The whole concept of a definitive grid 'system' is a relatively recent invention in the world of design. Grids have existed intuitively since the earliest days of man drawing and writing, but it's only recently that layout has been considered in a scholarly fashion, and as such it has never existed in isolation from other best-practice layout rules. One such example of crossover is where the Golden Ratio meets the grid.
The Golden Ratio (also known as the golden mean) determines the most pleasing set of proportions for an element, and is simplified to the 'rule of thirds'. When used in combination with a grid, these simple rules for size, position and proportion can help ensure a layout feels coherent, but also aesthetically appealing.
This is important because, once again, it can help make the content more accessible. Remember that a grid is the invisible glue behind the content – in most cases it should be transparent to the viewer.
04. Grids provide a solid foundation
As we've seen, grids exist primarily to help determine the positioning and balance in a layout. Providing this kind of firm foundation can help ensure content is presented in an easy-to-understand order, but it can also be used to highlight specific areas of content simply by breaking them out of the grid.
The viewer will naturally identify these break-outs and be drawn towards them, giving the designer the opportunity to play with the hierarchy of a layout and tweak the meaning of a piece of work.
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