A grid is a structure that allows you to organize content or elements.
Reticle is a term that can be used in different contexts . In its broadest sense, it can be defined as a two-dimensional structure that allows certain elements or content to be organized .
The grid as a design tool emerged in ancient times. Painters, sculptors and architects used the so-called golden ratio as a basis to maintain proportions and harmony . In this way, appealing to perpendicular and parallel lines, they drew a grid that guided the subsequent development of the work.
The golden ratio (also known as the golden ratio , golden mean and golden number , among other names) emerged as a result of a deep observation of nature, of elements such as the human body itself, honeycombs, seashells, the leaves and flowers, since they all seem to obey a certain mathematical formula that hides the secret of their apparent harmony , of what we recognize as "the perfection of nature" and that seems indecipherable.
Grids in design
Currently, grids are used in graphic design and web design to structure content. Beyond the fact that they constitute a support for creation, they are generally not taken as a precise limit, that is, they can be transcended by the artist .
In the field of design, the use of a grid is very necessary to establish the foundations of a work before starting with the details . Since it is a very broad and versatile concept, the appearance of the grid can also be very varied: depending on the needs and characteristics of each case, it can be a large rectangle divided into cells ; several squares of different sizes distributed throughout the workspace; etc.
When creating a web page, for example, the grid used to arrange the elements usually consists of a rectangle for the marquee, where the logo will be located, another for the main menu, and then a series of shaped cells. varied to indicate the position of the articles on the cover, the advertising spaces, the social network widgets and the description of the site, among many other possible elements . Free blogging services, such as Blogger , often feature this design tool to make work easier for their users.
Grids are very important in the field of design.
a model
A synonym for grid in this context can be mockup , when it comes to the basis of the arrangement of the elements, and this was already used before the digital era, for the creation of magazines, newspapers and books.
This structure must take into account various factors, among which the format of the sheet (whether physical or digital) and its orientation stand out, but also whether there will be the option to scale and restructure the content in real time; Given that we can currently access the same document through very different means (a computer, a phone, a tablet), it is necessary to devise a design capable of adapting to the resolution and mode of interaction of each one.
Other uses of the term reticle
Within the context of the photoengraving process, the network of points that is used, based on changes in the grouping density of these points, is called a grid to develop different shades of highlights and shadows.
For surveying , the grid is a plate that is divided into very small squares with the aim of establishing the area of a certain figure.
In some countries , finally, the scheme or diagram that details the subjects that are part of a degree is called a grid. In this way, by observing a grid, we can know how the different subjects that must be taken to complete the degree are structured. This makes it easier to plan the courses and organize the studies to be carried out.