Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CreativeBloq/~3/P-TvMXgw3xM/band-logo-12121502

What makes a great logo design for a band? A clever concept and the ability to become just as iconic as the music is a good start, but originality is just as important.

From hard rock to pop, we've picked some of our favourite band logo designs – including some old favourites as well as some newcomers. Be inspired by these beautiful band logos, all of which boast stand-out quality.

01. Run the Jewels

RTJ’s logo has been through a few revisions over the years

Hip hop supergroup Run the Jewels have grabbed plenty of headlines over the past few years with their first album and various tracks released for free online, all of them featuring a variation on the same logo: a pair of hands, one in the shape of a gun and the other clutching a thick gold chain. It's the work of artist Nicholas Gazin, and RTJ's El-P revealed the thinking behind it over on Instagram in 2015; he published a screenshot of an email to Gazin in which he explains that the gun hand is robbing the hand holding the chain.

02. Ho99o9

Ho9909 = horror

We weren't sure what to make of Ho99o9's name when we first saw it; were they supposed to be called Hoggog or something? But no, the nines in their name are there instead of the letter r, and it's really Horror. We're not sure why exactly, but we do know that it fits perfectly with their slightly terrifying DIY hardcore punk/hip hop mashup aesthetic.

03. The Monkees

The classic Monkees logo still looks good, 50 years later

Infamously manufactured for TV, The Monkees still had a bunch of great tunes – thanks to a roster of top songwriters and session musicians – and a fantastic guitar-shaped logo, conceived by the show's publicity man and drawn for $75 by Nick LoBianco. It's stood the test of time, still looking fresh on the cover of 2016's Good Times, the band's first album in 20 years.

04. Unkle

Graffiti artist Futura 2000 helped define much of Unkle’s visual identity

American graffiti artist Futura 2000 (now known as plain Futura) had form as an illustrator and graphic designer for music, most notably for his work on The Clash's Combat Rock. But it was his work for James Lavelle's Mo' Wax records that really launched his design career, and which also led to him creating the logo and other imagery for Lavelle's Unkle project. The two scratchy, pointy-headed alien figures are a perfect match for the first Unkle album, Psyence Fiction.

05. Adam and the Ants

Danny Kleinman went on to create the title sequences for James Bond films

Adam Ant, with his background of art school and the DIY punk ethos, always had a keen interest in getting his band's image right. From his early punk singles, for which he drew the cover artwork himself, through to his later chart toppers, he'd mastermind powerful, eye-catching looks, and this Adam and the Ants logo, designed by Danny Kleinman and known as the Warrior Ant, is a corker.

06. The Doors

The reflective “o” of The Doors’ typography remains iconic

Simple and iconic. This bold, geometric design with the tiny, psychedelic and italicised 'THE' is perhaps one of the most recognised band logotypes in the world. Perfectly summing up the trippy, hippie counter-culture of the late '60's, The Doors didn't need a symbol or an image. Their typographic design remains just as fresh to new eyes today as it did to the kids of the swinging sixties.

07. Dream Theater

Dream Theater kept hold of their majesty logo, even with a new vocalist and band name

Progressive metal band, Dream Theater's "majesty symbol" is a reimagining of Mary, Queen of Scots' mark. Designed by former vocalist, Charlie Dominici, when the band was still known as Majesty (hence the symbol's title) the band kept the logo and it has gone on to feature on nearly every Dream Theater release.

08. The Dead Kennedys

An iconic punk symbol that is as easily graffitied as an anarchy sign

Designed by artist Winston Smith, the Dead Kennedys DK logo is a perfect example of simple, easily imitable graphic design. Singer Jello Biafra is quoted as saying, "I wanted to make sure it was something simple and easy to spray-paint so people would graffiti it all over the place."

After showing it to Smith, he "came back with a bunch of designs that had the circle and slightly 3D-looking letters and he had ones with different patterns behind it. I liked the one with bricks, but ultimately I thought simple red behind it was the boldest and the best."

09. Gorillaz

Gorillaz are virtual, and arguably the entire band is a logo for their creators’ project

This entire band is arguably a logo, a brand and no doubt a great achievement in design. However, the graffiti-styled typeface is a recognisable testiment to how simply you can sum up your band, just by picking the right font. This typographic post-apocalyptic street art homage encapsulates the political aesthetics that Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett were so keen to capture.

