--- title: "App patterns explained: content views\n | Ubuntu" description: 'When designing an app, an important thing to consider in your app is how to display content. In our design guidelines, we have provided three standard views: Grid, List and Full screen which we think will cover most situations. Grid view Content divided into rows and columns is referred to as a grid view. The […]' url: https://ubuntu.com/blog/app-patterns-explained-content-views?format=md keywords: index, follow --- 1. [Blog](https://ubuntu.com/blog) 2. Article --- [Canonical](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/canonical "More about Canonical") 22 February 2013 # App patterns explained: content views [app design](https://ubuntu.com/blog/tag/app-design) [app patterns explained](https://ubuntu.com/blog/tag/app-patterns-explained) [Design](https://ubuntu.com/blog/tag/design) --- Share the article When designing an app, an important thing to consider in your app is how to display content. In our design guidelines, we have provided three standard views: [Grid](http://design.ubuntu.com/apps/global-patterns/content-views#grid-view), [List](http://design.ubuntu.com/apps/global-patterns/content-views#list-view) and [Full screen](http://design.ubuntu.com/apps/global-patterns/content-views#full-screen-view) which we think will cover most situations. ## Grid view Content divided into rows and columns is referred to as a grid view. * The grid view extends vertically. ## List view Content divided into rows is referred to as a list view and can attain a variety of appearances and behaviours. * The list view extends vertically. * List items can be grouped and styled differently. Thinking of using this one? Look at the “[List items](http://design.ubuntu.com/apps/building-blocks/list-items)” building block. ## Full screen view When a single piece of content is the main focus of the user’s attention, you should consider displaying the content in full screen view using the [full screen layout](http://design.ubuntu.com/apps/global-patterns/layout#full-screen "Full screen layout"). ### This view looks like it needs some navigation To navigate back to the previous view, use the [page stack](http://design.ubuntu.com/apps/building-blocks/page-stack) navigation structure. ## And what about scrolling? Scrollbars are hidden until you actually need them, so they appear on touch. The scrollbar is applied automatically whenever there is content out of view. ## Ask us about content views! Join our [mailing list](https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-phone "Ubuntu phone mailing list"). We’d love to hear from you! [Get in touch Interested in running Ubuntu in your organization?](https://ubuntu.com/about/contact-us/form) ## Newsletter signup Get the latest Ubuntu news and updates in your inbox. Work email: \*I agree to receive information about Canonical's products and services. By submitting this form, I confirm that I have read and agree to [Canonical's Privacy Policy](https://canonical.com/legal/data-privacy). Sign up ## Share on --- ## Related posts [### Challenges designers face in open source (and how to fix them)](https://ubuntu.com/blog/challenges-designers-face-in-open-source-and-how-to-fix-them) Open source powers up to 90% of modern software, yet many projects lack usability. Canonical’s Design team surveyed 115 cross-functional professionals to uncover the 4 core... [Kola Ojoodide](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/kola-ojoodide) 26 June 2026 [### Template: Streamlining open source design contributions](https://ubuntu.com/blog/template-streamlining-open-source-design-contributions) As designers working at Canonical, we’re always thinking about open source. We believe that encouraging more designers to contribute to open source benefits everyone, from the... [Nina Rojc](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/ninarojc) 16 June 2026 [### Decoding design: How design and engineering thrive together in open source](https://ubuntu.com/blog/decoding-design-how-design-and-engineering-thrive-together-in-open-source) Open source thrives on engineering-driven processes. Fast feedback loops, terminal tools, Git workflows: they’re the lifeblood of how we build software in the open. But for... [Miguel Divo](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/mdivo) 22 May 2026 [### Why web engineering is great](https://ubuntu.com/blog/why-web-engineering-is-great) Hi, I’m Johann! I’m an engineering manager in Canonical’s web team. For the larger part of my 15 years of work experience as engineer, I’ve been working in web development.... [Johann Wolf](https://ubuntu.com/blog/author/johannwolf) 27 April 2026