Week 5: Grid Case Studies

1.       This is an interesting grid layout that caught my eye from the first sight. I consider it a good example of breaking the grid. The way the editor played with the grid makes the article more interesting and catchy. Like in any other article, the images contribute to the message he wants to transmit, but they are also used so as the article not to be boring. The grid does provide consistency, structure and rhythm, because the breaking of it makes the article easy to read. One more aspect that makes it interesting is the text: “I wouldn’t recommend having a baby until science allows them to be delivered by Parcelforce. It doesn’t half smart”, that creates a gap in reading the article. The third column is also loomed by the shape of the woman’s body.

2.       The second grid case study I chose to analyse is, on the one hand, not a good example of successfully breaking the grid, in my opinion, but on the other hand, is a good example of playing with the grids. The overall impression that the article gives me is that there are too many fonts used and it makes you confuse when starting reading it. Also, because of the place of the paragraphs you don’t really know their order or where the paragraph continues when moving to another column. I think there is tension in the article because of the way the editor broke the grids, but it is not productive, as the articles loses its interest. The grid does not provide consistency, as the article looks as if there were paragraphs from different articles put together and make no sense.