10. Nirvana

The Nirvana logo is easily one of the most recognisable in the music industry

One of the most recognisable logos in music history, the Nirvana logo design has been a common sight T-shirts for over two decades. Featuring an Onyx typeface and a smiley face – said to be inspired by a strip club in Seattle – the juxtaposing colours make this an iconic band logo design.

11. Weezer

The logo design was created by the band’s drummer

Designed by the band's drummer, Patrick Wilsen, in 1993, the Weezer logo was originally in lower case. The 'flying W' used the Futura Medium font before a few alterations were made. Fans are known to recreate this logo design at shows using hand signals, proving its worth and success in creating a brand for the band.

12. Jurassic 5

The band logo perfectly encorporates the ‘J’ and ‘5’ into the design

Perfectly encorporating both the 'J' and the '5' to portray Jurassic 5, this is an epic hip-hop logo that allows the design to be featured on a range of records thanks to its circular design. Designed by band member Charlie "Chali 2na" Stewart, it's been produced in a wide range of colours for much of the band's merchandise and remains a strong contender as one of the best band logos.

13. Public Image Ltd

Dennis Morris created the logo for the band back in 1979

Renowned photographer Dennis Morris was responsible for the design of Public Image Ltd's logo. Known for photographing The Sex Pistols and Bob Marley, Morris created this band logo design back in 1979. He also produced the iconic Metal Box packaging for the band, which is still regarded as one of the best album artworks of all time.

14. The KLF

Perfectly shaped for vinyl, this is the perfect logo for the acid house group

Situationist pranksters and acid house pioneers, the KLF also had a razor-sharp eye for iconography, which manifested itself in their record covers, their videos, their legendary Top of the Pops performances and, of course, their logos. Their pyramid blaster logo, perfectly shaped for vinyl, is a masterpiece; naturally, both Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty of the KLF now work as artists.

15. Metallica

The Metallica logo showcases everything that a metal logo should be

Created by Turner Duckworth, the famous Metallica logo got a redesign back in 2008. Based on the band's original version from 1981, Duckworth also designed the identity and packaging for the band's album Death Magnetic. Like countless other metal bands, Metallica's own take on the metal aesthetic is something that their fans cherish; whether it be in the form of tattoos or scrawlings on school books.

16. Sunn O)))

A member of Sunn is responsible for the band’s art direction

As one half of the seismic drone-rock band Sunn O))), not only does Stephen O'Malley help to make some fantastic music – he also oversees the design and art direction of their releases. The visual is an important component to Sunn's music and O'Malley has certainly triumphed with this long-standing, striking logo.

17. Kavinsky

Kavinsky is known for his electro 80s-inspired music

Making music reminiscent of '80s film soundtracks, French producer Vincent Belorgey – quite aptly – appeared on the opening credits for Nicolas Winding Refn’s movie Drive. It's easy to see why then, that his logo also evokes the sense of '80s movies; with it's retro-like font, it's the perfect accompaniment to his music.

18. Foo Fighters

Another instantly recognisable band logo from The Foo Fighters

Another perfect example of a band logo that has proved popular with fan's tattoos, The Foo Fighters logo comprises of a circle motif containing two interlocking 'Fs' and the band's name in a slightly rounded and compact typeface. This is among the most popular and instantly recognisable logos in rock music.

19. The Ramones

A longtime friend of the band designed the iconic logo

The Ramones' logo was designed by New York City artist Arturo Vega, a longtime friend who lived with several members of the band. It's proof that when you get a band logo right, it can go on to become one of the most iconic brands in the world. Basing it on The Presidential Seal, Vega wanted the design to portray an 'All-American Band’.

20. The XX

The logo was created by one-time art student and band member Romy Madley Croft

This is a relatively new kid on the block, but boy, does it work. Bursting onto the music scene in 2009 with their self-titled debut album, the black and white 'X' across the front sleeve was just as eye-catching as the music was enticing.

This latest variation of the logo was designed by band member Romy Madley Croft; a one-time art student who used oil imagery to create the affect within the letter. This band logo is a perfect example branding that will continue to work through each album release.

