OUGD404 - Grid System Summaries

OUGD404 - Grid System Summaries

The Golden Section is a grid system consisting of squares sequentially decreasing in size in a spiral. The ratio between every square, and the square larger than it is 1 : 1.618 and when realised in a grid, a spiral can be formed by placing quadrants of circles in each square. The golden section is said to produce aesthetically pleasing images when followed in a composition because it visually appeals to the subconscious mind. It can be seen in a wide variety of things when you're looking for it; in nature, classic art like Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and modern design like the Pepsi logo. In design it is utilized frequently to create harmonious and refined layouts.

Multicolumn grids are employed in design to provide a more complex layout than a standard one column composition. The multiple columns  create a hierarchy in a layout where text and images can be ordered specifically for effect depending on the content. This grid system can be used on images to create more structure, integrate text and images harmoniously or successfully utilize negative space. The columns can be completely full or not.

A modular grid system is similar to a multicolumn grid system however it also uses rows, creating consistently sized modules making up a grid. This grid system provides a very flexible and coherent layout with a multitude of possibilities; text and image can occupy the modules in a stable composition, or for a more complex solution, varying sized modular grid systems can be laid upon each other, providing variety and continuity in an application with multiple pages.