Download - Grids Are Good 1
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Grids Are Good(Right?)
March 10, 2007SXSW InteractiveAustin, TX
Khoi VinhSubtraction.com
Mark BoultonMarkBoulton.co.uk
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About Khoi
I’m the Design Director for The New York Times Online.
I’m the author of Subtraction.com, a personal weblog where I write about design, technology and other subjects.
nytimes.com
subtraction.com
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Subtraction.com
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About Mark
I’m the Founder of a tiny design consultancy Mark Boulton Design.
I also write about design and whatever else takes my fancy at markboulton.co.uk
markboultondesign.com
markboulton.co.uk
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MarkBoulton.co.uk
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Dots to Design
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From Dots to Design
• Any two or more marks on a single plane is a design.
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Some History
The grid is the most vivid manifestation of the will to order in graphic design.
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A Brief History of the Grid
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Looking for Reason
Divining architectural proportion from nature.
Le Corbusier, “Modulor” 1948.Leonardo DaVinci, “The Vitruvian Man” 1492.
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Right Up to the Modern Day
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Ornamentation
From this…
Leopoldo Metlicovitz, “Fleurs de Mousse,” 1914.Advertising poster for French perfume.
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Rational Design
…to this.
Theo Ballmer, “Neues Bauen” 1928.Poster for German Werkbund exhibition.
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New Ideas
Rationalism became the new imperative for design.
Out with decoration and formalism, in with logic and standardization.
Jan Tschichold, “Die neue Typographie” 1928.Instructions for the standardized layout of A4 letterhead.
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The More Things Change…
Modernists looked to build a new aesthetic by
• Deriving beauty from the innate qualities of the machine
• Championing standardization
Sound familiar?
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…The More They Stay the Same
There is a strong overlap between what motivated grid usage nearly a century ago and what motivates grid usage today.
• Deriving beauty from the innate qualities of the browser
• Championing standardization
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Paul Rand for IBM
Paul Rand, IBM Annual Report, 1975
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J. Müller-Brockmann
Tonhalle-Quartett, 1955. Juni-Festwochen Zürich, 1959
Juni-Festwochen Zürich, 1962
Musica Viva, 1968
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Massimo Vignelli for National Park Service
Unigrid as a solution to large-scale design and production of many different publications.
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Grids on the Web
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Crate & Barrelcrateandbarrel.com
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Product Display
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‘Inventory’ Display
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Text Forms
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Comment Is Freecommentisfree.guardian.co.uk
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Main Page
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Article Comments
With horizontal hierarchy.
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Let’s Build a Grid
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The Brand
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What Should We Do?
Not
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A Good Problem
Rudimentary but unimaginative use of grid.
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Rather…
yeeaahh.subtraction.com
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Requirements
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Where to Start
Every design solution begins by defining the problem and establishing constraints.
• 1024 x 768 screen
• Big Ad Unit
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Screen Resolution
• 1024 px wide by 768 tall
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‘Natural’ Browser Size
• Approximately 974 px wide by 650 px tall
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Canvas Area
• Less left and right margins
• Approximately 960 px wide by 650 px tall
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The Big Ad
The most useful ad unit to design for is the Big Ad.
336 px wide by 280 px tall as established by the Internet Advertising Bureau.
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Big Ad width:336 px
Other Ad Sizes
A design based on the Big Ad will also accommodate the width of the other popular ad unit sizes
Medium Rectangle300 px wide by
250 px tall
Half-page300 px wide by
600 px tall
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The Utility of Constraints
Ad units complicate things, but they’re actually very helpful because they serve as fixed constraints.
Constraints are the mother of design invention.
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Units
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Units & Columns
Units are the basic building blocks of a grid. They’re all uniform.
Columns are the groupings of units that create the visual structure of the page. They are not necessarily uniform.
In this example, four units are combined to create a single column.
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The Rule of Threes… or Fours
In general, we want to create units in multiples of three or four.Twelve is ideal, because it’s a multiple of three and four.
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Twelve Units Can Combine into 3 Columns…
Three columns of four units each.
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Into 2 Columns…
Two columns of six units each.
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Into 4 Columns…
Four columns of three units each.
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Into 6 Columns…
Six columns of two units each.
