The Bento Grid Design Trend in Logo & Identity Design
Kwaku Amprako is a logo design expert & visual identity designer, speaker, educator, and founder of Akrivi — Shaping the future of logo and identity design. Get in touch→
Logo design is more than just creating a mark — it’s about presenting it clearly and professionally. Today, clients and audiences expect context, structure, and visual storytelling. That’s why the Bento Grid layout is quickly becoming a favorite. It brings order to logo presentations while making your work easier to follow and more impactful.
Let’s explore what it is, why it works, and how you can start using it in your design process.
What Is the Bento Grid Design Trend?
Bento grid design has quickly become a go-to layout style for designers who want to present logos and brand identities with clarity and structure. Modeled after Japanese bento boxes, where food is neatly separated into compartments, a bento grid layout applies the same visual logic to design presentations.
It’s not just about aesthetics — it’s about communication.
With bento grids, designers can clearly show:
- Logo variations
- Grid construction
- Typography choices
- Color palettes
- Mockups
- Brand strategy summaries
All within a tidy, easy-to-digest format that works brilliantly for both clients and social media platforms.
Why Designers Are Turning to Bento Grids
If you’re presenting a logo and identity system, chances are your client is not just looking at visuals — they want to understand your thinking.
- ✅ Organize content in a modular way
- ✅ Showcase depth without clutter
- ✅ Work well on desktop and mobile
- ✅ Fit beautifully in Instagram carousels and Behance case studies
- ✅ Create repeatable, professional-looking layouts
Whether you freelance or work in-house, this format makes your work appear more considered, even before the client reads a word of your rationale.
The Anatomy of a Great Bento Grid
So, what makes a bento-style layout successful?
Here’s a typical structure:
You can scale this up or down depending on your project — some use 4-panel layouts, others go with 9 or even 12. The key is consistency and breathing room between elements.
Best Bento Grid Design Examples (And Why They Work)
Let’s look at a few layout types being used today — and what makes them so effective.
1. The 6-Tile Instagram Carousel
Perfect for social media. Typically includes:
- One tile per concept: logo mark, variations, color, type, mockup, notes
- Repeated spacing and grid structure
- Branded background or neutral layout
Why it works:
Each tile tells a piece of the story. As you swipe, the client gets a full sense of the brand’s identity in under 30 seconds. Clean, confident, and mobile-optimized.
2. Concept-to-Execution Breakdown Grid
This layout is more focused on the thought process behind the logo:
- First tile: logo concept sketch or moodboard
- Second tile: final mark with grid overlay
- Third tile: color exploration
- Fourth tile: real-world usage
Why it works:
You’re showing not just the “what,” but the “why.” It’s a subtle way of communicating your design intelligence without a long PDF.
3. Geometry-Centric Bento Grid
If your logo was built on specific geometric or mathematical principles, this layout is ideal.
- Center tile: final logo
- Surrounding tiles: golden ratio overlays, circle guides, alignment lines
- Supporting annotations
Why it works:
Great for tech, finance, architecture, or minimalist brands. It builds trust by showing exactness and harmony.
4. Mini Brand System Grid
Think of this as a visual brand guideline, condensed into a single view.
- Top row: logo versions
- Middle row: brand colors and typography
- Bottom row: mockups or usage samples
Why it works:
It communicates consistency across the brand. Clients immediately see that the identity system works together, across mediums.
Tips for Creating Your Own Bento Grid
Creating your own layouts? Here are some best practices:
1. Use a Consistent Grid System
Whether it’s 3x3 or 2x4, keep your spacing and alignment the same across all tiles.
2. Maintain Visual Hierarchy
Your primary logo or concept should have the most visual weight. Use size, color contrast, or placement to guide the viewer’s eye.
3. Don’t Overfill
Leave space between elements. The power of a bento grid lies in its breathing room.
4. Tailor to Your Platform
For Instagram: 1080x1080 px tiles work best.
For web decks: widescreen aspect ratios like 1920x1080px per slide can be ideal.
For Behance: build a single long vertical image to tell the story.
Why Bento Grids Are a Smart Presentation Strategy
Whether you’re sending a deck to a client or posting your work online, how you present matters just as much as what you present.
Here’s why the bento layout continues to grow in popularity:
- It reduces decision fatigue for clients
They can see everything they need to see, quickly. - It encourages better critique
When clients can compare variants side by side, their feedback is more focused. - It boosts perceived value
Organized, professional layouts signal that the designer is thoughtful and experienced.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Let’s keep it real — not every bento layout lands well. Avoid these pitfalls:
- ❌ Cramming too many elements into one tile
- ❌ Using inconsistent margins or tile sizes
- ❌ Including low-quality mockups
- ❌ Making text unreadably small
- ❌ Using background colors that overpower the design
Who Should Use Bento Grids?
Bento grids are especially helpful for:
- Freelance logo designers building client proposals
- Design studios showcasing brand systems
- In-house brand teams compiling internal guidelines
- Creatives sharing case studies on Behance or Instagram
It’s not just for show. It’s a real way to bring structure to your visual thinking.
Final Thoughts: Bento Isn’t Just a Trend — It’s a Framework
Designers thrive with structure.
Bento grid layouts are more than just “pretty presentations.” They help your ideas land. They showcase the depth of your process. And they make your work easier to understand, easier to trust, and easier to approve.
No fluff. No clutter. Just clarity.
Want to Design and Present Better?
If you care about structure, precision, and workflow — you’re exactly the kind of designer Akrivi is built for.
👉 Visit www.akrivi.io to explore how we’re building tools that support identity designers at every stage of their process. No noise. Just tools that work the way you do.
On a mission to simplify brand identity design, I build tools and workflows that help designers work faster, smarter, and with more precision—minus the friction.
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