Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Grids - Their Meaning and Use by Massimo Vignelli
Grids - Their Meaning and Use by Massimo Vignelli
11
National
Endowment
for the Ai
and ideas
2013
http://archive.org/details/gridstheirmeaninOOvign
Massimo
Vignelli
Grids: Their
for federal
designers
National
Endowment
to the
for
About Grids
for
grids restrict designers? No. On the conthey are considered as an aid to the
creative process. The Labor Department
Do
trary,
ii
in
Massimo
Vignelli
and studied at
and the School
of Architecture of the
University of Venice.
of the
numerous
books
in
is
represented
in
magazines and
the United States and abroad.
significant design
Since 1971
Vignelli Associates,
offices in Paris
and
New
of
Milan.
The
firm
is
Alliance
of the Architectural
(1973-1977).
Currently he
is
for
Examples
organized by the
In
Museum.
Massimo and
and Architecture
in
Design
Milan, as consultant
and
Mr.
and Mrs.
Vignelli
Industrial Arts
Institute of Architects.
are
institutions.
in
grid
couldn't
do
it.
amount
one's
One
own
of the
taste.
considerations
first
in
establishing
If
the material
be based on picas;
photographic,
it
will
is
if
engravers, binders
printers
all
way
It
it
The
grid design
must be related
to the size of
A grid
is
the
number
of
columns.
Then an area
order,
Alcoa
About ten years ago we were asked by the
Alcoa Company to put some order into its
advertising. A company of that size used
(and is still using) five or six different
Change
Alcoa Aluminum
HALCOA
agencies,
of the best
agencies
in
identity
and
diversity.
The
first
thing
we
did
was
to provide
and standards.
Alcoa
We
fit
each
particular
this
trinity
manual
in
relationships
logo.
The
result of this
advertising
and thus
was
that the
many
different
in
ways
relationship.
We developed
a grid
Stti
oalcoaI
Alcoa
a
is
1
1
We showed
^1
i
^1
^L
!l
OALCOA
"
shows
= duzd
nzzn
[ZLZ
nznzni
literally
hundreds
of different
done by one
liaiikTMarn uploSIM)
signature
t\tnit<m^persliitt.
text.
which
unnecessary, because a
read at a distance of about a
foot, at the most a foot and a half, depending
on the size of the type, but it doesn't need a
type so large. That kind of size is comparable
to an emotional value. It's like turning on the
loudspeaker. We thought at the time that
there was no need for Alcoa to resort to this
kind of advertising technique; it could use a
different approach. We suggested a certain
size for headlines, a certain size for copy,
type,
magazine
PeaboOys aluminum
haulers carry up to 500
s-;#--~=Ei
s=S^
sIC^'!.
is
is
QALCOA
handling of typography
program
of this kind,
coordinate,
it
in their
which
it
ads. Within a
becomes important
to provide
tools
II
In
came
first.
We were much
more
interested
in
text.
We
also
showed
alternative
1 /:H-^'Bi^Siff^JM
Sr,
OALCOA
C3ALCOA
arrangements
to
needs. Sometimes
ALCOA
is
who
expressing
in
was
thing
that after
of the agencies,
same
to
Another ad done
again,
don't know by
exactly to the format
established, and think it still has a nice
advertising impact. In other spreads we can
whom conforms
1970s
in
is
what
call pluralism.
By
that
mean,
we have been
when
style or the
designer
was
pretty
in
a Swiss
much dead
now
is
that
same
time.
The concept
10
itself.
The
grid
lion
(the
master the
If
the grid
is
appropriate,
when
when
it's
when
it's
not
not necessary, or
then the
going to interfere with
communicating the message. If the designer
knows when it's time to go in and out of the
cage when it's time to use the grid or to
leave it behind ^then the grid really helps
grid
is
it's
going to
and
is
bite;
it's
a marvelous
New York
tool to
work
with.
Botanical Garden
by the New York Botanical
We were asked
Garden
was a
to
particularly interesting
We developed
a minimanual of graphics
standards for the Botanical Garden. In the
1960s, this manual would probably have
been more than a hundred pages, telling us
everything. A minimanual for a nonprofit
organization such as the Botanical Garden
gives a tremendous opportunity to get down
to the bones, to give the essential
information
11
and skip
all
the superfluities.
iilii
One
sizes. Before
we made
our
different sizes.
Sooner or
to
end,
we
and we
will find
out that
it's all
will
1 1
inches.
The
international size
is
is
proportion.
