In 2019, web design trends are all about thinking outside the box, or rather, the grid. Broken grid and asymmetrical designs are leaving their mark across the web design industry in a big way. In spite of the push from many web designers towards flat, fast, minimalist design, there’s also a large contingent of designers advocating for the fresh, striking look of broken layouts.
When we talk about broken grids or asymmetrical layouts, this refers to the grid system that has been used for decades on all kinds of layouts, from web pages to newspapers to print and outdoor ads. A grid system helps a designer maintain alignment and consistency easily when they are adding content — images, headlines, copy, calls-to-action — to whatever medium they are working in, maintaining the structure of the grid in the underlying layout while generally maintaining symmetry as well.
Historically, not using a grid or “winging it” has resulted in what many have called sloppy or distracting designs that keep the user from focusing on the most important parts of the page. However, asymmetry and broken grids have been gaining more and more popularity, likely due to having found a way to not look like most other website designs, while at the same time not being distracting or sloppy.
Designers are able to achieve this through carefully and thoughtfully breaking the grid pattern and establishing a hierarchy with planned asymmetry. The use of unusual placements, layering with different colors and textures, repeating irregular patterns, use of white space, and creative use of typography create a sense of depth not normally found in grid-based layouts.
These designs are striking, helping to engage users and point them towards the most important parts of the website, but not due to established, rote design patterns. Instead, creative use of visual hierarchy directs the eye on where to look. Using colors, shapes, textures, expressive use of type, and dynamic imagery, the designer can direct the user’s attention in a new, engaging manner toward the content or the CTAs that they want users to find.