How do you style the spaces in between?

How do you style the spaces in between?

How do you style the spaces in between?

Jun 25, 2024

Equitable design patterns

As our team assembles components into patterns and layouts, we lack shared mental models for how we talk about spacing and layout. We're trying to figure out how we can be more intentional about creating rhythm and structure at the same time.

  • Grid systems have been around forever as an ideal, but in the real world things get complicated when nesting components and moving between breakpoints

  • New layout systems like flexbox and CSS grid let engineers do amazing things, but how can our designers start playing with these concepts

  • While utilizing the same components across different use cases like admin dashboards and public marketing sites, we have different needs for white space around our content and components

Designing Grids

Mark Boulton was one of the early talks that really blew my mind when it came to thinking about grid design and the web. Highly recommend the history lessons including the reminder of the essential link between your typography sizing and your layout system.

Watch the talk

Why UI designers should understand Flexbox and CSS Grid

Christine Vallaure ๐ŸŸฆ ๐ŸŸ  ๐Ÿ”บ provides a stellar overview of the principles of emerging layout systems. Concepts critical for designers include fractional units, one and two dimensional layouts as well as rethinking our use of breakpoints.

Read the article

Density in Material Design

A great example of how a system can support designers to think about the space between content as a variable within components and layouts. Depending on your application your users may benefit from either tighter proximity of elements or more white space.

Read the docs

Takeaways

Laying things out is hard. When working with patterns there are a couple of things my team tries to keep in mind, based on these amazing resources. Hope these reminders can be helpful to your team:

  • When assembling multiple components consider the relationship between your type scale and your layout spacing

  • Collaborate with engineers and experiment with CSS grid and flexbox to develop a common language so folks know what to use and when

  • Consider multiple density modes when styling page margins, grid gaps and vertical rhythm to compliment your context and use case

As our team assembles components into patterns and layouts, we lack shared mental models for how we talk about spacing and layout. We're trying to figure out how we can be more intentional about creating rhythm and structure at the same time.

  • Grid systems have been around forever as an ideal, but in the real world things get complicated when nesting components and moving between breakpoints

  • New layout systems like flexbox and CSS grid let engineers do amazing things, but how can our designers start playing with these concepts

  • While utilizing the same components across different use cases like admin dashboards and public marketing sites, we have different needs for white space around our content and components

Designing Grids

Mark Boulton was one of the early talks that really blew my mind when it came to thinking about grid design and the web. Highly recommend the history lessons including the reminder of the essential link between your typography sizing and your layout system.

Watch the talk

Why UI designers should understand Flexbox and CSS Grid

Christine Vallaure ๐ŸŸฆ ๐ŸŸ  ๐Ÿ”บ provides a stellar overview of the principles of emerging layout systems. Concepts critical for designers include fractional units, one and two dimensional layouts as well as rethinking our use of breakpoints.

Read the article

Density in Material Design

A great example of how a system can support designers to think about the space between content as a variable within components and layouts. Depending on your application your users may benefit from either tighter proximity of elements or more white space.

Read the docs

Takeaways

Laying things out is hard. When working with patterns there are a couple of things my team tries to keep in mind, based on these amazing resources. Hope these reminders can be helpful to your team:

  • When assembling multiple components consider the relationship between your type scale and your layout spacing

  • Collaborate with engineers and experiment with CSS grid and flexbox to develop a common language so folks know what to use and when

  • Consider multiple density modes when styling page margins, grid gaps and vertical rhythm to compliment your context and use case

As our team assembles components into patterns and layouts, we lack shared mental models for how we talk about spacing and layout. We're trying to figure out how we can be more intentional about creating rhythm and structure at the same time.

  • Grid systems have been around forever as an ideal, but in the real world things get complicated when nesting components and moving between breakpoints

  • New layout systems like flexbox and CSS grid let engineers do amazing things, but how can our designers start playing with these concepts

  • While utilizing the same components across different use cases like admin dashboards and public marketing sites, we have different needs for white space around our content and components

Designing Grids

Mark Boulton was one of the early talks that really blew my mind when it came to thinking about grid design and the web. Highly recommend the history lessons including the reminder of the essential link between your typography sizing and your layout system.

Watch the talk

Why UI designers should understand Flexbox and CSS Grid

Christine Vallaure ๐ŸŸฆ ๐ŸŸ  ๐Ÿ”บ provides a stellar overview of the principles of emerging layout systems. Concepts critical for designers include fractional units, one and two dimensional layouts as well as rethinking our use of breakpoints.

Read the article

Density in Material Design

A great example of how a system can support designers to think about the space between content as a variable within components and layouts. Depending on your application your users may benefit from either tighter proximity of elements or more white space.

Read the docs

Takeaways

Laying things out is hard. When working with patterns there are a couple of things my team tries to keep in mind, based on these amazing resources. Hope these reminders can be helpful to your team:

  • When assembling multiple components consider the relationship between your type scale and your layout spacing

  • Collaborate with engineers and experiment with CSS grid and flexbox to develop a common language so folks know what to use and when

  • Consider multiple density modes when styling page margins, grid gaps and vertical rhythm to compliment your context and use case

Jesse James Arnold

Jesse James Arnold

Jesse James Arnold