Design Foundations

2026-06-15

Grid systems: the invisible structure behind every layout

Every layout decision lives on a grid — even when you can't see one. This article unpacks what grids are made of (columns, gutters, margins), the six main grid types, the history from Gutenberg to Müller-Brockmann to Figma, the 8pt grid standard for digital interfaces, and five rules every designer should keep.

Design Foundations

Information architecture: turn user language into a tested navigation path

Poka-yoke: design predictable mistakes out of the path

Hick's Law: reduce competing choices, not useful capability

Material selection is a design decision, not a finish decision

Anthropometry for designers: choose the right body-size range

Visual hierarchy: make the important thing look important

Affordances and signifiers: make the action visible

Fitts's Law: why button size and distance matter

Color Theory for UI Designers: Hue, Value, Chroma, and Contrast

Grid systems: the invisible structure behind every layout

Gestalt principles: how your brain organizes what you see

Typography fundamentals every designer should know