There are many types of grid systems used in organising various layout for print and screen such as book, magazine, poster, webpage, applications and interface. The type of grids are baseline, column, modular, manuscript, pixel, hierarchical grids. First few introduction of the grid system include ancient manuscripts which helped scribes in writing texts evenly spaced and straight. Such examples can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
About 1500 years later, the same principle was transferred to western presses and the machines required movable type to be manually inked and pressed onto paper. Examples include the Guternberg Bible which uses a two-column grid.
Newspapers extended usage of grids because it could include a higher number of information onto a sheet of newsprint. Without the use of columns, the lines may be seen as too long and may tire the eyes of the reader.
In the early 20th century, grids became highly used after the Bauhaus and De Stijl movement. Designers like Jan Tschischold and Josef muller Brockmann created grid systems for typographic layouts and poster designs.
Grids were created as a system for organizing text, and so they remain today.
His influence of modular systems can be seen in many graphic and web designs today. He went further to explore the grid systems in three-dimensional spaces like exhibitions spaces as well as corporate interior design.
In late 20th century, designers became more involved in the use of grid systems and have continued to be used throughout.
References: https://trydesignlab.com/blog/grids-ui-ux-graphic-design-quick-history-5-amazing-tips/
Reflection:
In general, the past four weeks were pretty intense in terms of the information given and taken. The handout of key names and words were really essential and important, though it was a bit difficult to refer to whilst concentrating on the slides, considering how small the font size were. It could perhaps have been implemented into the first page of the slide as well. With regard to the lesson, it was content heavy but ended up being interesting and the break after 30-minutes helped us regain our concentration again. It was particularly exciting to learn the history of visual communication as I can implement the different movements and its style into my future works. Personally, the reflections at the end of the lesson were also quite beneficial as it allowed me to explore more about the topics that were rather interesting to me, that might not be deemed as interesting to others, and also allowed me to delve deeper into topics that were not taught in-depth as there is only so much history that can be passed on in 4 lessons.
With that, my suggestion for improvement would arise from the entirety of History of Design. As product design, visual communication and interactive media are taught by three different lecturers specialising in these specific modules, the history taught will, no doubt, overlap and may be too repetitive for us. Though it may be difficult, perhaps the amalgamation of the history of all three areas combined into one and spread out across the 14 weeks could help us better visualise the timeline and movements better (or not, heh). My next suggestion would be in terms of the test. Having an overall test at the end of the four weeks would be better to test us for our comprehension of the topic, instead of having it immediately after the lesson. Possibly a short kahoot game could replace the first quiz, just to check how we have faired and understood thus far, from the first two lessons?
4 weeks is too short to learn the history that have taken place throughout the years but I appreciate and enjoyed the effort by the other lecturers and Desmond to condense it down to the bare necessities and important informations.