Spacing

Space is the horizontal and vertical distance between or around different design elements.

Our global spacing scale

We have defined a series of global tokens to define our various spacing measures. The global spacing scale works in increments of 8px and 4px.

Example Description Token name
  • Spacing 00 0dp/sp/px or 0rem
    $spacing-00
  • Spacing 01 4dp/sp/px or 0.25rem
    $spacing-01
  • Spacing 02 8dp/sp/px or 0.5rem
    $spacing-02
  • Spacing 03 12dp/sp/px or 0.75rem
    $spacing-03
  • Spacing 04 16dp/sp/px or 1rem
    $spacing-04
  • Spacing 05 24dp/sp/px or 1.5rem
    $spacing-05
  • Spacing 06 32dp/sp/px or 2rem
    $spacing-06
  • Spacing 07 40dp/sp/px or 2.5rem
    $spacing-07
  • Spacing 08 56dp/sp/px or 3.5rem
    $spacing-08
  • Spacing 09 64dp/sp/px or 4rem
    $spacing-09
  • Spacing 10 80dp/sp/px or 5rem
    $spacing-10

Why do we use 8px and 4px increments?

We use an 8px and 4px grid because they’re easily divisible by 4 and 2. This makes it easy to resize any element or component without the need to use half-pixels.


The importance of sticking to the space scale

Sticking to the space scale is key to every great design. Spatial systems, grids and layouts help us keep a consistent rhythm in our designs, promotes easier decision making and helps our products look visually aligned.