One
of the
first
things
we
was
to
some
12
^^
such as
Rolleiflex prints.
falls into
one
One
too.
program
is the typeface to be
used. It's much
easier to set standards for items
like that
than change all the time. The
choice of a
typeface should be based not only
on
graphic or aesthetic considerations,
but also
on economic considerations.
We
in
different
nonprofit organizationcould
substitute
as a typeface, particularly If there
beautifully
IS an established set of
standards. The text is
typed on the typewriter (which is just
a
desk-top typesetting machine, FOR
FREE)
then reduced either by Xerox or
by photostat
to a conventional book point
size.
Reduced
as it would be for a
book, a magazine, or a newspaper,
typewritten copy doesn't look like
correspondence anymore; it begins to look
like a typeface. As a matter
of fact, it's even
better than a typeface, because
it doesn't
have any
to
it.
of typewriter type
stresses the structural element of
design. We didn't really wake up
one
that
is
It
morning
had a wonderful
means
is
an economical
came
13
to perceive
basically structural
itself,
by the
and
third
The
is
text to the
margin.
all
kinds of forms.
There
thin lines to
and placed
filled in
typewritten, reduced,
so it can readily be
either by hand or by typewriter.
in
The
directory
that
it
position,
image.
I
The Botanical Garden awards diplomas for
it offers. The design of the diploma
courses
is all
celebration.
i>i(
.afan;
>d?nf
14
can have
their
own
identification.
We
We did some
Garden
all
isiiis
efeT
is
produced inexpensively.
flexibility.
We
15
And,
the
16
chosen
do the graphics.
to
was designed
1894
Century magazine,
it's still good.
The only problem with this type is that it has
been made by many different foundries and
is very inconsistent in its cut, so it is
so
it's
in
for
*'/>
,trfr^
/<
>
/,t*/
i/
For
all
Museum
'
^^^^
^"
iJj
SttSi
'^^
vt^:.,_
information.
Again, this
grid.
for
is
There
the
title,
is
discipline of
lines
one
line
The back
17
of the calendar
in itself
:':
^a
--m
'
a.
-.0a,s.
_..r_'<,.,.m_<._|^i
We
details.
are talking shop
not great philosophy. But these little details
do portray a philosophy, an attitude toward i
fe-^--
We
also designed
some
big blac
terrible.
/i.^vW
THE FORT WORTH ART MUSEUM
^^^^""iu-vy
18
One
;n
i\
IK
WMM
|;s\|0 (
1((
of the poster.
with the grid.
^^
HI
lii
\l
\N
(111
I
II
\| 1\
II 11
IWil
We didn't want to
We did a
\'
19
lot
of
these posters
n, m.
nil
111
of the posters
collection of paintings.
really don't
put this
know.
Museum
publication that
Intrfxiuction
is all
done on the
It
is
work
The
beautifully.
typewriter
is
just
as good as anything
From a distance
If
that
m
The
Kiilevala
20
12
21
Multilith
inches.
we
of
it
in
the abstract,
in
tha'
terms
of
as we did before, in
this case we did it in terms of feasibility. So
we developed a set of standards appropriate
to their use and to the equipment available.
There's no real reason why they should use
much more expensive ways of printing when
they can use multilith or even duplicator.
don't think a designer should feel restrained
by designing projects to be reproduced by a
international standards
duplicator.
done
that
It's
is
not
what
is
it
is
design
profession.
22
Architectural
announcement
All
required.
relied
logo
on
in
Garamond as
diversity
we
any time.
<
23
and the
For
could change color and design
identification.
..
...
_,.,
.,.,
.,
-,.-,....
;m-:i."^":;.'i:-.^=.
i::-j;-r-i.v::r^'S-.r
;s:s;:;i=irr-
''
...
.-
""'
irs-.rr.-i:SLi'r-;
lite Anhiltxlur.illx.ij;iK
lr^*!l? ...""-
lit
NtA*
Vrk
m
il
24
rHEAHCHITBCTURALLEAGUiOFNEWMQRK BE^UXAKTSTOUR
invitations
were printed on
paper and were in
the whole thing was
all
colorful
Now
Beaux Arts
York. It's a
marvelous photograph by the architectural
photographer Cervin Robinson of the
Customs House in New York. On the back of
it, again in typewriter type, there are
descriptions of every building and tour, street
by street, in that particular area.
let's
tour of buildings
25
in
New
yis==i-=3=:-~=:-
.^r-^^
League
When we had
to
do an
Architectural
League
^^i
26
of Art in Philadelphia
asked
red
Vignelli
exclusively
in red.
