Grids are of course a common and valuable device for visual designers; much has been written about “the grid” from the standpoint of design criticism, theory, and history. However, it’s also important to develop a sensitivity to see the “invisible gridlines” lying behind the composition of UI controls in a dialog box, for instance…and minimize the number of intersecting lines. That’s actually how one can achieve a cleaner layout and design, with greater alignment of objects at the most tedious level of detail: x-heights, widths, outside borders, etc. It’s focus on that level of detail that can help distinguish one’s design as truly perfected, rather than merely sufficient.
Ghost in the Pixel
Uday Gajendar's musings on design
