Design Paper or Design Grids or project paper are materials/techniques to make it easier to design and visualise constructions before embarking on the actual build. Basically it is ruled graph paper that is dimensioned to match LEGO element dimensions either in elevation view (where 1x1 plates are the basic dimension, 8 LDU high and 20 LDU wide) or in plan view (20 by 20 LDU).
The scale most commonly is 1:1 but can be reduced to allow larger creations to be sketched out on a single sheet.
Lore has it that the LEGO company invented this and there are examples of it around.
One example was when the Lego Magazine (at that point still Lego Mania) published a plan for a stormtrooper helmet mosaic.
- Design Grids provided by Allan Bedford as part of his site in support of The Unofficial LEGO Builders Guide book
- WAMALUG Project Paper