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Unit and Column MathFirst Try
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Nonconducive Size
Unfortunately, three Big Ads will not fit within our 960 px width.
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Formula
Canvas - ((Total Units -1) x Gutter) ÷ Total Units = Unit
950 - ((16 -1) x 10) ÷ 16 = Unit
(Don’t worry about doing it this way.)
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Round-up the Ad Column
Round up the ad unit column to an even 340 px width.
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Divide the Ad Column
Divide the ad column into two units of 165 px each, with a 10 pixel gutter.
(340 - 10) ÷ 2 = 165
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Extrapolate Units
Yields 5 units of 165 px each for a total width of just 865 px.These could be subdivided into 10 units but a 10 unit grid is difficult to work with.
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Second Try
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Round-up the Ad Column
This time round up higher to 350 px width.
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Divide the Ad Column
Divide by three this time, with two 10 px gutters, for 110 px units.
(350 - (2 x 10)) ÷ 3 = 110
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Extrapolate Units
Yields 8 units of 110 px each for a total width of 950 px.
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Subdivide the Units
Eight units is a good number, but we can subdivide it even further into a 16-unit grid for added flexibility.These units are 50 px wide
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Consolidate Units into Columns
A 16-unit grid allows us to create two equal columns in the left region.
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Creating Smaller Columns
And to subdivide the right region into 2 or 3 columns.
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Left Navigation
We can also carve out 2 units at the left to create a left-navigation.
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Third Time’s the Charm
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Round-up the Ad Column
For a tighter look, we can round up the ad unit to 338 px.
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Divide the Ad Column
Divide by five this time, with four 7 px gutters, for 62 px units.
(338 - (4 x 7)) ÷ 5 = 62
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Extrapolate Units
Yields 14 units of 62 px each for a total width of 959 px.Fourteen is a strange number, but sometimes that makes things more interesting.
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Consolidate Units into Columns
Allows the left region to be consolidated into 3 columns.
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Left Navigation
Also allows for a slightly wider and more substantial left-hand navigation column.
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The Grid Is Done
Time to design.
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Layout
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Header
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Header Placement
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Search Region
Use the balance of the logo area for a search region.
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The Box Model
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Grid Usage
Using a grid isn’t quite as simple as just lining elements up along its edges.
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Example
Let’s typeset three elements on a 9-unit grid.The instinct is to left-align each right on the edge of each column.
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Add Grid Lines
Divide the columns with simple rules.
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Visual Tightness
Such strict adherence to the grid causes visual tension.
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Another Problem
What happens when type needs to be inset inside a box?
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Accounting for Behavior
In digital media, those boxes are often behavior. That is, they may or may not appear persistently.When they’re not there, it can cause visual misalignment.
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Correcting Alignment
The answer is to assume some sort of inset for all elements.
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Visual Consistency
This achieves visual consistency up regardless of whether text is inset, and allows breathing room next to the grid lines.
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Visual Consistency
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The Box Model
It’s actually useful to use the CSS box model as a model for imagining the visual space around any element.
Text
MARGIN
BORDER
PADDING
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The Box Model in Practice
Text Text
COLUMNGRID LINE
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Back to Search
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Search Region
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Search Placement
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Search Options
Also need to add search options: Web, Images, Video, Local, Shopping and More.
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Options Aligned on the Grid
Admittedly, probably not the most usable display, but it’ll do for now.
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Roll-over Behavior
Note the roll-over state aligns with the grid.
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Navigation (and Framing)
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Left-Hand Navigation Column
Consolidate two units to form the left-hand navigation column.
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Nav Items in Place
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Visual Grouping through Rules
Add rules between most nav items and to visually combine multi-item groups like Small Business and Services together.
![Page 99: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/99.jpg)
Items and Rules
Take a closer look at the placement of rules.
![Page 100: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/100.jpg)
Adjunct to the Box Model
Every box should be laid out using the same principles as used in framing.Padding for all sides should be visually equal. But only the top, right and left padding should be mathematically equal. The bottom should be taller.Text
![Page 101: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/101.jpg)
Place Rules on the Borders
Text
![Page 102: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/102.jpg)
Visually Balanced
The result is visually balanced.
Text
![Page 103: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/103.jpg)
Applicable to All Elements
The illusion of visual equality is enhanced when elements are stacked.Text
Text
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Items and Rules
Even multi-item groups should be treated the same way.
