Prototype a website with CSS Grid

Posted on by djbrensinger

When I build a prototype, I start with pen and paper. A paper prototype (blog Post) helps me to develop my ideas better. What if your drawings don’t get the ideas across to your team or client? What do you do then?

Prototype a website with CSS Grid
Photo by Stefan Schweihofer

You could use a prototyping app or start building in the browser. Sometimes, it is simpler to start building in the browser. With HTML, CSS and JavaScript, you can build it quickly.

Building Your Prototype in a Browser

When you create your prototype in the browser, use the basic tools for building the web–HTML and CSS. HTML and CSS let your build and make changes to your prototype quickly. You and your designers can focus on designing and testing finicky UI components like tables and drop downs.

What if HTML and CSS isn’t enough to get you started quickly? You want to build a prototype not focus on the layout. A framework like Bootstrap or CSS Grid can help you get started quickly.

Why CSS Grid?

You can build your prototype using other frameworks like Bootstrap. CSS Grid gives you more flexibility, simpler markup and no 12 column limitation. When you use a framework like Bootstrap, it can look as though it was built using that framework. If you need more flexibility in your branding and design, then Bootstrap won’t work for you. CSS Grid gives you more creative control.

How Do You Start?

With CSS Grid, you have three choices:

  • Start with a page layout example. With these experiments, you can learn how CSS Grid works without having to build all of the markup yourself. One of the examples uses the Skeleton Framework. I used this example to build a public domain book website with it.
  • CSS Grid Layout Builder, an app, you download to help you build your CSS Grid layout quickly.
  • Build a CSS Grid website by creating the markup yourself. Grid By Example is a good resource for learning how to build what you need with CSS Grid.

CSS Grid is another tool that you can use to build prototypes quickly. Layout templates, grid builders and online examples all can help you to create your prototype quickly so you can focus on the user experience and not the tools to build it. When building a prototype, the best tools are the ones that you use.