The Handbook

You don't need a university to learn Makeswift—there's just a few ground rules you need know. We created this Handbook to help get you started.

Rule #1

Lay it all out.

Elements can be placed above and below each other, or side-by-side.



Click and drag an element to sort it.

Rule #2

Be flexible.

Once placed, elements can be resized.



Click an element to select it.



Move your mouse to the outside and drag the left or right handles to change its width.

Rule #3

Push it. Push it real good.

Elements can also push other elements away.



Drag the top or bottom handles to change its outer spacing.

Rule #4

Don't pick sides.

All elements are center aligned by default.



After reducing an element’s width, drag it left or right to anchor it to a side.

Rule #5

Think inside the box.

Boxes are elements that can contain other elements, including other boxes.



Add inner spacing to a box by moving your mouse to the inside and dragging any handle around the edge.

Rule #6

Go off the grid.

Elements added to a box are placed on a grid of rows and columns.



Adjust the columns in a row by dragging the handles between elements.

Rule #7

Break boxes, not hearts.

Box grids can be restructured to accommodate smaller screens.



Click on any vertical dashed line to split a row.



Click horizontal dashed lines between rows to join them.

Rule #8

Follow the breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs are designed for those hard to reach boxes.



Hover over an element’s label to reveal the boxes that contain it.



You can click a breadcrumb to select that box or drag it to begin sorting.

Get busy building.

Now it’s time to try it yourself. If you get stuck, come back here or visit our help center.