Designers and developers each have their own individual definition and use of grids, making the concept a relatively nebulous and unclear concept to all. To some, grids could mean layout and structure, while to others grids refer to interactive tables that manage data. Understanding the target audience is key here because there might not be a universally understandable direction which can lead designers to be misguided during the cross-collaboration process. When given the time, developers and designers can fully evaluate the user story and create a thoughtful user experience together through the use of grids. But first, we need to find common ground to work from.
Identifying a Grid
As we mentioned, it is important to know your audience when talking about Grids. If you come from a typical design background, the word “Grid” instantly brings you to think about layout (either print or online). The term has even penetrated CSS with the Grid Layout. As you can see in this article, that demonstrates the use of the term “Grid” generically for design layout purposes.