Making and Breaking the Grid: A Graphic Design Layout Workshop Paperback – 1 May 2005

Turned up weeks late.very good text, great layouts well printed.One for grpahic artists, although if you were trained I'm not sure if it would offer you any significant insights

As a student and new to graphic design I am not disappointed with this book. Just short of time to read it.

Making and Breaking the Grid, by Timothy Samara, is an analysis of the construction and deconstruction of grid-based designs. Featuring a comprehensive showcase of works in different media and across several decades.The BookThe book is basically divided into 2 parts. The first one about the creation of the grid-based designs and its usage. The second one explains the deconstruction of the grid, a different approach on design in which the grid doesn't have to obey any rules.In the first few pages the reader will be immersed into the historical facts surrounding the development of the grid-based design. There is a lot of information here - about 150 years of art & design evolution in only 7 pages - maybe a timeline would be interesting. But then again, this is not a history book.The next chapter the author slows down the pace and starts a workshop about grid design. The content here is precise, clear enough for beginners and a good read for advanced designers. Concepts and styles are illustrated in a simple yet effective way and the examples are spot on.Then the showcase begins. Pages and pages of great artwork from different decades and styles. Each of them with its own grid style - column, modular grid, etc. Description and comments explain how it was used and the effect generated by it.ConclusionAs an introduction to grid-design, Making and Breaking the Grid does its job. It will give the initial hints and ideas of layout structure in a few pages but doesn't go very deep. The highlight of the book, without any doubt, is the showcase of designs. Big illustrations and photographs with detailed information. Definitely a must-have on any designer library.

Great book

Great book, love Timothy's graphic design books, can read it 2-3 times and still learn something very new and useful.

Grid Principles in a book. Must have for those who work with layouts.

It surprises me that a graphic design book should have been laid out in such a way as to make it difficult to read or understand. The choice to print in grey on a grey background makes text hard to focus on and the images fail to stand out against strong background. No doubt there is some interesting information in here, but one must fight against the layout in order to get at it.

Really handy vis com handbook for teaching and learning.