Foundation Components Guide
Comprehensive guide to creating, implementing, and maintaining foundation components with design token integration and AI collaboration patterns.
Foundation Components Guide
Overview
This guide explores patterns and practices for creating foundation components - the atomic building blocks of our design system. Foundation components serve as pure presentation components that form the basis for all other UI elements in our applications.
Why Foundation Components Matter
Foundation components solve several critical challenges in React Native development:
- Consistency: They ensure visual and behavioral consistency across the application
- Efficiency: They reduce duplication by centralizing common UI elements
- Maintainability: Changes to foundation components automatically propagate throughout the app
- Collaboration: They create a shared vocabulary between designers and developers
- Accessibility: They encapsulate accessibility best practices in reusable units
Purpose & Scope
This guide will help you:
- Understand what makes an effective foundation component
- Implement components that integrate with our design token system
- Create accessible, reusable, and performant UI building blocks
- Maintain consistency through established patterns
- Follow patterns that work well with AI collaboration
Foundation Component Principles
Core Characteristics
Effective foundation components generally share these key characteristics:
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Single Responsibility: Each component focuses on one clear purpose, making it easier to understand, test, and maintain
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No Business Logic: Foundation components remain free from domain knowledge or business rules, ensuring they're reusable across different contexts
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Design Token Driven: Styling comes from centralized design tokens rather than hardcoded values, enabling consistent theming and easier updates
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Highly Reusable: These components are designed to be used across multiple patterns, features, and projects
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Accessible by Default: Accessibility is built in from the start, not added as an afterthought
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Predictable API: Consistent prop patterns and naming conventions make components intuitive to use
Guide Structure
This comprehensive guide is organized into focused sections to help you master foundation component development:
📱 Interactive Elements
Components that respond to user input - buttons, inputs, switches, and other controls. Learn how to build accessible, responsive interactive components.
🎨 Display Components
Visual elements that present information - text, cards, images, and containers. Master typography, layout, and visual hierarchy.
🎯 Design Token Integration
Deep dive into using design tokens for colors, typography, spacing, and shadows. Ensure consistency across your component library.
♿ Accessibility Patterns
Comprehensive accessibility implementation including roles, states, focus management, and testing strategies.
🧪 Testing & Performance
Testing strategies, visual regression, performance optimization, and memoization patterns for reliable components.
🤖 AI Collaboration & Documentation
Effective AI prompts, documentation standards, and maintenance strategies for sustainable component development.
Foundation Component Categories
Foundation components form the basis of our entire UI system. By grouping them into logical categories, we can ensure consistent patterns across similar component types and make them easier to discover and use.
The foundation layer includes these primary categories:
- Interactive Elements: Components that handle user interaction
- Display Elements: Components that present information
- Layout Components: Components that structure content
- Feedback Components: Components that communicate state
Each category follows consistent patterns while addressing its specific requirements.
Best Practices Summary
When building foundation components:
- ✅ Start with the interface: Define clear TypeScript types
- ✅ Use design tokens: Never hardcode colors, spacing, or typography
- ✅ Build accessible: Include proper roles, states, and labels
- ✅ Test thoroughly: Cover all states, interactions, and edge cases
- ✅ Document clearly: Provide examples and usage guidelines
- ✅ Optimize performance: Use memoization appropriately
Component Architecture
Foundation components follow a consistent architectural pattern that aligns with our UI Architecture Overview:
- Props Layer: Well-defined TypeScript interfaces
- Implementation Layer: React Native components with hooks
- Style Layer: Design token integration
- Test Layer: Comprehensive test coverage
This architecture ensures components are predictable, maintainable, and easy to understand.
Getting Started
Review Core Principles
Understand the characteristics that define effective foundation components
Explore Component Categories
Browse the different types of foundation components and their patterns
Learn Token Integration
Master the use of design tokens for consistent styling
Implement Accessibility
Ensure your components work for all users
Test Comprehensively
Write tests that ensure reliability and catch regressions
Next Steps
- Start with Interactive Elements to learn about building user controls
- Review our ui for implementation references
- Check the Component Development Workflow for the complete development process
Related Documents
- UI Architecture Overview - Understanding the three-layer architecture
- Component Development Workflow - Step-by-step development process
- Component Patterns - Higher-level composition patterns
- Theme Management - Theme and token management
- ui - Implementation examples