The National Grid No.6

The National Grid #6 is a maintenance manual for graphic design. It features articles of a historical nature. For example Max Hailstone's 'Treaty Posters' are given a good airing, while the New Zealand government's Design Taskforce and Better By Design initiatives are thoroughly investigated. Design Historian Noel Waite is given a good talking to, and Bruce Russell summons 12" voodoo through Jimi Hendrix and Walter Benjamin. There are also some large concrete structures, a letterpress job, motorcycles and some Incredibly Hot sex With Hideous People.

Not quite 'magazine' and not quite 'academic journal', The National Grid attempts to chart a path through the murky wasteland between the professional practice of graphic design and its troublesome academic manifestations. The National Grid was first published in March 2006. It is edited and designed by Luke Wood and Jonty Valentine. It is independently published in New Zealand, and is distributed internationally. The National Grid receives funding from Creative New Zealand.