The Marber grid was created in the 1960’s to accommodate book cover artwork along with a title. It utilizes the top 1/3 for text, and the rest of the page is reserved for an image. When planning the layout for the Metromoheim Museum catalog I decided that a Marber-style grid could be used for every page containing artwork. For the cover page, a traditional Marber grid was used, featuring a large title and all other text elements at the top 1/3 of the page. This highlights the title and immediately engages readers. The bottom 2/3 was reserved for an artwork teaser image.
For the artwork pages, I decided to fill the full page with the artist's work and then utilize the bottom 1/3 of the page for accompanying information, resembling an upside-down hybrid of a Marber grid and a full-page spread. The decision to employ a hybrid Marber grid and full-page spread for the artwork pages maximizes space for showcasing the artist's work while maintaining a balanced presentation with accompanying information strategically placed at the bottom instead of the top to maintain appropriate hierarchy in the design ensuring that the artwork is the focal point, and the accompanying info is secondary. Utilizing a hybrid Marber style grid for most of the pages, creates a cohesive design that showcases the artwork, and proves that even strict layout designs can be creatively used outside of the box.
