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Proportional Bento Card
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A refined modular grid component optimized for vertical balance. By adjusting the grid-row ratios and reducing the overall container height, this design eliminates excess whitespace in the footer area. The layout uses a 5-row system where the author and action sections are intentionally slimmer than the content and image sections, creating a more professional and compact aesthetic.
Features
- Optimized Grid Ratios: Custom fractional units (fr) for balanced row heights.
- Compact Footer: Reduced vertical padding and row height for the author/action bar.
- Modular Bento Layout: Clean 3-column grid structure for diverse content types.
- Interactive Hover States: Smooth scaling and color transitions on the action button and image.
- High Contrast UI: Deep slate palette with vibrant indigo accents for readability.
Uses
- Blog Post Previews
- Portfolio Project Cards
- News Feed Items
- Dashboard Summary Widgets
Benefits
- Eliminates 'dead space' at the bottom of the card for a tighter look.
- Improves visual hierarchy by prioritizing the title and image areas.
- Maintains a consistent aspect ratio suitable for mobile and desktop grids.
- Enhances user engagement through clear, well-proportioned call-to-actions.
Techniques Used
CSS Grid with custom fractional row heights, Flexbox alignment, transition-based hover effects, and border-box sizing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the 5-row grid system utilize fractional units (fr) to achieve the 'Optimized Grid Ratio' without creating layout shifts?
The component defines its structure using 'grid-template-rows: 1.2fr 3fr 1.5fr 0.7fr 0.8fr'. This specific ratio prioritizes the image and primary content rows (3fr) while significantly constricting the metadata and action rows (0.7fr and 0.8fr). By using fractional units instead of fixed pixel heights, the rows scale proportionally to the container's max-height, maintaining the visual balance across different viewport scales.
What specific CSS properties are applied to the 'Compact Footer' to eliminate excess whitespace while maintaining the deep slate high-contrast aesthetic?
The footer utilizes a combination of 'align-items: center' and a reduced 'padding-block' of 4px. To maintain readability against the Slate-950 background, the indigo action button uses a 'box-shadow: 0 0 15px -5px rgba(99, 102, 241, 0.5)' and 'text-rendering: optimizeLegibility', ensuring that even with reduced vertical height, the text and button elements remain crisp and distinct.
How can the 3-column modular bento layout be reconfigured to allow a specific element to span across the unbalanced row heights?
To span elements across the unequal rows, you must apply 'grid-row: span 2' to the target child. However, because the 5-row system uses non-uniform 'fr' values, the spanned content will inherit a height equal to the sum of the targeted rows (e.g., 3fr + 1.5fr). For internal content alignment within that span, 'display: flex' with 'flex-direction: column' is required to ensure the indigo accents and text distribute evenly across the variable vertical space.
Which transition timing functions are implemented for the interactive hover states to ensure the image scale doesn't feel 'jarring' against the slate borders?
The component uses 'transition: transform 0.4s cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1)' for the image scaling effect. This 'ease-out-quart' curve provides a rapid initial movement that decelerates smoothly. When combined with 'overflow: hidden' on the parent grid cell and a 'will-change: transform' hint, the 105% scale effect remains fluid and does not cause pixel flickering on the high-contrast indigo borders.
In a creative scenario where the card needs a 'Live Status' indicator, how should it be integrated into the 0.7fr author row without breaking the proportional balance?
The status indicator should be implemented as a pseudo-element ('::before') on the author name string within the fourth row. By setting 'vertical-align: middle' and using a relative offset, the indicator occupies the existing 0.7fr line-height. This avoids adding new grid rows or increasing the 'padding-top', preserving the compact aesthetic and the intentional slimness of the lower modular sections.