The idea for a logo often comes from imagination and a pencil in hand, not from an overwhelming number of guides, grids, and pretty circles. Graham Smith, designer The Logo Smith

Every designer works differently: some measure everything with a ruler, others spend hours looking for inspiration, and some even find another designer to do everything for them. But one thing remains constant – the use of modular grids. And that makes sense: without a modular grid, it's nearly impossible to align a website design properly. Otherwise, captions would be misaligned, blocks and lines uneven.

At the same time, many designers also use modular grids when working on logos. You might think, what's so special about them? Just draw a couple of guides, then sketch or write what you had in mind. However, logo grids become especially valuable when working with extreme sizes – very small or very large. Sure, you can create a graphic object, add text, and call it a logo. But once you start aligning elements to a grid, measuring angles and radii, you'll see how much more aesthetic and harmonious the design becomes.

In this article, we'll focus on logo grids and dispel the myth that few designers use them – even top web designers. We'll also look at how famous logos for major companies and social media projects were created. And we’ll question whether Graham Smith was right in his statement – or perhaps a bit mistaken.

A Personalized Modular Grid for a Logo

The main purpose of a logo grid is to help create geometrically accurate shapes. It's sometimes referred to as a construction guide for a logo. What's special about it is that it's unique to each project. A designer can't use some pre-made universal grid and just place shapes or letters onto it. Unlike in web design, where page layouts use standard grids with clearly defined parameters (three columns, section spacing, number of rows, etc.), logo design is different. Logos typically don’t follow the structural logic of one another – so their grids require a personalized mathematical approach.

Still, all grids can generally be classified into types that originate from a basic square structure. And what’s the first thing that comes to mind? A checkered school notebook. That’s right – it’s the foundation of any modular grid, including logo grids. But logo grids can be expanded and enhanced to boost functionality.

Meanwhile, some designers prefer a circular grid based on circles. In this case, the focus is on the golden ratio, and on carefully choosing and arranging elements so their intersections form new shapes. We’ll touch on that a bit later – it’s similar to the graphic abstraction we created together last Thursday. Other designers use a hybrid or “air” grid – one that’s invisible but sets the height lines, white space, and spacing between elements. And that’s all such a grid needs.

So, to summarize: a logo grid can be square, checkered, circular, or consist of just a couple of guides. Which one to choose depends entirely on the type of logo you want to create. Sketch a rough concept on paper, break the drawing into components, and decide where exactly you need to measure angles and distances. That’s how the grid will begin to emerge right on your paper. Later on, it’ll be easier to transfer your sketch into Photoshop or Illustrator and continue with more precise, detailed work.

A Universal Grid for Everyone

A grid, by definition, is a standard tool used across many design disciplines, including print and digital. There’s an old, time-tested concept of the grid (squares), as well as modern variations created by today’s designers. So when you create a custom grid for a specific logo, you’re actually designing a tailored tool.

Nevertheless, we often use classic grid styles in many creative fields – even in architecture and engineering drawings. Take, for example, the rule of thirds (a simplified golden ratio, explained on Wikipedia ). If you’ve ever enabled a grid overlay on a camera to align your shots – that’s what we’re talking about. The same applies to the golden ratio, to grid boundaries (large squares), or individual columns and rows.

On the left: without the rule of thirds. On the right: with it.

These same grids form the foundation of web design and website mockup layouts. Interestingly, the grids you use in web design can also help when working on logos – especially when designing large-scale graphics that can later be resized proportionally. The only issue is that not every modular grid is equally convenient.

A Modular Grid Isn’t Always Necessary

There are situations where using a grid is simply inappropriate. The reason? Geometric shapes are often not simple rectangles or banners. Instead, they include curves, soft lines, and flowing segments. In such cases, designers stick to just a few guides. After all, curved elements require different measurements than strict geometry. A great example is the famous USSR Quality Mark logo – here, a modular grid would be excessive. The harmony and structure are based on sizes, angles, and intersections alone.

Common Questions About Logo Grids

There are countless ways to build a logo grid for a specific design. The grid type you choose usually depends on the overall project and how comfortable you are working within that system. Think about usability, whether you need to break the grid down into smaller sections, the styles and shapes used in your logo sketch, and whether they really need to be aligned to a grid.

Over time, designers begin to choose grid styles and invent their own variations. This only comes with practice. Yes, working with a grid may seem complicated but also inspiring. You can sketch a logo in a day and say “voilà, it’s done!” – or you can revisit that same concept and build it with a grid. Here's why:

Logo Grids Are Evil

While we’ve been “praising” the use of modular logo grids, it’s worth noting that many designers deliberately avoid them. Some don’t see the point – or even mock those who use them. In reality, web professionals aren’t foolish, and their reasons can be explained by a few key facts:

Do You Use a Logo Grid?

How would each of you answer that question? It varies. Some designers don’t even work with logos and focus solely on websites. But for them, modular grids are even more essential. On the other hand, it’s often easier to sketch a draft on paper, build the structure of the logo, and then place all the elements on a grid. This helps you understand how the structure “feels,” what you might want to change, and what to avoid.

The portfolio of Swiss design agency Helvetic Brands perfectly showcases a range of logos – some built with grids, others with golden ratio techniques or abstract geometry.

In practice, it’s a good idea to start with a logo grid – even if you’re using basic shapes. Especially if you don’t design logos regularly; building from scratch is never easy. It’s like construction: building a house isn’t hard when you’ve got precise and well-drawn plans – not just for the house, but also surrounding infrastructure.

And if you’re developing a corporate logo as part of a global branding strategy, a logo grid becomes even more valuable. It allows you to analyze the entire structure, and identify elements that can be reused in other formats – website layouts (borders, dividers, headings), printed materials (business cards, badges, letterheads), and more.

This doesn’t mean you *have* to use a logo grid “right now, immediately, yesterday even.” But it does help you reflect on your design, spot things you might otherwise miss, and analyze form and balance more clearly.

Final Thoughts

The topic of logo grids is a sensitive one among web designers. But it’s also a favorite subject for exploration and discussion. Just Google “logo grid” and you’ll find a huge number of projects, examples, and famous brand designs – along with tutorials and expert articles.

Like any design style, trend, or method, the logo grid has its fans and skeptics. Some find it helpful, others design just fine without it. In fact, many never even considered it. In the end, it all comes down to you and your experience. If working with grids helps you – great! Keep exploring new styles and sources of inspiration. And of course, every idea begins in the imagination and with a pencil – only later do we refine it on screen.