The emergence of digital technologies has allowed for more flexibility in design. Evidently, software such as InDesign has allowed designers to overlay pictures and texts in an abundance of ways never before seen.
To put it simply, the modern designer can afford to experiment with grids with endless possibilities, no longer bound to the tight clasp of the letterpress machine. However, with great power comes great responsibility and the job becomes more difficult (or fun, depending on said designer!) for the innovation of new and appealing grids.
It seems that Digital Technologies have quite literally unbound the rigid structure of the grid, but this is not entirely the case. In actuality, they have given graphic designers new reasons to use grids. Web Design now calls for many grid systems including the 960 grid system 1.
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In the above examples, it is amazing to note - not the differences, yet the similarities in new media with old grid techniques. In fact the 'GoBible' website is actually more confined and minimalist as it only has three columns, even though with the power of technology designers no longer HAVE to be restrained in such a way.
We note that even the pictures are locked in the grid arrangement and are not overlapping text, allowing the viewer's eye to travel at ease across the page. Personally, the most amazing thing in the above example is that gussets and margins are still so strongly used in a medium that doesn't require them! Yet, the history of letterpress still lives on in modern media.
In conclusion, we can see how although the rigidity of the grid system has indefinitely relaxed in the past few decades - intriguingly, it is evident that designers have in fact returned back to their roots even with new media, using the same theories that have worked so well in the past with modern twists.
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1. Smith, Nathan. "960 Grid System." 960 Grid System. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sep 2012. <http://960.gs>
2. Newspaper. N.d. Photograph. MG CarsWeb. 15 Sep 2012. <http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgccz/Articles/newspaper.jpg>.
3. 960 Example. N.d. Graphic. Echo EnduringWeb. 15 Sep 2012. <http://blog.echoenduring.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/960-example1.jpg>.
Other Resources
"Grid (Page Layout)." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sep 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grid_(page_layout)>
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