Spatial design

Spatial Design

Spacing Systems

Use 4pt Base, Not 8pt

8pt systems are too coarse—you'll frequently need 12px (between 8 and 16). Use 4pt for granularity: 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96px.

Name Tokens Semantically

Name by relationship (--space-sm, --space-lg), not value (--spacing-8). Use gap instead of margins for sibling spacing—it eliminates margin collapse and cleanup hacks.

Grid Systems

The Self-Adjusting Grid

Use repeat(auto-fit, minmax(280px, 1fr)) for responsive grids without breakpoints. Columns are at least 280px, as many as fit per row, leftovers stretch. For complex layouts, use named grid areas (grid-template-areas) and redefine them at breakpoints.

Visual Hierarchy

The Squint Test

Blur your eyes (or screenshot and blur). Can you still identify:

• The most important element?
• The second most important?
• Clear groupings?

If everything looks the same weight blurred, you have a hierarchy problem.

Hierarchy Through Multiple Dimensions

Don't rely on size alone. Combine:

Tool	Strong Hierarchy	Weak Hierarchy
Size	3:1 ratio or more	<2:1 ratio
Weight	Bold vs Regular	Medium vs Regular
Color	High contrast	Similar tones
Position	Top/left (primary)	Bottom/right
Space	Surrounded by white space	Crowded

The best hierarchy uses 2-3 dimensions at once: A heading that's larger, bolder, AND has more space above it.

Cards Are Not Required

Cards are overused. Spacing and alignment create visual grouping naturally. Use cards only when content is truly distinct and actionable, items need visual comparison in a grid, or content needs clear interaction boundaries. Never nest cards inside cards—use spacing, typography, and subtle dividers for hierarchy within a card.

Container Queries

Viewport queries are for page layouts. Container queries are for components:

.card-container {
  container-type: inline-size;
}

.card {
  display: grid;
  gap: var(--space-md);
}

/* Card layout changes based on its container, not viewport */
@container (min-width: 400px) {
  .card {
    grid-template-columns: 120px 1fr;
  }
}

Why this matters: A card in a narrow sidebar stays compact, while the same card in a main content area expands—automatically, without viewport hacks.

Optical Adjustments

Text at margin-left: 0 looks indented due to letterform whitespace—use negative margin (-0.05em) to optically align. Geometrically centered icons often look off-center; play icons need to shift right, arrows shift toward their direction.

Touch Targets vs Visual Size

Buttons can look small but need large touch targets (44px minimum). Use padding or pseudo-elements:

.icon-button {
  width: 24px;  /* Visual size */
  height: 24px;
  position: relative;
}

.icon-button::before {
  content: '';
  position: absolute;
  inset: -10px;  /* Expand tap target to 44px */
}

Depth & Elevation

Create semantic z-index scales (dropdown → sticky → modal-backdrop → modal → toast → tooltip) instead of arbitrary numbers. For shadows, create a consistent elevation scale (sm → md → lg → xl). Key insight: Shadows should be subtle—if you can clearly see it, it's probably too strong.

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Avoid: Arbitrary spacing values outside your scale. Making all spacing equal (variety creates hierarchy). Creating hierarchy through size alone - combine size, weight, color, and space.