8 Code Snippets That Demonstrate the Power of CSS Grid

By now, we’ve seen some impressive examples of what CSS Grid can do. But it seems like we’re just starting to scratch the surface of what this newfangled way of creating layouts is capable of.

As designers continue to experiment, they’re not only finding ways to solve common roadblocks that were faced before CSS Grid was around, they’re also taking things a step further. We’re beginning to see the potential for implementing unique layouts that were perhaps darn-near impossible using other methods.

Let’s explore some CSS Grid examples that go well beyond the ordinary:

The Virtual Shoe Rack by Andy Barefoot

This stunning snippet is reminiscent of a shoe display you may see in a retail store – only much more fun. It sports a 3D-like layout, slick hover effects, and is fully responsive. And because this layout both looks amazing and comfortably fits many products into a small space, it might just be an effective way of helping shoppers find what they’re looking for.

See the Pen Isometric eCommerce CSS Grid by Andy Barefoot

Vertically Responsive Poster by George W. Park

Here’s an example of a piece of artwork done completely with a CSS Grid layout and HTML – no images needed. What’s more, it’s also vertically responsive based on the viewport. As the viewport’s height increases, so does the size of the poster.

See the Pen CSS Grid Art Poster (Vertically Responsive) by George W. Park

Fitting In by Stephen Lee

Who doesn’t love a good game of Tetris? What we have here is a layout inspired by the classic video game. The various pieces use a combination of CSS Grid, clipping paths, and CSS Variables to ensure that each piece fits together through multiple breakpoints.

See the Pen CSS Grid Tetris pieces with CSS variables by Stephen Lee

Mondrian Compositions by Pete Barr

Recreating a set of Mondrian compositions provides a worthy challenge for CSS Grid – one that it passes with flying colors. These complex layouts of geometric shapes provide us with an attractive example of the granular control the layout technique offers.

See the Pen 3D CSS Grid Mondrian Compositions by Pete Barr

Apple Keyboard by Jon Kantner

The finely detailed complexity of a keyboard layout could drive even the most talented designers to tears. But CSS Grid is there to handle those little quirks and helped to make this example pixel-perfect (you may want to view it on a large screen to get the full effect). You can even tap the keys!

See the Pen Apple Keyboard by Jon Kantner

Responsive Photo Gallery by yoksel

Photo galleries are an area of web design that are ripe for a creative boost. Here we have a gallery that takes advantage of CSS Grid’s layout possibilities, along with image masks that create uniquely shaped photos. The result is something that stands out in a genre where that’s getting harder to do.

See the Pen Responsive gallery with CSS Grids by yoksel

A New Navigation by Ryan Mulligan

Navigation can be made infinitely more interesting with the help of CSS Grid. Click into this example menu, and you can see the potential for creating something that is both beautiful and well-organized. And the fact that grids can often be changed without a ton of code means that menus can evolve along with your site.

See the Pen CSS Grid Menu Panels by Ryan Mulligan

Monopolizing the Grid by John Coppola

The things print designers take for granted have left web designers longing for the day when they too could take advantage. A board game like Monopoly is simple enough for print but incredibly complicated for the web. This faithful rendition of the classic game is proof that we now have a whole new set of tools available to us.

See the Pen Monopoly board by John Coppola (@johnnycopes)

Pushing the Web Forward

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of CSS Grid is that it has inspired the imagination of web designers while still being so early on in its useful existence. And while its most important job is in solving the everyday layout requirements of websites, we’re starting to see that it can do so much more.

It will be interesting to see where CSS Grid takes the web as it is implemented more and more.