Laws of UX · Perception and grouping
Law of Proximity
Objects that are near, or proximate to each other, tend to be grouped together.
The design-system take
Where the principle shows up in a token, component or pattern decision.
In a token set this is why space-2 inside a component and space-8 between sections are different decisions, not one spacing scale applied everywhere. Tighter gaps bind labels to inputs; larger gaps separate unrelated blocks.
Adapted from Law of Proximity on Laws of UX — Jon Yablonski.