21. Black Flag

The logo was designed by Raymond Pettibon, who also came up with the band’s name

This has to be one of the most iconic band logos of all time. Created for Black Flag by guitarist and chief songwriter Greg Ginn's brother Raymond Pettibon, he once stated in an interview that the black flag design was designed to represent anarchy. The four black bars combined with the bold typography make for a solid band logo.

22. Run DMC

The infamous logo is one of the only band logos to feature on a pair of Adidas sneakers

Run DMC broke barriers in music, which almost everyone in music today benefits from. Their logo is still one of the most prolific to ever grace the music industry and continues to adorn the chests and feet of hip-hop lovers across the globe. The solid typography and three-part colour scheme makes it infinitely timeless and it's also one of the only band logos to feature on a pair of Adidas sneakers.

23. Nine Inch Nails

The typography is said to be inspired by a Talking Heads album cover

Designed by frontman Trent Reznor and Gary Talpas, the Nine Inch Nails logo is simplicity at its best. Featuring the letters set inside a thick border, the black and white creation first appeared on the band's debut album Down in it, which was released in 1989.

It's said to be inspired by Tibor Kalman's typography on the Talking Heads album Remain in Light.

24. Daft Punk

Daft Punk use some punky influence for their logo design

Evoking an extremely ‘punky’ look, the electronic duo produced one of the most well-known logos within the dance music scene. Designed by band member Guillaume Emmanuel “Guy-Manuel” de Homem-Christo, the logo ties in with the stand-out ethos of the pair. Using bold colours and textures, Daft Punk’s visuals are just as important as their tunes.

25. Public Enemy

It was announced today that the group are to be inducted into the Rock & Roll hall of fame

Another hip-hop gem in our list, this logo for Public Enemy was designed by Chuck D back in 1986. It was tightened up ahead of the release of Yo! Bum Rush The Show in 1987 by New York artist Eric Haze.

Many claim the target to be a state trooper but it is in fact a silhouette of a B-boy. It was also announced in 2013 that the group were to be added to the Rock & Roll hall of fame.

26. The Streets

The gritty typography effortlessly complements the lighter image

It may not be as iconic as our other inclusions but we just had to feature this logo from British group The Streets. Evoking the exact feel and message of their debut album Original Pirate Material, the gritty typography effortlessly complements the lighter image. There's been a few variations throughout their career but we love this original design.

27. Rolling Stones

The logo is said to be influenced by Mick Jagger’s huge lips

How could we not include this infamous logo from the rock legends themselves, The Rolling Stones? Created by John Pasche in 1971, the designer is said to have been influenced by Mick Jagger's appearance for the logo, stating that his lips were the first thing you noticed about him. The eye-popping offering has continued to work well for the band, who have been working in music for over 50 years.

28. Wu-Tang Clan

By sticking with their original band logo, the group are instantly recognisable

The Wu-Tang ‘W’ is one of the most distinguishable logos in hip-hop culture, with its members adorning the ‘W’ on everything from clothing to chains, but it is most prominent on dozens of their album covers. Created by DJ and producer Mathematics, the band have stuck by the original design throughout their expansive career.

29. Yes

A logo that perfectly sums up the music scene in the ’70s

English artist and graphic designer Roger Dean created this iconic, bubbly logo, which first debuted on the band's 1972 LP Close to the Edge. He also crafted Yes' album artwork and stage shows; solidifying the band's brand throughout the ages. It has had a variant of colours but that never makes the typography any less engaging. This is a logo that perfectly sums up the 1970s.

30. Buzzcocks

Malcolm went on to work with the band for several years after designing the logo in 1977

An simple yet instantly recognisable band logo, this one was created by Malcolm Garrett in early 1977. He went on to work with the band for several years throughout their career, creating visuals for promotional material. The fast, edgy and disjointed typography is the perfect personification of one of the greatest British bands.

31. Aphex Twin

Paul ‘Terratag’ Nicholson was working with alien ‘vibes’ at the time of this logo creation

First appearing on the 1992 release of Xylem Tube, Richard D. James aka Aphex Twin has continued to use the logo throughout his impressive career. Designed by Paul 'Terratag' Nicholson, the logo evokes an unsettling yet beautiful image that wholly coincides with the impeccable music of Aphex Twin.

