Hand and a UI card
Hand and a UI card
Hand and a UI card

How to Design UI Cards

Nov 28, 2024

·

3 min read

UI cards are among the most used elements in modern design. So, level up your design skills. Use these tips to present info in bite-sized, visually stunning UI cards in just a few minutes. Let’s dive in!

What are UI cards?

Cards are UI elements that contain content and actions related to a single subject. A typical card layout features an image, title, description, and action(s). By applying these tips, you’ll be on your way to designing exceptional UI cards.

Picture showing a typical card layout

Group elements in meaningful layouts

Grouping elements in meaningful layouts speeds up information processing and comprehension.

If the space is too confined, you can achieve grouping with colors, as seen in the example. The author and the date are slightly lighter than the title, helping to create clear, well-structured UI cards.

Picture showing the difference grouping elements in meaningful layouts makes

Use simple type

It’s important to focus on legibility over decoration. More often than not, sans-serif fonts are the safest choice. You should keep the focus on readability, not decoration, to create effective UI cards.

Picture showing why prioritizing legibility over decoration is important

Control letter spacing

Lowercase letters are usually optimally spaced in professional fonts. You should treat the letter spacing as shown in the example for balanced and consistent UI cards.

Picture showing how to treat the letter spacing

Use auto-layout

You can set spacing rules between the cards by using auto-layout. When using auto-layout, look at what part of the content varies and what part is fixed. Define the height with auto-layout, as shown in the example, to maintain uniformity and achieve clean UI cards.

Picture showing how to define height with auto-layout

Clearly indicate interactive elements

It’s vital to design hover behavior(s) to clearly indicate interactive elements. You can also preselect the most common selections.

In the example shown, the color is used to signify that both the time and “reserve” are clickable, helping to make UI cards intuitive and functional.

Picture showing why clearly indicating interactive elements is important

Mind the readability

Always keep readability in mind. What do we mean by that? You should put the text over the images only if the image isn’t the primary source of information.

Also, it’s good to add a transparent overlay. That way, you’ll ensure legibility and accessibility. See the example below for a step-by-step guide to creating an overlay for UI cards.

Picture showing how to create a transparent overlay

Conclusion

Learning how to design UI cards involves thoughtful grouping, simple typography, proper spacing, and clear interactive cues. By following these steps and prioritizing readability, you’ll create UI cards that are visually stunning and highly functional. Let these tips guide you toward mastering the art of effective UI card design.

What are UI cards?

Cards are UI elements that contain content and actions related to a single subject. A typical card layout features an image, title, description, and action(s). By applying these tips, you’ll be on your way to designing exceptional UI cards.

Picture showing a typical card layout

Group elements in meaningful layouts

Grouping elements in meaningful layouts speeds up information processing and comprehension.

If the space is too confined, you can achieve grouping with colors, as seen in the example. The author and the date are slightly lighter than the title, helping to create clear, well-structured UI cards.

Picture showing the difference grouping elements in meaningful layouts makes

Use simple type

It’s important to focus on legibility over decoration. More often than not, sans-serif fonts are the safest choice. You should keep the focus on readability, not decoration, to create effective UI cards.

Picture showing why prioritizing legibility over decoration is important

Control letter spacing

Lowercase letters are usually optimally spaced in professional fonts. You should treat the letter spacing as shown in the example for balanced and consistent UI cards.

Picture showing how to treat the letter spacing

Use auto-layout

You can set spacing rules between the cards by using auto-layout. When using auto-layout, look at what part of the content varies and what part is fixed. Define the height with auto-layout, as shown in the example, to maintain uniformity and achieve clean UI cards.

Picture showing how to define height with auto-layout

Clearly indicate interactive elements

It’s vital to design hover behavior(s) to clearly indicate interactive elements. You can also preselect the most common selections.

In the example shown, the color is used to signify that both the time and “reserve” are clickable, helping to make UI cards intuitive and functional.

Picture showing why clearly indicating interactive elements is important

Mind the readability

Always keep readability in mind. What do we mean by that? You should put the text over the images only if the image isn’t the primary source of information.

Also, it’s good to add a transparent overlay. That way, you’ll ensure legibility and accessibility. See the example below for a step-by-step guide to creating an overlay for UI cards.

Picture showing how to create a transparent overlay

Conclusion

Learning how to design UI cards involves thoughtful grouping, simple typography, proper spacing, and clear interactive cues. By following these steps and prioritizing readability, you’ll create UI cards that are visually stunning and highly functional. Let these tips guide you toward mastering the art of effective UI card design.

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Happy designing! 🥳

andrija & supercharge design team

If you aren't following us on Instagram already, you're seriously missing out! Become a part of our ever-growing community and learn something new from the field of product design every. single. day.

Happy designing! 🥳

andrija & supercharge design team

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