Structuring Your React Applications with “Layout Primitives”: Today, let’s focus on the unbeatable 🚀

When I start a new React project, or even when I join a new codebase, one of the first things I like to do is analyze whether the application uses layout primitives.
If they’re not in place, I make it a point to introduce concepts like Stack, Box, or Grid, which significantly simplify layout management.

Why Are Layout Primitives Essential?
In design systems, each component is designed in isolation without necessarily considering its context. This creates a challenge:
A standalone component might be used in different environments, each requiring unique spacing. Without primitives, this often leads to repetitive styles (e.g., display: flex, margin, gap, etc.) in every parent component or layout.

Enter the Elegant and Unstoppable

A Stack is an abstraction that simplifies arranging child elements by automatically managing spacing. It typically comes in two forms:
1️⃣ HStack (Horizontal Stack) for horizontal alignment.
2️⃣ VStack (Vertical Stack) for vertical alignment.

Using properties like gap, you can easily control the spacing between children without repeating code.

Stack Component Example
Whether you’re using styled-components or TailwindCSS, encapsulating these behaviors in an abstraction like Stack makes your code more intuitive and reusable:

<HStack gap="10px">
  <Icon />
  <VStack gap="5px">
    <Text>First NameText>
    <Text>Last NameText>
  VStack>
HStack>

Advantages:
✅ Reduced Repetition: No more rewriting rules like display: flex or flex-direction: column every time.
✅ Improved Readability: The code clearly expresses intent through component names.
✅ Consistency: A single source of truth for spacing and structure.

Regardless of the library or methodology (CSS-in-JS, TailwindCSS, Sass), adopting primitives like Stack enhances your project’s maintainability and scalability.
This approach not only simplifies developers’ work but also ensures a consistent user experience.

👉 I recommend checking out this book that dives into layout primitives. -> https://every-layout.dev/layouts/
👉 And you? What are your favorite layout primitives? 💬 Share in the comments!