Yellow Pages
TV
Travel
Tech
Sports
Real Estate
Photos
SMALL BUSINESS• Get a Web site• Domain Names• eCommerce• Search Listings
YEEAHH SERVICES• Downloads• Health• Kids• Mobile• Voice• Yeeaahh! Broadband• Yeeaahh! Global
![Page 105: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/105.jpg)
Nav in Place
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Widgets
![Page 107: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/107.jpg)
Widgets
![Page 108: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/108.jpg)
Hidden Functionality
![Page 109: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/109.jpg)
Nav in Place
![Page 110: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/110.jpg)
Widget Region
![Page 111: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/111.jpg)
Alternate Region
Carve out a layer across the top and shift navigation down lower.
![Page 112: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/112.jpg)
Dress Up the Layer
Add a light yellow layer and divide up the area into equal areas — except the number of units don’t easily divide.
![Page 113: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/113.jpg)
Asymmetry Isn’t Bad
![Page 114: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/114.jpg)
Add Labels
![Page 115: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/115.jpg)
Add Icons
Icons from IconBuffet.com.
![Page 116: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/116.jpg)
Odd-size Column for Weather
![Page 117: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/117.jpg)
Remaining Widgets
Horoscope, local info and radio.
![Page 118: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/118.jpg)
Less Visual for Right Column
Users have learned to regard colorful imagery in far right column as advertising.
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The Story So Far
![Page 120: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/120.jpg)
Add Grid Lines
![Page 121: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/121.jpg)
Features Area
![Page 122: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/122.jpg)
Features Area
Consolidate seven units into a Features marquee area.Tabs for four main areas: Features, Entertainment, Sports, Life.
![Page 123: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/123.jpg)
Add Tabs
![Page 124: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/124.jpg)
Tabs
Tabs are off the grid.
Let tabs be tabs.
![Page 125: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/125.jpg)
Lead Story Layout
![Page 126: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/126.jpg)
Image Sizes
Consolidate three units into a 200 px width. Height is 120 px.
![Page 127: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/127.jpg)
Marquee Image
Breaking out of tabs for more interest.
![Page 128: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/128.jpg)
Other Stories
Proportional photo regions below.
![Page 129: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/129.jpg)
A Use for the Spare Unit
Large ‘More Stories…’ area.
![Page 130: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/130.jpg)
Nearly Complete
With images in place.
![Page 131: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/131.jpg)
Add More Interest
Shift tabs up to ‘pop’ them.
![Page 132: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/132.jpg)
Completed Feature Stories Area
![Page 133: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/133.jpg)
Headlines & Other Modules
![Page 134: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/134.jpg)
Replicate Tab Structure
![Page 135: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/135.jpg)
Flow Headlines in a List
![Page 136: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/136.jpg)
Markets Data in Right-Hand Column
![Page 137: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/137.jpg)
Appraise the Overall Effect
Problems parsing the Headlines tabs from the marquee above.
![Page 138: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/138.jpg)
Embellish with a Subtle Background
![Page 139: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/139.jpg)
Similar Approach for Markets Area
![Page 140: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/140.jpg)
Autos
Four un-aligned columns.
![Page 141: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/141.jpg)
More Features
Not necessary to stick too closely to the grid here.
![Page 142: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/142.jpg)
Most Popular
![Page 143: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/143.jpg)
Simple, Familiar
Straightforward lists. Can we make it more interesting?
Yahoo.com
NYTimes.com
![Page 144: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/144.jpg)
A Different Orientation
Change orientation to change up display.
![Page 145: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/145.jpg)
Horizontal Ordered Listing
![Page 146: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/146.jpg)
Done!
![Page 147: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/147.jpg)
Sibling Sites
![Page 148: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/148.jpg)
Personals
![Page 149: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/149.jpg)
Same Units
![Page 150: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/150.jpg)
Mixing Column Structures
![Page 151: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/151.jpg)
Mixing Column Structures
![Page 152: Grids Are Good 1](https://reader034.vdocuments.us/reader034/viewer/2022051423/568c4af71a28ab49169a5a5b/html5/thumbnails/152.jpg)
End
Special Thanks
www.iconbuffet.com