For designers working in every medium, layout is arguably one of the most basic, and most important, aspects of effective communication. Using grids to organize layouts became a design standard in the 1950s and has seen a renewed interest in recent years. But nearly from the start, some designers sought to violate rational layout structures in favor of expression, sparking an ongoing ideological debate. These opposing positions have generated some of the most compelling graphic design ever created, and each offers valid considerations for any project a designer may undertake - the challenge is to determine which best serves a project's goals. Making and Breaking the Grid presents the most comprehensive, accessible, in-depth exposition of layout concepts ever published - re-envisioned and radically augmented in this long-awaited second edition. Choosing to follow the rules, or break them, depends first on understanding what those rules accomplish, and then making sense of contradictory practices - by seeing them in action in practical, real-world situations. Features: 60 pages of new, expanded instructional material that describes the fundamentals of grid-based and alternative layout approaches - defining option, development methods, and strategies for effective use. 500+ new images and schematic diagrams.

70 case studies from an international roster of preeminent preeminent designers and studios, encompassing print, screen-based, and environmental application. Each project is shown comprehensively to reveal layout structure at a size that allows for inspection of detail. Case study text discusses designers' working process and rationale. Projects with both similar and contrasting characteristics are linked through a simple notational system that encourages exploration and comparison. Heightened emphasis on device-responsive UX design and time-based media. Overviews summarize the evolutions of grid-based and alternative layout concepts in modern design practice. A new, comprehensive index and extensive bibliography for further investigation. -- From back cover.