Before the invention of movable type and printing, simple grids based on optimal proportions had been used to arrange handwritten text on pages. One such system, known as the “Villiards Diagram,” was in use at least since medieval times. Interior designers arrange rooms based on a grid system, and city planners work on a grid too. It’s a wonder what took web designers and developers so long to show interest in a system that has been essential to the printed word since the ‘30s.
Designing with a grid provides a framework for creativity. Instead of spending time asking where this element should go, or how wide should that element be, a well designed grid can go a long way to helping you arrive at solutions that feel right.
There are quite a few readymade grids available to lend a hand on your projects today. My favourite is the 960 Grid System started by Nathan Smith and it’s quite possibly one of the most popular grids available today. The package includes Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, CSS, HTML, and sketch sheets to help you get started.
Some designers loathe the idea of a grid, boasting it kills creativity altogether, designing your work for you. I, on the other hand, believe it to be a vital tool for designing information in an easy to understand way that we could all benefit from. And once you’ve learnt the rules, breaking them can yield some quite interesting work.
Tags: 960, design, grid, Illustrator, mockup, PhotoShop, tools, Web, winnipeg
