UI/UX Design

Guidance for user interface and user experience design decisions.

Core Principles

Visual Hierarchy

Establish clear importance levels:

1. Size: Larger elements draw attention first
2. Color: Contrast guides the eye
3. Spacing: White space creates groupings
4. Position: Top-left reads first (in LTR languages)

Consistency

• Use consistent spacing scale (4px, 8px, 16px, 24px, 32px, 48px)
• Maintain consistent component patterns
• Follow platform conventions (Material, iOS, Web)

Feedback

Every action needs feedback:

• Immediate: Button press states
• Progress: Loading indicators
• Completion: Success/error messages

Layout Patterns

Card Layout

┌─────────────────┐
│     Image       │
├─────────────────┤
│ Title           │
│ Description     │
│ [Action Button] │
└─────────────────┘

Use for: Collections, products, articles

List Layout

┌──┬──────────────┐
│##│ Title        │
│  │ Subtitle     │
└──┴──────────────┘

Use for: Settings, navigation, data tables

Dashboard Layout

┌────────┬────────┬────────┐
│ Metric │ Metric │ Metric │
├────────┴────────┴────────┤
│      Main Chart          │
├─────────────┬────────────┤
│   Table     │  Activity  │
└─────────────┴────────────┘

Component Design

Buttons

Forms

• Label above input (not placeholder-only)
• Show validation inline
• Group related fields
• Mark optional fields, not required
• Provide helpful error messages

Navigation

• Top nav: Global, persistent
• Side nav: Complex apps, many sections
• Bottom nav: Mobile, 3-5 items max
• Breadcrumbs: Deep hierarchies

Responsive Design

Breakpoints

/* Mobile first */
/* Default: Mobile (< 640px) */
@media (min-width: 640px)  { /* Tablet */ }
@media (min-width: 1024px) { /* Desktop */ }
@media (min-width: 1280px) { /* Large desktop */ }

Adaptation Strategies

• Stack: Columns become rows on mobile
• Hide: Show/hide elements by importance
• Resize: Proportional scaling
• Reflow: Different layouts per breakpoint

Color Usage

Semantic Colors

Contrast Requirements

• Text on background: 4.5:1 minimum (WCAG AA)
• Large text: 3:1 minimum
• Interactive elements: 3:1 minimum

Typography

Scale

xs:  12px  - Labels, captions
sm:  14px  - Body small
base: 16px - Body default
lg:  18px  - Body large
xl:  20px  - Heading small
2xl: 24px  - Heading medium
3xl: 30px  - Heading large
4xl: 36px  - Display

Line Height

• Headings: 1.2 - 1.3
• Body text: 1.5 - 1.6
• UI elements: 1.0 - 1.25

UX Patterns

Empty States

Show when no data:

• Friendly illustration
• Explain what goes here
• Provide action to add first item

Loading States

• Skeleton screens > spinners
• Progressive loading
• Optimistic UI when safe

Error Handling

• Explain what went wrong
• Suggest how to fix
• Provide recovery action
• Don't blame the user

Design Checklist

• Clear visual hierarchy
• Consistent spacing and alignment
• Responsive across devices
• Accessible color contrast
• Clear interactive states
• Helpful error messages
• Loading feedback
• Empty state design