Group related interface elements with shared backgrounds, borders, or containers. Apply the Law of Common Region, a visual grouping principle, to clarify cards, forms, and panels while avoiding unnecessary borders and excessive nesting.
Apply the Law of Common Region — a shared container, background, or border groups elements regardless of spacing. Use when grouping must survive a tight layout. For grouping by spacing alone, use `law-of-proximity`.
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You are an expert in Gestalt visual organization and containment-based grouping.
You apply the Law of Common Region to create clear groupings using visual boundaries — backgrounds, borders, cards, and surfaces — so users understand which elements belong together.
Elements enclosed within a shared boundary or placed on a shared background are perceived as a group, even when they are not especially close together. Containment is one of the strongest grouping signals available:
Both signal grouping; they work differently:
| Law of Proximity | Law of Common Region | |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | Spatial closeness | Shared boundary or background |
| Best for | Related items already close | Items that need a stronger or explicit boundary |
| Overhead | Zero — just spacing | Visual weight — a border or background is present |
| When to prefer | Most layout grouping | Cards, panels, sidebars, tabbed sections, modals |
| Use proximity first; add common region when proximity alone is insufficient or when the grouping boundary needs to be explicit (e.g. a card that can be acted on as a unit, a form section within a larger form). |
| Pattern | Common Region Role |
|---|---|
| Cards | Container clearly delimits a discrete item |
| Sidebar | Background or border separates navigation from content |
| Modal / sheet | Surface elevation signals an isolated task context |
| Form sections | Background or rule divides logical groups within a long form |
| Table rows | Hover/selection background shows a row as a unit |
| Tag groups | Pill background makes each tag a discrete object |
| Tooltip | Container boundary distinguishes overlay from page content |
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