GuidesDesignComponent

Component

Understand how to create a Shoreline component, whether it is a new component, propose an improvement, or fix a bug. Only components that follow these guidelines will be allowed to be added to the library.

Patterns

  • When creating a component, understand its web standards. Use W3C as a reference.
  • Any color combination must pass the mid-range conformance level for accessibility requirements AA.
  • If your component uses another existing one, reuse it. For example, a new component that has a button must use the Shoreline Button.

Structure

Tokens usage

  • Always use Shoreline tokens for all spacing, color, typography, and shadow values when building a component.
  • We do not recommend using custom values. Always thoroughly test the use of tokens before proposing anything customized.

Autolayout and constraints

  • Apply auto layout and constraints whenever possible, ensuring responsiveness, correct spacing, and scalability in the component’s application.
  • We do not recommend using Groups in components.

Component tokens

Height and width

Apply definitions of max/min-height or width whenever they exist. For example, form fields always use 320px, since the mobile width is 360px and has a 20px margin on each side.

Layers

  • Optimize the use of layers as much as possible.
  • Look at other components with similar elements to better understand the names already used.
  • Name the layer in a way that precisely indicates what it contains, whether it’s a single element or a group.
    • Assign a label as the name for icon instances and text layers. For example, a text layer “Search…” is renamed to Placeholder.
    • When a layer is a group of other layers, name it with the names of the internal layers using the ”+” symbol between the names. For example, the layer containing the icon and the message of the Alert is named Icon + Message, for any variant of the Alert, and contains the layers [IconName], keeping the original name of the icon since each variant uses a specific icon, and Message.
    • When an Icon from a component can be replaced with other icons, its layer is named Icon.
    • Shapes and vector layers should also follow the same logic. For example, the layer of the arrow shape in the Tooltip is named Tip.

Component layers example

Variants and properties

Usage

  • Look at other components to better understand the patterns of property names already used.
  • Maximize the number of variants and leverage properties (boolean, instance swap, text) to create less complex, high-performance, and easy-to-apply components.
  • Some components exist to serve many different scenarios, such as the Table, and it’s impractical to create a component that covers 100% of them. Therefore, it’s acceptable for some components to need to be detached when applying it. Always consider the acceptable limit of variants that meet the usage needs while keeping the component optimized.
  • Include all applicable states. For example, default, hover, pressed, focus, disabled, loading, empty, no results, error loading, error searching, and dragging.
    • Reuse styles from the hover state for the focus state.
    • When there’s a focus ring, apply clip content and background color to all variants.
  • Expose properties of nested instances whenever possible. Sequentially name nested instances. For example, Row 1, Row 2, and Row 3 in a Table.

Component variants example

Naming

  • Name a property in a way that directly indicates what is being configured. Do not include verbs. For example, a property for the states of a component will be called state, a property to change the error text will be called errorText, and a property to toggle the label of the Input will be called label.
  • Use camelCase for the names of properties and variants.
  • Properties that are used to edit a value, such as text or instance swap, should always have a period (.) at the end. Figma does not allow two properties with the same name, and usually, these value properties coexist with another visibility property of the same element.

Prototype

  • Connect only the default state with the hover state.
  • Avoid creating too many connections in the component, as this can make its application difficult.
  • Use transition animation that will be implemented in code, or Instant when in doubt.

Library organization

Name and description

  • Define the name according to how the component is best known in the market and use TitleCase, without spaces between words.
  • Write the description using a maximum of two short sentences, including the component’s function and, if necessary, any relevant behavior or property.
  • Use W3C, The Component Gallery, Material Design, and other well-established design systems as references.

Component

  • The documentation of a component in the library should always follow the component section template. Follow the instructions included in the template.
  • Follow the alphabetical order to organize the sections of the components, including the order of the layers.

Component sections

  • Follow the pattern in organizing the component variants.
    • Position the default variant in the top-left corner.
    • Spacing of at least 20px between variants.
  • Component frame with padding of 200px whenever possible, or at least 100px, and without borders.
  • Base components (parts of the component that are not used by themselves) should always have the emoji ⚙️ at the beginning of the name.
  • Fill in the Component configuration.
    • Include a description of the component, keywords (other names by which the component may be known), and implementation status (for a new component, the status will be Not implemented yet).
    • Select the option “Simplify all instances”.
    • The link will only be filled in after the component is published on the documentation website.

Component configuration

  • Order the variants and the values of each variant to follow a logical order.
    • Properties that depend on another boolean property should be below it. For example, the value property of a label is below the boolean property of the label.
    • In the absence of a logical order, follow alphabetical order.

Documentation

All components must have documentation on the Shoreline website.

Define the related components that appear on the main page of a component by answering the question: which other components have an application that may generate doubt regarding the new component? For example, there may be confusion between the application of a Button and an IconButton, so the IconButton is included as a related component of the Button.

Best practices

  • Visual components should always have Best practices documentation.
  • Look at other components to better understand the patterns.
  • Depending on the content, write in bullet points or include it in tables,
  • The documentation content should always be part of one of the sections: Properties, Position, and Behavior. Not all components will have all three.
    • In Properties, describe the usage and guidelines for each property of the component. For example, the application scenarios for each variant, how to write a Label, or which icon to use. Each property should be a subsection.
    • In Position, describe where the component should be positioned in a container or how parts of a component should be positioned within it.
    • In Behavior, describe the possible behaviors of the component. For example, when the component is disabled, when it’s in a loading state, or when it has scrolling.