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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.