly and easily in an orderly fashion.

"Modular Grid" defined:

A modular grid has consistent horizontal and vertical divisions from top to bottom creating the possibility for endless variations.

Define and Illustrate:

The margin is the border or outside parameter of the main body of the grid, paper, or space.

Columns are two or more vertical arrangements on a page that are separated by a rule or blank space.

Grid modules are the unit of measurement within the space that are divided consistently from top to bottom both horizontally and vertically.

Flowlines are the vertical lines of the modules.

The gutter is the space between each module that separates the modules from the edge of the grid.

"Hierarchy" defined:

Hierarchy is the visual and logical way to organize elements on a page based on its relative importance. This includes providing a visual guide for the text and making the layout clear for the viewer to understand.

An easy way to achieve a clear hierarchy is to set the title to the largest, boldest typeface to reinforce its importance. Another way to create hierarchy is to drop the weight of the subtitle, set the text to a different size, or use an italic that has less prominence on the page.

"Type Family" defined:

A type family is the condensed and extended versions and display faces of a particular typeface, which includes roman, italic, bold.

"Type Styles" defined:

Type styles are the variations in the thickness and stroke or a typeface. This is the light, bold, and italic characteristics that give flexibility and emphasis within a typeface.