32. Death From Above 1979

There’s no need for a name with this bold band logo design

An eye-popping and graphic design delight, this logo for Death From Above 1979 has graced the covers, stage shows, banners and posters for the noise rock duo since the beginning of their career. The bold choice of colour makes it a logo with a difference, with no need for a name as the logo is instantly recognisable.

33. Justice

Choosing such a universal image for your band’s logo is a dangerous path!

Choosing to use such a universal symbol as your band's logo is a dangerous path. However, this creation for French electronic duo Justice just seems to work.

Band member Gaspard Augé once stated that the influence for the decision was 'that a music venue is like a church in that everyone is gathering together and focusing on one point.' The logo has adorned the band's live shows and album covers, becoming almost as synonymous as their songs.

34. Radiohead

The logo was created for the release of Kid A

Radiohead haven't really had a regular band logo throughout their career but this is one that truly stands out (and adorns many a fan's body.) Designed by artist Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke, the 'modified bear' was created for the release of Kid A.

The name of the bear either ironically or purposely contributes to the influx of modern art without meaning, without complexity, and without use. If Radiohead's career is anything to go by, we're guessing it's on the ironic side of things.

35. Devin Townsend Project

Less is more with this band logo design

A simple, typography-based logo design, this creation for the Devin Townsend Project combines the three initials of the band's name in two swoops. This band logo was added to the list on the suggestion of one of our Twitter followers. It was designed by Travis Smith and show us that sometimes less is more when it comes to band logos.

36. Outkast

The band refer to their logo in their song Morris Brown

The final hip-hop logo in our list, this creation for the duo evokes the fun aspect of their music. Featuring graffiti-like font complete with a crest and crown, the pair even comment on the logo during their song Morris Brown, stating "OutKast royalty by design of logo. Wanna count it out loud?"

37. Misfits

This is a band logo that has stood the test of time

The Misfits' skull logo first appeared on the Horror Business single, based on a poster for The Crimson Ghost. It proved so popular that the image quickly became the mascot for the band and has been used frequently on the band's releases and merchandise ever since. 

Related articles:

Quiz – guess the logo, can you identify these brands?The 27 greatest animated music videosThe best logos of all time

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Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CreativeBloq/~3/dTT1hoJ3H4o/oil-painting-techniques-10-essential-tips

When learning how to paint, virtually every student starts out afraid and overwhelmed by the unforgiving nature of painting in oils. But the transition to oils can be made much smoother by utilising some simple and practical painting techniques. 

In the video below, I demonstrate 10 great tips that will help get you started on the right path. (Spoiler alert: it all begins with the fundamentals!)

Now let's go through these 10 oil painting tips in more detail.

01. Hold the paintbrush in the right place!

Hold your brush at the end for maximum control

There are many different grips on the paintbrush that an artist can use while painting. However, there is one 'go-to' method that every artist should know: to get the most fluidity and sensitivity with your strokes, hold the brush handle as far back as you can. This might feel uncomfortable at first, but it offers the greatest degree of control because it allows you to paint with your whole arm rather than just your wrist. 

 02. Master your brush orientation

Using every angle of your brush adds to your versatility

During the process of painting, it can be very easy to forget that your brush has two sides or orientations! You’re not limited to always making wide strokes using the flat side of your brush, as every brush can be turned on its side for sharper lines or strokes. Learning to control your lines with your brush orientation will help you paint faster and with more versatility.

 03. Vary your pressure

By varying pressure, you’ll vary texture as well

Avoid having 'heavy hands' with your paintbrush. Sometimes the pressure that you apply with a stroke can make the difference between perfection and a mess. The heavier your pressure, the more your paints will blend and create ridges along the sides of your brushstrokes. Get familiar with how your light, medium, and heavy strokes look on the canvas and vary your pressure appropriately to achieve your desired effects. 

04. Harness the power of the painting medium

Painting mediums can modify your paint in amazing ways

Oil painting is not solely about the paint. An absolutely essential part of controlling paint is the artist’s use of a painting medium – typically a mixture of solvent and oil used to modify the paint and make it behave in different ways. Adding lots of medium will make your paint flat and transparent like a wash, whereas adding just a little medium will give your paint a mayonnaise-like consistency.

