A grid can be defined as a network of horizontal and perpendicular lines that are uniformly spaced. (The definition of grid, 2013)

The origins of the grid can be traced back to the middle ages. In the 1220s to 1240s, the French architect Villard de Honnecourt designed construction canons based on geometry. The principles which he used were later analysed by the designers and typographers of the 20th century. They managed to reverse – engineer his schematics. Among the known designers and typographers were Van de Graaf, Rosarivo and finally Tschichold, known for his book “Die Neue Typographie”. This book set new standards in regards to typography and design, which are still used today. Some of them are:

• Asymmetrical design;

• Contrasting elements;

• Elementary forms;

• Use of spatial intervals;

• Structure, balance, emphasis;

• Precision, objectivity, photography

(Meggs, 1998)

The grid system was hard to understand, without a proper explanation, therefore Josef Muller-Brockman set to explain them in his book “Grid systems in graphic design”. This led to a better understanding of how the grid worked and allowed designers to come up with better works than they did previously.

As a result, the grid found its way into more fields than just typography and graphic design. For example in interior design it could be put on the walls, floor and ceiling, thus giving good baselines for how the furniture could be arranged. The design of typography and graphic design brought new forms that are still a pleasure to look at, no matter how old.

The ideas that were described and explained in the “Grid systems in graphic design” have found their way in modern days. The grid is now used in the field of web, games and user experience design.

In the web design and user experience field, the grid can be used to arrange all the necessary boxes, to create a friendly interface, that is designed by the developer and transmit what he wants to the user. For example, if he wants to transmit a clean and professional attitude, he would use the pre-defined grid so he can arrange the boxes according to his sketches and then just introduce the content he desired to create it as imagined and transmitting the feelings he intended.

In the design of games, the grid is really necessary. Without it, the games would probably be slightly different from what they are in the present. In the graphic engines, which are used for 3D asset creation, the grid is used as a proportion tool to obtain the perfect look. In the games themselves, the grid can still be seen. For example, in the Sims build mode, the grid is used for the design of houses and everything attaches itself to it, or in games such as Age of Empires, although the grid is not visible, the way the buildings are constructed, stick to a pattern. In turn-based games, such as XCOM: Enemy Within, the grid is used as a movement device. We could say therefore that the grid has a big influence over them.