If your eLearning or presentation slides appear out of control, designing with a grid will bring order to your work. If you no longer want that random, haphazard look, a grid will help you organize and align visual elements.
Grids provide structure and consistency to a visual composition. You can use a grid as an organizing reference for any visual medium, such as eLearning, presentation slides, graphics, websites, job aids, and manuals. See How to Design a Quick Reference Card for an example of a grid-based design.
Grids also provide constraints. Pushing up against constraints often promotes creativity. Timothy Samara, author of Making and Breaking the Grid, sums up the benefits of working with a grid nicely:
“The benefits of working with a grid are simple: clarity, efficiency, economy and continuity.”
–Timothy Samara, author of Making and Breaking the Grid
A Grid Organizes Graphic Space
A grid divides your slide, page, or graphic into columns spaced at equal or varied intervals. Most content creation tools easily create grid guidelines, which you can typically toggle on and off.
The grid spacing you choose depends on the nature of the content you’re working with and the look and feel you want for your project. For example, if you require lots of white space in your slide layout, you might want a grid with wide margins and only three columns and three rows. A five-column grid might be more appropriate for a precise and detailed look. A creative design might emerge from a grid with unequal columns and rows.
Surprisingly, relying on a grid system still allows you to be flexible. And when working with multiple designers and developers, grids are a good way to maintain consistency.
The Modular Grid
Two common types of grids are multi-column and modular. Multi-column grids are ideal for columns of printed text, web design, and job aids, whereas a modular grid is ideal for slide design. A modular grid uses the spatial zones formed from the intersection of vertical and horizontal lines, known as modules or cells. You can overlay a grid like this on a slide or display it in the background. Remove the grid before saving the final version. Here are a few terms that explain the anatomy of a grid.
- Margin: Blank space between the edge of a page or slide and the content. You can also choose to avoid a margin and use images that go right up to the edge.
- Columns: The vertical areas created from the gridlines
- Gutter: Space in between the columns and rows
- Flowline: Horizontal lines of the grid that move the viewer’s eye across the screen
- Module: Cell in the grid
- Spatial Zone: Group of modules
When you align images so that they appear to be hanging from a flowline, it is known as a hang line. These horizontal lines help move the viewer’s eye across the slide or page. When your text sits on a horizontal line, it is known as a baseline.
Using the same grid throughout a project creates a sense of unity and coherence in design. However, you may wish to use a particular grid for specific layouts, such as one grid for title and topic slides. You can also use a grid on occasion when you need an organizing guide. Breaking the grid and ignoring it is an effective way to grab the viewer’s attention.
Designing with a Modular Grid
To design with a modular grid, experiment with arranging blocks of a muted color that represent the visual elements you plan to use. Assign each spatial zone with a purpose, such as an area for text, interactions, or an area for an image.
In the title slide example below, the horizontal zone is reserved for title text. I’ll also create a zone for an eye-catching graphic on the left.
Or rather than work with blocks of a muted color, you can create spatial zones by experimenting with text, images, and visual elements like shapes and blocks of color. When you find a layout that solves your design problem, consider reusing the approach for slides that have a similar purpose.
For a background I used a solid color. However, a gradient, shapes, or a faded image could also work with the grid. Some people like to start with the background and structure the elements around it.
Using a Grid for the Rule of Thirds
One well-known compositional technique is the Rule of Thirds. You may be familiar with this concept from photography but may not think of using it for learning design.
Using a 3×3 grid, place the elements along the grid lines or at their intersections, known as power points. This results in an asymmetrical design, which creates a dynamic and aesthetically pleasing composition. Note that a symmetrical design can also be compelling.
Using the Rule of Thirds in a design.
Hopefully, you can see that using a grid provides a structure that allows for flexibility. This is an effective way to assist you with visual problem solving. Learn more about designing with grids at Grids in Graphic Design.
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