With news last week of the big Boeing contract we thought about this print ad from our archives. The ad, which ran in the May 10, 1963 issue of Time magazine is designed to show a rational grid-like precision, which seems appropriate for “Testing, testing….” the Boeing 727.
In his book titled Typography, Swiss designer, typographer and teacher, Emil Ruder makes a strong case for utilizing grid systems in organizing type and pictorial elements on a page. In describing the Boeing ad we have adopted what Ruder states in his book, “The layout is based on a grid unit of [twelve] squares for various picture sizes, which allow for numerous positions and sizes. Consistency of design can be achieved by developing an underlying grid pattern to which all elements must comply”.
Ruder further adds, “…This pattern is the means of establishing a formal unity between the different amounts of text and different sizes and shapes of pictures. The pattern should not be conspicuous in the final result but rather be concealed by the diversity of the pictorial subjects and typographical values”. [1]
- Ruder, Emil. Typography: a Manual of Design. Trans. D. Q. Stephenson. New York: Hastings House, Publishers, Inc., 1981. 185-86. Print.
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