Grid Design: Grid Systems & Grid Theory in Website Design
Grid Design
Grid design is one of the quiet methodologies behind clean, balanced and professional websites – the kind users instinctively trust and find easy to navigate.
Whether you work with a design tool like Figma, design for print, or build digital experiences, you’ve almost certainly used a grid. Grids aren’t just organisational tools; they’re a design language. They bring order, structure, proportion and visual harmony to layouts.
At KIJO, we refer to grid design theory and grid systems in virtually every website we design. In this article, we’ll break down what grid theory means, how website grids work, the most common grid types, and how you can use grid design to improve your user experience (UX) and responsiveness.
Related Read: The Gestalt Principles of Design in Websites & UX
What Is Grid Theory in Web Design?
Grid theory is the design principle of using intersecting lines – vertical, horizontal, or both – to structure and organise content. A grid acts as the skeleton beneath a layout, helping designers create balance, rhythm, hierarchy and visual consistency.
Grids aren’t new. For centuries, manuscripts, books and newspapers followed structured grids long before websites existed. Designers like Jan Tschichold helped modernise the concept, pairing grid systems with asymmetric layouts and generous white space.
Today, grid design theory is the backbone of responsive website design, ensuring content adapts effortlessly across mobile, tablet and desktop screens.
In short:
Readability improves user experience
Grid theory keeps design structured
Structure improves readability
Why Does Grid Design Matter?
In website design, grid systems are essential because they:
- Create visual hierarchy so users instantly know what’s most important
- Guide the user’s eye naturally through content
- Make complex information feel organised
- Improve readability and scanning
- Ensure content is responsive across devices
- Bring consistency to recurring sections, modules and templates
Without a grid system, a website will feel messy, inconsistent and harder for users to understand.
Types of Grid Systems
Below are the most common grid structures used in modern website design and UI layouts.
Baseline Grids
A baseline grid controls the vertical spacing between lines of text. Although more common in print, it’s relevant for digital typography too – helping designers maintain consistent line spacing, alignment and rhythm.
Manuscript Grid
A single-column layout used traditionally in books and text-heavy documents. Whilst less common on websites, you’ll still see manuscript grids in long-form articles or minimalist editorial sites.
Column Grids
Column grids are the backbone of most website grid structures. Designers typically work with 12-column grids because they divide neatly into 2, 3, 4 or 6 columns.
Gut spacing (the space between columns) keeps content appropriately “aired” and gives layouts room to “breathe.”
Modular Grids
A modular grid introduces both columns and rows, creating individual modules for content. Popular in:
- Portfolios
Product listings
Dashboards
eCommerce layouts
Hierarchical Grids
The most flexible grid, shaped around the content rather than rigid columns. Designers place key elements first, then organise other content around them. Perfect for storytelling pages, brand sites and hero layouts.
Elements of Grid Design
Units
These are the small structural blocks that make up a grid. In a 12-column layout, each of the 12 divisions is a unit.
Gutters
This is the term for the spacing between elements or columns. Gutters prevent visual overload and ensure readability.
Columns
Columns are groups of units combined with gutters. Columns help you position content strategically – placing important content in wide columns and secondary content in narrow ones.
Fields
Fields are horizontal bands of content formed by columns. As you scroll down a webpage, you move through different fields that make up the grid’s hierarchy.
Examples of Grid Theory in Practice
Twelve Unit Grids
These are highly flexible and used by most modern website builders, including Elementor itself. You can divide it into 4, 3, 2 or 6 columns depending on your layout needs.
Four Column Grids
Great for footers (like the Uber one pictured) and simple layouts. Symmetrical and clean, though not always the most dynamic for content hierarchy.
Three Column Grid
Popular for editorial and eCommerce listing pages. Prestigious brands like Aesop typically use this grid style to display products elegantly.
Six Column Grids
Ideal for content-heavy websites like Airbnb, providing lots of flexibility without sacrificing white space (which helps content breathe).
What Software Helps With Grid Design?
Today’s designers typically use digital tools that include built-in grid functionality. The most popular options include:
- Figma (most widely used for website grid design)
Figma grids allow you to:
- Configure column grids, modular grids and layout grids
- Apply grids to frames for responsive web design
- Adjust gutters, margins and column counts
- Preview how your website grid adapts at different breakpoints
(Figma grid is now considered an industry standard for website design.)
- Adobe XD
Great for UI design, offering repeat grids and responsive resize tools. - Sketch
Still widely used for macOS designers; supports layout grids and smart guides.
Related Read: 10 Responsive Design Essentials for a Seamless User Experience
What Is the Most Common Website Grid?
The twelve column grid is by far the most common website grid structure used today.
Why? Because 12 divides evenly into:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 6
This level of flexibility supports endless layout combinations, from full-width hero sections to multi-column content blocks.
If you’ve ever worked with Figma, Elementor or Shopify themes – you’ve used a 12-column website grid.
Related Read: Shopify vs WordPress: Which is Best for Your eCommerce Website?
Grid Systems in Web Design: Best Practice
Remember these fundamentals when designing a website grid:
- Pick a grid that suits your content
Instead of forcing content into a rigid structure, choose a grid that naturally supports the type and volume of content you’re designing for. Your grid should enhance your layout, not restrict it. - Break the grid if industry appropriate
Don’t be afraid to break symmetry if it improves the storytelling or user journey. However, this does depend on the project. More conventional websites suit a stricter grid. But, businesses like creative agencies or an artist’s website might benefit from some experimental, grid-breaking design that intentionally shakes up the structure – if it complements the brand. - Design responsively
Ensure your grid adapts to mobile, tablet and desktop using:
- Fluid grids
- Relative units
- Flexible gutters
- Use white space generously
White space prevents clutter and increases focus. - Consider the Golden Ratio
For visually harmonious layouts, use the Golden Ratio to guide spacing and composition.
Related Read: The Golden Ratio in Website Design
Grid Design is Everywhere
Once you understand grid design, you’ll start seeing it everywhere – across websites, apps, magazines, eCommerce stores and even packaging.
At KIJO, grid design underpins every website we build. It brings clarity, structure and a sense of visual calm that users instantly recognise (and trust).
If you’re considering a new website or want to refine your current layout, get in touch today. Our passionate design team can help you build a grid-led website that feels balanced, modern and beautifully user-friendly.
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