Foundations

Layout Grid

Consistent layout principles allow designers and developers to efficiently build user-friendly experiences across devices and screen sizes.

Anatomy

Layout grids consists of 3 elements:

Columns

Columns may vary in width at different points within each breakpoint range but are always equal to each other. Content should be contained within the columns, but effects like shadows and hovers can expand into the margins or gutters.

Image of a 12 column layout on desktop

Gutter

Gutter widths are fixed within each breakpoint range. This provides a consistent visual order and prevents content overlap. Do not extend content into the gutters to keep spacing consistent. If additional horizontal space is needed between elements, increase the padding, not the gutter-width.

View of the 11 gutters in between the columns on desktop

Margin

Margins provide the white space beyond the content area and contribute to the comfort of the page. Margins provide a visual frame and prevent content from spilling over the viewable regions. Each breakpoint has specific margin widths and scale as the viewport shifts from one breakpoint to the next.

Image highlighting the margins of the page on desktop view

Usage

Column Layout Span

Mix and match column widths by spanning multiple columns for a wide variety of layout options. For more information, see Column Control options.

Illustration showing each spacing option of the column layout span

Responsive Layouts

Breakpoints

In responsive design, a breakpoint is the mark at which a website’s content and design will change to provide the optimal user experience within a given viewport range.

The responsive grid adjusts margin, body widths, and the number of columns when scaling a layout for different viewport ranges.

BreakpointsRangeColumnsGutterMargin
X-Small0 to 640px4

16px

16px
Small

641 to 991px

8

16px

24px
Medium

992 to 1439px

1224px32px
Large

1440px +

1224pxAuto

Fluid vs Fixed Grid

The X-Small, Small, and Medium breakpoints use a fluid grid, meaning the grid spans 100% of the viewport width and column widths are defined in percentages, adjusting in size as the screen size changes. The margins are set to fixed pixel sizes based on the viewport size.

However, at the Large breakpoint (1440px and above), the grid becomes fixed, with the content area fixed at 1200px. The margins are set to 'Auto,' meaning they will simply fill any additional space beyond the fixed 1200px content area. This prevents components from becoming excessively large on ultra wide displays.

Illustration showing each of the four breakpoint options, showing how the X-Small, Small and Medium are fluid width while the large breakpoint shows a fixed width.

Example

In the example below, you can see how a Cards component would reflow its content across various breakpoints.

Example of the Content Group - Cards component on desktop, tablet, and phone viewports

In this example, the cards within the three-column (33%, 33%, 33%) layout stack to a single column on tablet and mobile devices.