So
is
typewritten
in
their stationery
is
printed,
and then
We designed the
exhibitions. All
We
invitation
one
color,
it
all
red,
and
that's
it.
of the presentation
the college's posters
were different sizes, which is a great waste
we made
of
to
them.
money. That
is
All
why
insist
on
27
f^
MOORE
COT,T,F,GE
OF ART
^-^i^M^
28
mfM
nuw
effectively.
r'ACUI.TY
HX:
::..-.. 7
JAi;
i
":::' ^iO
.
,'
A-^
..'
JOHN
//9 PM.
ANDERSON
HAflRY
ij
>T:
'MlT
]r,"."
VICT. A C;jiLSON
THOI/A.: CHIMES
JOHN CONSTANZA
JERRY CRi:.:.^::.:'
GEr^J/ eva:.j
i/iAi
VICTOR CARL^iJN
THO^;IAS CHIMES
JOHN CONSTANZA
JERKY CRUvUvUMS
GERRY EVANS
Although we used this program for all the
Moore College publications, the grid for the
catalogs was a slightly different proposition.
Catalogs of paintings of course include
illustrations of all sizes. A painting cannot be
cropped just to fit the grid, but there must be
a starting point. In one case, for instance, we
centered all the paintings. That means that
we used these two axes of symmetry for the
whole thing, but the copy starts on the
position indicated by the grid. Any painting
could be shifted wherever necessary, but the
type would return to the
29
same
position.
We worked out
still
30
journal.
Knoll
For the
last ten
designed
illuminate
corporate headquarters
is
set off
when
it
31
We decided to
use a
tabloid,
which
is like
We
We did the
logo.
Again
we have
all
^T
The cost of a
a tabloid like this, is
something like fifteen or twenty cents as
opposed to a dollar for a typeset brochure.
So it is easy to see that many more people
can be reached. Of course, on the other side
very
typesetting
is
newspaper
like this, of
little.
32
A BKStsrai A cowAirr
ersi srarKEiis
o lAf?
33
m
@<
^^^;
34
redesigned
countrymen). felt that
the Bodoni needed revision, because our
taste for type has completely changed. The
advent of Helvetica completely changed our
graphic perceptions and our taste for type. In
(with apologies to
my
much
We did
century
fill
it
would be
When we
think of the
35
What wanted
I
to
do
in this
We had
and asked
again.
We
So
if
it
was
kind
kind of fun.
36
say
knew
that they
text
So
six
setting
relationship.
Use
mind to
which are the
greatest thing in terms of controlling space.
Two thousand years ago the Roman
architect Marcus Vitruvius used nothing but
modules; Palladio used nothing but modules;
the French architect Le Corbusier used
nothing but modules, not to mention Mies
van der Rohe, who did nothing but work with
modules. It is in the great tradition of
controlling space to work with modules. It is
of grids, of course, trains the
in
37
mess
not to do
it.
was
it
was in Paris
recently and was looking at some
documents, some books published in 1847.
originally
designed.
but
like
the Senate
as a matter of
shocked when saw
slightly better,
fact
was
really
One bad
the end.
These are
legal matters.
certain
used on
this publication
it
it
done
either
because
it
is
structured.
38
Another thing
I
IMPORTA^fT DATES
I.
Presidential Prefere
Dec. 26
J..2
New Hampihire
M.hu.e..
M.!
Feb. 10
Vermont.
Mt. 16
M.23
De.. 29
imo,..
Feb. 3
North C.rol.n^
M.,4
M.,4
l.y
!
1
ay 11
ay 11
M.;.8
Ma, 18
Dl..r,ct of Columbia.
10
Georgia
M.r,.6
Indian..
Mar.
Feb
12
7
M.r26
Mar
19
26
Apr 25
Nevada
26
Apr 6
Arkan.a,
Apr
Sooth Dakota.
16
much
and
it's
bad
visually.
binding
was
Michigan
May
.0
to apply
Nebraak..
26
Apr
was
We.t Virptiia
Maryland
May
May
Ju.l
M^.6
Feb
did
restraint in
really help,
Sir-aH"'"Fib. 24
1I.2
we
terms of typography. We
suggested that they use certain type sizes for
different purposes rather than using all kinds
of different divisions of upper case, lower and
upper case, upper case bold, upper case
italic, and so on and so forth. All that doesn't
more
and Election
fine,
KentuoUy
What kind
make
put in
there
filler
is
would you
customers who want to
or something wherever
of suggestions
to editors or
articles
empty space?
A.:
39
is based on a presentation
Second Studio Seminar for
This publication
made
at the
photographers,
editors,
and
illustrators,
typographers,
printing officers.
Government
Printing Office,
>mber 1978