System Boards

We were introduced to the concept of system boards in typography last week. System boards are to print compositions as the frame is to a house: something that defines the structure, but allows for both refinement and modification.

System boards allow you to work in pure line or form, making a skeleton of the composition. You establish an identity, a formal structure, then push and pull your content within that identity. In a way, it is the separation of information from the composition, allowing you to find flow lines, a grid structure, and modular/non-modular sections. I wish I had an example to show you; they look like very simple, grid-like sketches of lines.

Originally posted on Tuesday, October 26, 2004