Grid structure in typography an design has become part of the status quo of design, but as recent history has shown, there are numerous other ways to organize information and images. The decision whether to use a grid always comes down to the nature of the content in a given project.

Alternative Organizational Approaches

Sometimes, the content has its own internal structure, which a gris will not necessarily clarify. Sometimes, the content needs to ignore structure altogether to create specific kinds of emotional reactions in the intended audience. Sometimes, the designer simply expects the audience to have a more complex intellectual involvement with the piece.

Grid Deconstruction - As the word implies, the purpose of deconstructing is to deform a rationally structured space so that the elements within that space are forced into new relationships. There is not one set of rules that can be applied to the process of deconstructing. But if the goal is to find new spatial or visual relationships by breaking down a structure, it's helpful to at least begin thinking about that process in a methodical way.

Linguistic Deconstruction - Verbal or conceptual cues within the content can also be used to break structure. The natural rhythm of spoken language, for example, is often used as a guide for changing weight, size and color or alignment along lines of type; louder or faster word may be set in larger or bolder type or in italics, corresponding to stresses and lulls in actual speech.

Spontaneous Optical Composition - Far from being random, this compositional method can be described as purposeful intuitive placement of material based on its formal aspects and making connections for the viewer based solely on those relationships. one way of exaggerating the spontaneity of a composition is to perform a chance operation. The use of chance as an organizing principle seems counterintuitive, however the unpredictable results can aid in communication from a conceptual standpoint by bringing out juxtapositions of material that might otherwise have escaped notice.

In an effort to create a meaningful impression, designers have pursued various new ways of organizing visual experience.