05. Keep your colours pure

Keep your brushes clean so you don’t contaminate your colour

Be careful when you grab from the paint piles on your palette. Make sure that your brushes are clean or you will taint the colours you want to use. It’s vital to preserve the intensity of the colours straight out of the tube so remember to clean your brushes regularly and often – even between strokes if necessary.

06. Use two-colour mixtures if possible

The fewer paints you mix, the more vibrant the resulting colour will be

Grabbing from every single pile while mixing will create a dull and less intense mixture. Practice mixing what you need using only two colours and white. By increasing your colour knowledge and getting better at mixing, you will paint much more efficiently and quickly and your work will benefit from it.

07. Don't over-mix

Only mix as much as necessary

When mixed colours first bump into one another, there are tiny inconsistencies in the mixture that help add vividness and interest to your paint. So, when you combine colours to create a mixture it’s important to make sure that you only mix them as much as necessary before applying the stroke. If you over-mix two colours, you will turn your interesting mixture into a flat and uninteresting pile of paint.

08. Don't skimp on paint

Use as much paint as necessary to realise your vision

Sometimes you want a thin wash, but other times you need a thick stroke in order to achieve your desired effect, so make sure that you're using enough paint to create the type of stroke you need. Don't hold back on the paint at the expense of your painting. If you find yourself constantly swirling a brush around a thin pool of paint on your palette, then it's probably time to remake that mixture.

09. Try wet-on-wet versus dry brush

Use wet versus dry effects to your advantage

Remember that you can paint directly onto a wet surface or wait for it to dry and put wet paint over that. Paints will blend on the canvas when working wet-in-wet, which is great for getting transitions or gradients. Painting with a dry brush will give you a more textural effect, which is perfect for painting brick or dirt.

10. Don't forget the palette knife

Sometimes, the best brush for the job is not a brush at all

The palette knife is not just a trowel that you use to mix paint! It can also be used quite effectively at times to make interesting strokes. A palette knife is particularly useful for making textural and unpredictable strokes – effects that you'd be hard-pressed to duplicate with a brush.

Related articles:

How to draw and paint – pro tips and tutorials7 must-know painting techniques for artistsThe secrets to painting like Matisse

Original Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tympanus/~3/U31XLU8EaZI/

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Original Source: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2018/04/best-practices-grid-layout/

Best Practices With CSS Grid Layout

Best Practices With CSS Grid Layout

Rachel Andrew

2018-04-16T13:35:19+02:00
2018-04-16T11:56:19+00:00

An increasingly common question — now that people are using CSS Grid Layout in production — seems to be “What are the best practices?” The short answer to this question is to use the layout method as defined in the specification. The particular parts of the spec you choose to use, and indeed how you combine Grid with other layout methods such as Flexbox, is down to what works for the patterns you are trying to build and how you and your team want to work.

Looking deeper, I think perhaps this request for “best practices” perhaps indicates a lack of confidence in using a layout method that is very different from what came before. Perhaps a concern that we are using Grid for things it wasn’t designed for, or not using Grid when we should be. Maybe it comes down to worries about supporting older browsers, or in how Grid fits into our development workflow.

In this article, I’m going to try and cover some of the things that either could be described as best practices, and some things that you probably don’t need to worry about.

The Survey

To help inform this article, I wanted to find out how other people were using Grid Layout in production, what were the challenges they faced, what did they really enjoy about it? Were there common questions, problems or methods being used. To find out, I put together a quick survey, asking questions about how people were using Grid Layout, and in particular, what they most liked and what they found challenging.

In the article that follows, I’ll be referencing and directly quoting some of those responses. I’ll also be linking to lots of other resources, where you can find out more about the techniques described. As it turned out, there was far more than one article worth of interesting things to unpack in the survey responses. I’ll address some of the other things that came up in a future post.

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Accessibility

If there is any part of the Grid specification that you need to take care when using, it is when using anything that could cause content re-ordering:

“Authors must use order and the grid-placement properties only for visual, not logical, reordering of content. Style sheets that use these features to perform logical reordering are non-conforming.”

— Grid Specification: Re-ordering and Accessibility

This is not unique to Grid, however, the ability to rearrange content so easily in two dimensions makes it a bigger problem for Grid. However, if using any method that allows content re-ordering — be that Grid, Flexbox or even absolute positioning — you need to take care not to disconnect the visual experience from how the content is structured in the document. Screen readers (and people navigating around the document using a keyboard only) are going to be following the order of items in the source.

