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Design: Getting Back to the Grid
What you need to know about the 960 Grid system
Linda never thought she'd live long enough to see a magazine layout applied to Web design. She talks about the 960 Grid system in this article.
Conclusion
Before you attempt to design a template or a Web site within a grid system, you need to understand that system. One simple link can provide you with all the information you need...and you can find that article, "Designing With Grid-Based Approach" at Smashing Magazine (yes, it was written in 2007, but the grid system goes back to cave paintings – I swear!).
Beyond that article, here are a few new articles about designing with the 960 Grid System:
- Why we love 960.gs: This WOO Theme article is short, so you might have time to read the comments, too.
- Fight Div-itis and Class-itis With the 960 Grid System: The Webdesigner Depot offers a clear explanation on why and how to use the 960 Grid System, and how <div> can be used to replace tables (although "using three or more levels of nested divs doesn't solve the problem—it just replaces one set of tags with another"). Read on to learn more about the solutions.
- Prototyping With The Grid 960 CSS Framework: This article from net tuts explains the basics of Grid 960, how to plan the grid for a design, and how to code the prototype.
- Creating a Basic Page Layout with 960 Grid: Teodor Kuduschiev wrote this article for DMXZone, using the free 960 Grid System Dreamweaver Extension.
Now, DMXZone also has a Designs Template section filled with designs created with the 960 Grid System extension for Dreamweaver. Take a look and let me know what you think.
Linda Goin
Linda Goin carries an A.A. in graphic design, a B.F.A. in visual communications with a minor in business and marketing and an M.A. in American History with a minor in the Reformation. While the latter degree doesn't seem to fit with the first two educational experiences, Linda used her 25-year design expertise on archaeological digs and in the study of material culture. Now she uses her education and experiences in social media experiments.
Accolades for her work include fifteen first-place Colorado Press Association awards, numerous fine art and graphic design awards, and interviews about content development with The Wall St. Journal, Chicago Tribune, Psychology Today, and L.A. Times.