Stack Systems Overview: grid-stack & flex-stack

Unified Layout Architecture

The grid-stack and flex-stack systems provide a unified foundation for responsive layout structure across UI components such as cards, forms, and banners. Both systems use a shared set of gap utilities (.gap-xs to .gap-xl) and align with the design system’s spacing and scale tokens.

grid-stack

• Implements display: grid
• Supports definitions using grid-template-columns and grid-auto-flow
• Includes column sizing utilities like .col-1 to .col-12 with responsive variants (md:col-6, lg:col-4, etc.)

flex-stack

• Implements display: flex
• Supports direction and wrapping control via utilities like .flex-h, .flex-v, .flex-wrap
• Responsive layout shifts enabled through variants like md:flex-h, lg:flex-h-rev

Responsive Utility Integration

Stack utilities are designed to respond to breakpoints using modifier classes (md:, lg:) to control orientation, column configuration, and spacing. These behaviors ensure layout flexibility and alignment with accessibility standards such as WCAG 1.4.10 (Reflow).

Design Token Alignment

Stacks are tightly coupled with the design system’s token-based architecture, ensuring consistency across typography, spacing, and color schemes. They support `.surface` components enhanced with visual effects like glassmorphism, background layering, image filters, and SVG masking.

Accessibility and Semantic Structure

Each stack maintains semantic integrity and accessibility compliance, incorporating ARIA roles and keyboard interactions where applicable. No extra wrappers are required layouts are applied directly to meaningful HTML elements such as <section> or <div>.

Modular Reusability

Stack containers and their contents are designed for composability. Components can be nested, reordered, or resized within either stack type without compromising spacing, alignment, or layout cohesion. This ensures scalability within complex UI environments while maintaining minimal class naming and structural clarity.