The Designer and the Grid

Rating:
Summary: TERRIBLE book on approaching the grid
Review: Amazon rating = 1 Star
My personal rating = 0 Stars

This book was pretty horrible. If you are looking for a book that will teach you HOW TO USE grids in design, this definitely, MOST definitely isn't it. I can't tell you how much this ISN'T it. This is mostly just a commentary on grids, theories, and apparant use of the grid in society. Most theories on the use of grid in society are really quack though. This is the type of book that takes things TOO far. It's based on some rather quack opinions.

This book doesn't approach the grid from a learning standpoint, as in, how to USE a grid or develop a grid. It is a coffee table book.

The layout of the book is horrible. You open the book and see in the inside of the cover which is lime green and you might think that this might be a nice, fun book. But it isn't. The layout of the pages suck. It doesn't matter who designed this book, how many design awards they won, or whatever but this book is POORLY designed. It's too heavy on style to be read like a book. The style is pointless. It's even difficult to navigate your way through the table of contents! It seems like the designers designed this book for themselves and not for people to READ.

Overall, the content is pretty worthless.

Rating:
Summary: Good Content, Interesting Design
Review: This book is a great resource for those wishing to learn more about grids. What was most interesting to me was the portions discussing the history of the grid and the psychology of the grid. The rest of the book is great as well though. My only complaint would have to be that even though a very interesting grid is utilized throughout the book, the lack of changes in font size allow no development of a hierarchy of information and make the headers at time distracting and overall make the book a little difficult to read. other than that I highly reccomend this book.