Comments on: Five simple steps to designing grid systems – Part 3

By: Learning: Grid System « Xun and Interaction Design

Learning: Grid System « Xun and Interaction Design — Sat, 14 May 2011 22:31:41 +0000

[...] Grid systems for web design: Part 1 [...]

By: jegyzetfüzet * adam.paszternak

jegyzetfüzet * adam.paszternak — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:18:38 +0000

[...] Kezdve a megfelelő grid framework kiválasztásától (vagy épp azok mellőzésétől és saját grid kidolgozásától) az elemek elrendezésén át a vertikális arányokig — mind próbára teszi a dizájner [...]

By: Week 9 Summary « Lizlowenthal's Blog

Week 9 Summary « Lizlowenthal's Blog — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:26:13 +0000

[...] http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/comments/five-simple-steps-to-designing-grid-systems-part-3 [...]

By: Ultimate Guide To Grid-Based Web Design: Techniques and Tools « Tech7.Net

Ultimate Guide To Grid-Based Web Design: Techniques and Tools « Tech7.Net — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:59:49 +0000

[...] of grid-based design and walks your through designing a grid from scratch. Here are parts 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the preface to the [...]

By: Ultimate Guide To Grid-Based Web Design - Noupe

Ultimate Guide To Grid-Based Web Design - Noupe — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:29:04 +0000

[...] of grid-based design and walks your through designing a grid from scratch. Here are parts 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the preface to the [...]

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 14:41:02 +0000

This is fantastic. I have only recently become aware of grid systems but I always knew there was a methodology behind layout.

I primarily deal with the web so Im looking forward to your next two articles.

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 23:18:27 +0000

I stumbled upon your article while looking for info on grid systems (I’m redesigning my webpage). I can’t wait to read the end! You’ve posed lots of wonderful questions in a very coherent, readable fashion.

By: Danillo

Danillo — Sat, 13 Aug 2005 12:21:30 +0000

By: ?listner?

?listner? — Fri, 12 Aug 2005 22:20:05 +0000

Content is key. As designers we should ensure that the content is available to as many people as possible. Surely, it the role of the designer to adapt their skills to allow for this level of flexibilty. A default design may still be created, but if this design crashes simply because a user wants the text size a bit bigger, then the design is flawed. The beauty of designing with standards allows for flexibilty: alternate style sheets, high contrast views, zoom layouts etc. Therefore, the designer should not just let go of the control, but actively hand control to the user. Thus a good web designer, you may come.

By: Mark Boulton

Mark Boulton — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 02:08:38 +0000

dmr - My point with this post was to raise the questions, not to answer any really.

I think you misunderstand my points though. You said:

How can someone uninitiated to the content make reasonable decisions about this? I just don?t buy the ?designers should let go of control because we?re on the web now? argument; it?s not based on any sound footing from the content?s perspective.

Let me answer the first question. Why should the user care how the content is arranged as long as they can access/read it? Maybe that’s the reason we have so much ‘undesigned’ content on the web. It’s because people generally don’t care as long as they can fulfil a task or read some content. They do not have to be ‘initiated’ to read what they want to read.

The second point. If you read the post again, my point was more about scalability, not control. I’m not sure I understand your point about content in this context.

Also, I disagree with your point about web/print learning curve. After doing both for many years I’m still very much on the curve for producing good design for the web. This, I guess, is due to it’s fluidity as a medium - you don’t really get that with print. Also, the majority of print work isn’t used in the same way web sites and applications are. And that’s the point really. I’m not just talking about text based websites here, I’m talking about applications too.

By: dmr

dmr — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 01:37:22 +0000

Not much content here to say much about; hardly an article. But a few thoughtful points were raised: the web is not only the ultimate democratizer for information, but it’s starting to be that for visual design (with RSS, databases holding info, google caches, etc).

This lack of control seems to be OK with many, but the designer’s task is to shape information; we are the facilitators between content experts and the layperson, people rely on our experience to be able to control the flow of information so that people will better understand it. Releasing this control is harmful to the information and the reader as some things will be lost in translation. After all, we’re now familiar with the content and can make sound decisions about placement, size, color, pace, tone, flow, etc. How can someone uninitiated to the content make reasonable decisions about this? I just don’t buy the ‘designers should let go of control because we’re on the web now’ argument; it’s not based on any sound footing from the content’s perspective.

Also, the learning curve to publish on the web is very low compared to print; this has created a very large population of designers that have no foundation in size & scale, pace and position. Enter template and copy/paste xhtml code design.

Thankfully there’s a core of people interested in pushing the bounds of the *visual* (not simply xhtml/css code).