(Grid_design.doc)
Identifying grids used to design documents
Begin by review the advice on the use of grids for document design:
Lynch, P. and S. Horton. 2002. Design grids for web pages. Web Style Guide 2nd ed.
<http://www.webstyleguide.com/page/grids.html> 6 November 2003.
Page Design – Part 3: Grids. n.d. Rudner.com <http://www.rudner.com/HANDS_ON/page_de3.htm>
6 November 2003.
Schriver, K. 1997. Section 4: Creating effective spatial cues for the readers: The rhetoric of the visual
field. Dynamics in Document Design. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 326-357.
Appendix A: Design and production—Basic procedures and key terms. 2003. Chicago Manual of
Style. 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Task 1—analyze a PDF file
Locate a corporate annual report that is available in PDF format. A useful starting point is Sid Cato’s
website:
Cato, Sid. 2002, November 8. Sid Cato's Official Annual Report Website(R)
<http://www.sidcato.com/> 2002, November 8.
Go to his list of the world’s best annual reports for 2002 <http://www.sidcato.com/topprod02.html>; then,
pick a company from the list, go to the company website, and locate (search for) its annual report.
Print several pages (but not all) of the report. Pay particular attention to pages that vary in number and
placement of graphics and in number of text columns. Identify the grid that shapes the layout of the pages.
Also identify the extent to which the report is an online document—as opposed to a print document
available online. For example, does the document include hyperlinks (or bookmarks) or make use of
Acrobat’s online affordances?
Task 2—analyze a website
Print at least three pages from different levels of a website. (If more convenient, print screen captures of the
website.) Identify grid elements that unify the website.
Task 3—analyze a print catalog
Select 3 or 4 pages from a catalog—the more technical the better. Identify the major grid lines that shape
the layout of the catalog.
Evaluation
Your analysis is due TBA and is worth 45 points.
For each of your tasks, provide a summary paragraph beginning with a claim about the effectiveness of the
grid. Support for your claim will be developed through your analysis of how each of the design elements
listed above contribute to the effectiveness of the document(s).
Please respond in memorandum form, demonstrating your mastery of document design and of the software
you use to produce your document.