Breif 3: Research, Grid Systems

Golden Ratio 

I've heard things about the Golden Ratio but I haven't actually looked into it properly, I think it would be useful within Graphic Design. 

Wiki: 
In mathematics, two quantities are in the golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities. The figure below illustrates the geometric relationship. Expressed algebraically, for quantities a and b with a > b 

It seems very confusing and mathematics is not a strong subject for me. There is alot of history behind it, it is seen everywhere through history, music and nature. 

Its said that some ancient architecture has the golden ratio within it, above is an image of the Parthenon in Greece that is said to have the golden ratio within it. 

Here is the golden ratio spiral, it seems a very complex to understand, but when you do look at it you can see it in many things.

Most plants have the golden ratio in within them. If not by eye then under a microscope. It's a lot to do with geometry. 

The actual value of the golden ratio is 1.61803398874989484820...

Grid systems

Josef Müller-Brockmann 

A swiss graphic designer and teacher that specialises in grid design. 

‘I would advise young people to look at everything they encounter in a critical light … Then I would urge them at all times to be self-critical.’

I also like his layout within some of graphic design work, I like how things are placed diaganally but still work and you can see all the type in order in which he wants it read. 

 I took out Josef Muller-Brockmann's book from the library to look further into his grid systems. I enjoyed it more than I thought. 

There are pages upon pages of grids and layouts, I didn't realise there was so much behind the simplest of pages. This is making me thinking about my designs and how I can present them. 

Kimberly Elam

Here is another book I have loaned form the library, again about grid systems. I found this book particularly interesting as there is tracing paper over the designs to show the grid system. It shows that even the graphic deign that is on an angle or things are in circular shapes they all have grids within them. It have given me some ideas for some of my own sketches of how to fit type and image on one page.