The places where you need to be particularly careful are when using flex-direction to reverse the order in Flexbox; the order property in Flexbox or Grid; any placement of Grid items using any method, if it moves items out of the logical order in the document; and using the dense packing mode of grid-auto-flow.

For more information on this issue, see the following resources:

Grid Layout and Accessibility – MDN
Flexbox and the keyboard navigation disconnect

Which Grid Layout Methods Should I Use?

”With so much choice in Grid, it was a challenge to stick to a consistent way of writing it (e.g. naming grid lines or not, defining grid-template-areas, fallbacks, media queries) so that it would be maintainable by the whole team.”

— Michelle Barker working on wbsl.com

When you first take a look at Grid, it might seem overwhelming with so many different ways of creating a layout. Ultimately, however, it all comes down to things being positioned from one line of the grid to another. You have choices based on the of layout you are trying to achieve, as well as what works well for your team and the site you are building.

There is no right or wrong way. Below, I will pick up on some of the common themes of confusion. I’ve also already covered many other potential areas of confusion in a previous article “Grid Gotchas and Stumbling Blocks.”

Should I Use An Implicit Or Explicit Grid?

The grid you define with grid-template-columns and grid-template-rows is known as the Explicit Grid. The Explicit Grid enables the naming of lines on the Grid and also gives you the ability to target the end line of the grid with -1. You’ll choose an Explicit Grid to do either of these things and in general when you have a layout all designed and know exactly where your grid lines should go and the size of the tracks.

I use the Implicit Grid most often for row tracks. I want to define the columns but then rows will just be auto-sized and grow to contain the content. You can control the Implicit Grid to some extent with grid-auto-columns and grid-auto-rows, however, you have less control than if you are defining everything.

You need to decide whether you know exactly how much content you have and therefore the number of rows and columns — in which case you can create an Explicit Grid. If you do not know how much content you have, but simply want rows or columns created to hold whatever there is, you will use the Implicit Grid.

Nevertheless, it’s possible to combine the two. In the below CSS, I have defined three columns in the Explicit Grid and three rows, so the first three rows of content will be the following:

A track of at least 200px in height, but expanding to take content taller,
A track fixed at 400px in height,
A track of at least 300px in height (but expands).

Any further content will go into a row created in the Implicit Grid, and I am using the grid-auto-rows property to make those tracks at least 300px tall, expanding to auto.

.grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 3fr 1fr;
grid-template-rows: minmax(200px auto) 400px minmax(300px, auto);
grid-auto-rows: minmax(300px, auto);
grid-gap: 20px;
}

A Flexible Grid With A Flexible Number Of Columns

By using Repeat Notation, autofill, and minmax you can create a pattern of as many tracks as will fit into a container, thus removing the need for Media Queries to some extent. This technique can be found in this video tutorial, and also demonstrated along with similar ideas in my recent article “Using Media Queries For Responsive Design In 2018.”

Choose this technique when you are happy for content to drop below earlier content when there is less space, and are happy to allow a lot of flexibility in sizing. You have specifically asked for your columns to display with a minimum size, and to auto fill.

There were a few comments in the survey that made me wonder if people were choosing this method when they really wanted a grid with a fixed number of columns. If you are ending up with an unpredictable number of columns at certain breakpoints, you might be better to set the number of columns — and redefine it with media queries as needed — rather than using auto-fill or auto-fit.

Which Method Of Track Sizing Should I Use?

I described track sizing in detail in my article “How Big Is That Box? Understanding Sizing In Grid Layout,” however, I often get questions as to which method of track sizing to use. Particularly, I get asked about the difference between percentage sizing and the fr unit.

If you simply use the fr unit as specced, then it differs from using a percentage because it distributes available space. If you place a larger item into a track then the way the fr until will work is to allow that track to take up more space and distribute what is left over.

.grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr;
grid-gap: 20px;
}

The first column is wider as Grid has assigned it more space.

To cause the fr unit to distribute all of the space in the grid container you need to give it a minimum size of 0 using minmax().

.grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: minmax(0,1fr) minmax(0,1fr) minmax(0,1fr);
grid-gap: 20px;
}

Forcing a 0 minimum may cause overflows

So you can choose to use fr in either of these scenarios: ones where you do want space distribution from a basis of auto (the default behavior), and those where you want equal distribution. I would typically use the fr unit as it then works out the sizing for you, and enables the use of fixed width tracks or gaps. The only time I use a percentage instead is when I am adding grid components to an existing layout that uses other layout methods too. If I want my grid components to line up with a float- or flex-based layout which is using percentages, using them in my grid layout means everything uses the same sizing method.

Auto-Place Items Or Set Their Position?

You will often find that you only need to place one or two items in your layout, and the rest fall into place based on content order. In fact, this is a really good test that you haven’t disconnected the source and visual display. If things pretty much drop into position based on auto-placement, then they are probably in a good order.

Once I have decided where everything goes, however, I do tend to assign a position to everything. This means that I don’t end up with strange things happening if someone adds something to the document and grid auto-places it somewhere unexpected, thus throwing out the layout. If everything is placed, Grid will put that item into the next available empty grid cell. That might not be exactly where you want it, but sat down at the end of your layout is probably better than popping into the middle and pushing other things around.

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Which Positioning Method To Use?

When working with Grid Layout, ultimately everything comes down to placing items from one line to another. Everything else is essentially a helper for that.

Decide with your team if you want to name lines, use Grid Template Areas, or if you are going to use a combination of different types of layout. I find that I like to use Grid Template Areas for small components in particular. However, there is no right or wrong. Work out what is best for you.

Grid In Combination With Other Layout Mechanisms

Remember that Grid Layout isn’t the one true layout method to rule them all, it’s designed for a certain type of layout — namely two-dimensional layout. Other layout methods still exist and you should consider each pattern and what suits it best.

I think this is actually quite hard for those of us used to hacking around with layout methods to make them do something they were not really designed for. It is a really good time to take a step back, look at the layout methods for the tasks they were designed for, and remember to use them for those tasks.

In particular, no matter how often I write about Grid versus Flexbox, I will be asked which one people should use. There are many patterns where either layout method makes perfect sense and it really is up to you. No-one is going to shout at you for selecting Flexbox over Grid, or Grid over Flexbox.

In my own work, I tend to use Flexbox for components where I want the natural size of items to strongly control their layout, essentially pushing the other items around. I also often use Flexbox because I want alignment, given that the Box Alignment properties are only available to use in Flexbox and Grid. I might have a Flex container with one child item, in order that I can align that child.

A sign that perhaps Flexbox isn’t the layout method I should choose is when I start adding percentage widths to flex items and setting flex-grow to 0. The reason to add percentage widths to flex items is often because I’m trying to line them up in two dimensions (lining things up in two dimensions is exactly what Grid is for). However, try both, and see which seems to suit the content or design pattern best. You are unlikely to be causing any problems by doing so.

Nesting Grid And Flex Items

This also comes up a lot, and there is absolutely no problem with making a Grid Item also a Grid Container, thus nesting one grid inside another. You can do the same with Flexbox, making a Flex Item and Flex Container. You can also make a Grid Item and Flex Container or a Flex Item a Grid Container — none of these things are a problem!

What we can’t currently do is nest one grid inside another and have the nested grid use the grid tracks defined on the overall parent. This would be very useful and is what the subgrid proposals in Level 2 of the Grid Specification hope to solve. A nested grid currently becomes a new grid so you would need to be careful with sizing to ensure it aligns with any parent tracks.

You Can Have Many Grids On One Page

A comment popped up a few times in the survey which surprised me, there seems to be an idea that a grid should be confined to the main layout, and that many grids on one page were perhaps not a good thing. You can have as many grids as you like! Use grid for big things and small things, if it makes sense laid out as a grid then use Grid.

Fallbacks And Supporting Older Browsers

“Grid used in conjunction with @supports has enabled us to better control the number of layout variations we can expect to see. It has also worked really well with our progressive enhancement approach meaning we can reward those with modern browsers without preventing access to content to those not using the latest technology.”

— Joe Lambert working on rareloop.com

In the survey, many people mentioned older browsers, however, there was a reasonably equal split between those who felt that supporting older browsers was hard and those who felt it was easy due to Feature Queries and the fact that Grid overrides other layout methods. I’ve written at length about the mechanics of creating these fallbacks in “Using CSS Grid: Supporting Browsers Without Grid.”

