When you’re ready to create a visual, do you get overwhelmed by a blank page? Are you unsure where to start?

You’re not alone.

Designers face this daily, yet they create stunning, organized layouts effortlessly.

Their secret weapon? Grid systems.

Welcome to another mini masterclass on visual communication. Today, let’s uncover the magic behind three essential grid systems that can elevate your design and streamline your image-making.

#1: Rule of Thirds grid

This grid divides the picture plane into nine equal parts: two equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines. This creates a grid with four intersection points.

The main idea is to place key elements of the composition along these lines or at their intersections. This approach creates a balanced and dynamic composition compared to centering subjects, which can lead to static or less interesting images.

This grid is said to have originated from the “divine proportion” in classical art and architecture. It gained prominence with the advent of photography in the 1800s because it created balanced and engaging images.

#2: Golden Ratio grid

This grid has a deep mathematical structure, dating back to the Egyptians and Greeks, who applied it to structures like the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Parthenon. It also shows up in nature in the arrangement of leaves, tree branches, flowers, shell spirals, and more.

For example, if you start with a rectangle in the 1:1.618 proportions and cut out a square (blue, below L), the remaining rectangle (aqua, below R) will be in the same proportion.

If you repeat the process with the new rectangle (e.g., carving out a square), the pattern emerges.

After repeating the process several times (here you can see five times), you can plot the peak corner of the square in each step to create the famous Golden Spiral. (This is the black line that arcs through the peak intersection of each rectangle.)

Architects, artists, and designers have used this grid for centuries for items as diverse as historic structures, da Vinci paintings, and recent Apple products. The results are balanced compositions that are naturally appealing.

For a deeper dive, visit the Golden Number website created by Gary Meisner.

#3: Rectangular Grid

These grids divide the picture plane into repeating parts, often in squares or rectangles. They offer an underlying structure that is flexible for many uses.

Architects use grids in planning and building design. Urban planners rely on them to create a sense of order. And artists such as Piet Mondrian made grids a central element of their work.

Rectangular grids are popular in graphic design, especially those based on the International Typographic Style (more commonly known as the Swiss Style). This system emerged in Russia, Germany, and the Netherlands in the 1920s and became famous through masterful Swiss graphic designers in the mid-20th century.

The Swiss Style emphasizes clarity, orderly layouts, sans-serif typefaces like Helvetica and Univers, and readability.

In modern terms, this grid system is found in web layouts, design software, and social media templates. For example, Squarespace, Adobe, and Canva all integrate grids into their software.

Grids offer guidelines for new designers while providing shortcuts and snap-to elements for experienced pros.

Grid it!

Mastering these grid systems can elevate your design practice and make your layouts more organized and visually compelling.

Whether you’re using the Rule of Thirds to create balanced compositions, harnessing the timeless beauty of the Golden Ratio, or choosing rectangular grids for their versatility and precision, these tools are essential for a visual communicator’s toolkit.

By integrating these grid systems into your workflow, you’ll simplify the design process and produce precise, aesthetically appealing work. So, dive into the magic of grids and transform your visual approach.

❤️ My favorite visual delights

Here are this week’s gems from around the Web to help you build visibility, credibility, and authority:

🧠 The best books on critical thinking​
The best visuals begin with clear ideas. Here's an overview of critical thinking and reviews of six leading books on the topic. It’s curated by Nigel Warburton, host of the Philosophy Bites podcast and author of Thinking from A to Z.​

🌗 How screens actually affect your sleep​
Do you peek at your phone or laptop before going to sleep? Yeah, I do, too. But what is really going on with blue light and sleep patterns? Turns out, it’s different than you think. This 6-minute video helps you sort out science from stories, so you can have both sleep and some late-night browsing.

✍️ unDraw: Open-source illustrations
​This large library of open-source and copyright-free illustrations can be used for commercial and noncommercial purposes. The images are available in SVG and PNG formats. A labor of love from Greek illustrator Katerina Limpitsouni. Access for free or become a patron.

Other SOLO articles

Did you miss some of these recent popular issues of SOLO?
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✅ What’s Your Go-To Shape?​

✅ My 7 Heroes of Visual Communication​

✅ Pick Your Perfect Brand Color​

Want to check out other past issues? Visit the SOLO newsletter archive.

Thanks again for being a SOLO reader and coming along on this journey of visual exploration.
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See you next week,