UI Terms visual dictionary

Components

Card

A bounded rectangular container that groups related content and actions as a single unit.

Article
3 min
Guide
8 min

Cards collect a heading, supporting content, media, and actions inside a visible boundary. They are the most generic 'container of stuff' in modern UI, used for posts in a feed, products in a grid, dashboards, and almost everything in between. Material Design and most design systems define elevation, padding, and interaction rules for cards. A card is often clickable as a whole, jumping to a detail view.

Also called

content cardtilepanel

When to use

  • Lists of similar items that each have multiple pieces of info
  • Dashboards built from independent panels
  • Feeds where each item bundles a heading, body, and actions

When not to use

  • Single-column text pages (just use the page)
  • Cards inside cards (creates visual noise)
  • Lists where rows would communicate the same thing more efficiently

Source

Material Design ('Cards') is the most-cited reference; the pattern predates Material and exists in virtually every design system (Apple HIG, Atlassian, Shopify Polaris, Shadcn).