Graphic Design/Using a Grid

A designer's grid structure is key to the layout of the project. A grid is an invisible framework made of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines that designers use to organize visual elements on a page, screen, or canvas. It creates structure, consistency, and balance in a composition.

In the 20th century, the grid became central to the International Typographic Style (also known as Swiss Style), where designers such as Josef Müller-Brockmann formalized its use as a modernist design principle emphasizing clarity, functionality, and neutrality.

In contemporary practice, grids underpin not only print media but also digital and user interface design, where frameworks such as the 12-column grid in web development (e.g., Bootstrap) are standard. Designers typically begin by establishing margins (the outer boundaries), then dividing the space into columns or modules, separated by gutters (the spaces between).