Layout is the arrangement of the elements of the design in relation to the space that it occupies according to an overall design scheme. This could also be called the management of form and space. The objective of layout is to present the visual and textural elements that are to be communicated in a manner that enables the reader to receive it with the minimum of effort. With good layout, a reader can be navigated through quite complex information in both print and electronic media.

Layout addresses the practical and aesthetic considerations of the job in hand such as where and how the content will be viewed, regardless of whether the final format is a magazine, website, television graphic or bottle of bubble bath. Positioning of the various elements in the layout is guided by use of a grid, a series of reference lines that allows quick and accurate placement of items that ensures a consistent visual identity from page to page, or item to item across a range of products.