On Grids
A grid is not a constraint. It is the decision to make all subsequent decisions within a structure, so that coherence does not depend on taste alone.
The most common misunderstanding about grid systems is that they produce rigid layouts. The opposite is true. A well-defined grid provides more freedom than an empty canvas, because the decisions about proportion, alignment, and rhythm have already been made. What remains is composition.
Columns and Gutters
The studio uses a twelve-column grid for most identity systems. Twelve divides evenly into halves, thirds, quarters, and sixths, which covers nearly every layout condition a brand will encounter across print and digital applications. The gutter width is fixed relative to the column width, typically at a ratio of 1:5. A 60mm column gets a 12mm gutter. This ratio holds across scales, from business cards to environmental signage.
Some designers prefer grids with odd column counts or asymmetric structures. There are valid applications for this, particularly in editorial design where visual tension serves the content. For brand identity work, symmetry and even division are more useful. The identity system will be applied by people who are not designers. Simplicity in the underlying structure reduces the chance of misapplication.
The Grid as Brand Element
A recent project for a Copenhagen hotel group required a system that would work across room signage, menus, stationery, and a digital booking platform. The grid became the unifying element. Every touchpoint uses the same proportional structure: content occupies the lower two-thirds of the available area, with the upper third reserved for the wordmark or left empty. This produces a consistent visual signature without relying on color, imagery, or decorative elements.
The constraint was the point. When a new restaurant opened within the group, the in-house team produced menus, table cards, and wayfinding that looked coherent with the existing properties. They did not need to consult the studio. The grid did the work.
This principle extends beyond brand identity into any discipline that organizes visual information. Jens Eriksson, whose work on data visualization is rooted in the same concern for structural clarity, has demonstrated how grid alignment and typographic hierarchy in chart design serve the same function as a brand grid: coherence that does not depend on individual judgment.
Breaking the Grid
Muller-Brockmann's grids are celebrated, but his most memorable compositions break them. A single element that crosses a column boundary or bleeds into a margin draws attention precisely because the grid has established expectation. Without the system, the break has no meaning.
The studio permits grid breaks in campaign materials and limited-edition packaging, never in core identity applications. The rule is simple: the system must be established before it can be violated. A brand that has not yet earned its grid has not yet earned the right to break it.