Is Grids dead? Why do so many sites seem to not have it?

Design elements just seem all over the place these days. They react in a number of different ways, moving up and down, left to right, and even diagonally. Does anyone use a grill anymore?

All of these design schemes really got us thinking about grids and their use in modern website design. Is the grill dead? Why do so many projects look like they were designed off the grid? And have there been any fundamental changes in the last few years?

It’s a pretty complicated topic (and one that doesn’t have a very clear answer).

History of grids in website design

Grids are an old concept that goes as far back in graphic design as you can go. A system of using vertical and horizontal alignments to facilitate organization is important to ensure readability and design hierarchy.

The same grids used in print design were translated to the web when we started making websites and you’ll find a few key types of grids across most graphic and visual layouts:

• Column grid: Vertical sections that divide pages for alignment. On the web, the most common grid is the 12-column grid. The 12-column grid is popular because it can be subdivided in a number of ways for maximum flexibility, into 12, 6, 4, 3, 2, or 1-column sections that are all evenly spaced.
• Modular grid: A combination of vertical and horizontal columns to make modules for elements. It is often used to sort map elements on a web page.
• Masonry grid: Like a modular grid, but expanded to allow for elements of different shapes or...