Gridismo is a tool I developed that enables users to create grids in Adobe Illustrator. It employs a parametric approach in which one can build a grid design grid line by grid line. For each grid line, the user can assign a color, weight, offset, opacity, end style, and a dash pattern. This allows the creation of rich grid designs and elevates grid generation from a drafting process to a form of art.

Users can save grid designs as XML files and publish their designs for sharing with other people. Designs could be described and tagged for better identification and classification.

The exercise builds on the experience I gained from the development of an experimental tool for the creation of generative art in Adobe Illustrator. However, the spark of the idea was triggered from the visitors of my blog at http://arabictype.wordpress.com. For some bizarre reason, the blog statistics showed reader interest in an image of grid paper that I posted in one of my blog entries. To service the appetite of my readers for grids, I created this tool as a treat.

Since the tool was meant for public usage, a proper user interface was required. User interfaces are always a challenge for me even when I have been making dialog interfaces for so many years. Nevertheless, I enjoy designing the interface, and it is so satisfying to marvel over the many dialog boxes I’ve made.

I developed a makeshift web page to offer the tool for download at http://kmk-design.com/gridismo. The download package includes samples, a user manual, and a tutorial exercise.

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