Structure
The fixed anatomical skeleton of a component — internal padding, gap, fixed heights.
Definition
Structure defines the fixed anatomical dimensions of a component: internal padding, gap, fixed heights, border radii, and font families that form its skeleton.
Structure is a build-time decision. It defines what the component is, not how it varies.
Values
Structure values are component-specific. Unlike other dimensions which have a shared vocabulary (e.g. high, medium, low), structure modes are defined per-component based on its anatomy.
Common structure modes include:
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
Mode 1 | Default structural layout |
text | Text-only variant (no icon, no badge) |
When Decided
Structure is decided at build time — when the component is designed and its variants are defined. It is not typically changed by consumers of the component.
In the Design Tool
Structure maps to variable collections that define the component's skeleton. These collections contain the fixed spatial tokens that don't change with state, emphasis, or sentiment.
Relationship with Other Dimensions
Structure is the most "fixed" dimension:
- Size can be changed per-instance
- Structure is defined per-component-variant
A component's structure determines what spaces exist. Size determines how large those spaces are.