In general, modern browsers are far more interoperable than their earlier counterparts. We tend to see far fewer actual “browser bugs” and if you use HTML and CSS correctly, then you will generally find that what you see in one browser is the same as in another.

We do, of course, have situations in which one browser has not yet shipped support for a certain specification, or some parts of a specification. With Grid, we have been very fortunate in that browsers shipped Grid Layout in a very complete and interoperable way within a short time of each other. Therefore, our considerations for testing tend to be to need to test browsers with Grid and without Grid. You may also have chosen to use the -ms prefixed version in IE10 and IE11, which would then require testing as a third type of browser.

Browsers which support modern Grid Layout (not the IE version) also support Feature Queries. This means that you can test for Grid support before using it.

Testing Browsers That Don’t Support Grid

When using fallbacks for browsers without support for Grid Layout (or using the -ms prefixed version for IE10 and 11), you will want to test how those browsers render Grid Layout. To do this, you need a way to view your site in an example browser.

I would not take the approach of breaking your Feature Query by checking for support of something nonsensical, or misspelling the value grid. This approach will only work if your stylesheet is incredibly simple, and you have put absolutely everything to do with your Grid Layout inside the Feature Queries. This is a very fragile and time-consuming way to work, especially if you are extensively using Grid. In addition, an older browser will not just lack support for Grid Layout, there will be other CSS properties unsupported too. If you are looking for “best practice” then setting yourself up so you are in a good position to test your work is high up there!

There are a couple of straightforward ways to set yourself up with a proper method of testing your fallbacks. The easiest method — if you have a reasonably fast internet connection and don’t mind paying a subscription fee — is to use a service such as BrowserStack. This is a service that enables viewing of websites (even those in development on your computer) on a whole host of real browsers. BrowserStack does offer free accounts for open-source projects.

You can download Virtual Machines for testing from Microsoft.

To test locally, my suggestion would be to use a Virtual Machine with your target browser installed. Microsoft offers free Virtual Machine downloads with versions of IE back to IE8, and also Edge. You can also install onto the VM an older version of a browser with no Grid support at all. For example by getting a copy of Firefox 51 or below. After installing your elderly Firefox, be sure to turn off automatic updates as explained here as otherwise it will quietly update itself!

You can then test your site in IE11 and in non-supporting Firefox on one VM (a far less fragile solution than misspelling values). Getting set up might take you an hour or so, but you’ll then be in a really good place to test your fallbacks.

Unlearning Old Habits

“It was my first time to use Grid Layout, so there were a lot of concepts to learn and properties understand. Conceptually, I found the most difficult thing to unlearn all the stuff I had done for years, like clearing floats and packing everything in container divs.”

— Hidde working on hiddedevries.nl/en

Many of the people responding to the survey mentioned the need to unlearn old habits and how learning Layout would be easier for people completely new to CSS. I tend to agree. When teaching people in person complete beginners have little problem using Grid while experienced developers try hard to return grid to a one-dimensional layout method. I’ve seen attempts at “grid systems” using CSS Grid which add back in the row wrappers needed for a float or flex-based grid.

Don’t be afraid to try out new techniques. If you have the ability to test in a few browsers and remain mindful of potential issues of accessibility, you really can’t go too far wrong. And, if you find a great way to create a certain pattern, let everyone else know about it. We are all new to using Grid in production, so there is certainly plenty to discover and share.

“Grid Layout is the most exciting CSS development since media queries. It’s been so well thought through for real-world developer needs and is an absolute joy to use in production – for designers and developers alike.”

— Trys Mudford working on trysmudford.com

To wrap up, here is a very short list of current best practices! If you have discovered things that do or don’t work well in your own situation, add them to the comments.

Be very aware of the possibility of content re-ordering. Check that you have not disconnected the visual display from the document order.
Test using real target browsers with a local or remote Virtual Machine.
Don’t forget that older layout methods are still valid and useful. Try different ways to achieve patterns. Don’t be hung up on having to use Grid.
Know that as an experienced front-end developer you are likely to have a whole set of preconceptions about how layout works. Try to look at these new methods anew rather than forcing them back into old patterns.
Keep trying things out. We’re all new to this. Test your work and share what you discover.

(il)