The designer's guide to grid theory

Whether you work in web or print design, you need to understand grid theory. While some designers actively eschew grids in favour of a more intuitive, freeform layout, the most successful do so having worked with grids for years – they understand the rules before they break them.

For self-taught designers, a lot of the theory and rationalisation behind the grid as a design tool simply isn't covered by the typical blog posts and conference talks. We're here to set things straight with this pocket-sized guide to the grid, including a small smattering of theory. 

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Sam Hampton-Smith

Sam is a designer and illustrator based in Scotland, UK. He splits his time between art and design, motion and video and writing for various creative titles. He has written a book about web design, Pro CSS3 Layout Techniques and contributed to typography book, Fonts and Typefaces Made Easy.

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