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Dec 29, 2025

Cards are a scapegoat

The problem isn’t cards. It’s what we hide behind them. Let’s break the pattern (interactively).

Somewhere along the way, “make it a card” became the default answer to every layout problem.

I don’t hate cards because they’re ugly. I hate them because they’re a scapegoat:

  • they hide weak information hierarchy
  • they flatten meaning into rectangles
  • they make every page feel like the same template wearing different makeup

So here’s a little lab.

INTERACTIVE LAB
Make it a card (or… don’t).

Slide the “cardiness” knob and watch how the same content changes. The punchline: layout decisions shouldn’t be outsourced to rectangles.

  1. 01
    A thing with meaning
    02 · HIERARCHY
    If everything is a surface, nothing is. Make one decision and let the layout show it.
  2. 02
    A thing with nuance
    03 · RHYTHM
    Dividers, spacing, and type scale can carry structure without a rectangle doing the job.
  3. 03
    A thing with edge
    07 · TENSION
    Pair small meta with bold type. Let contrast do the organizing. It reads like a story.
Same content. More hierarchy. Less rectangle. More taste.

The real issue

Cards are fine when they’re earned:

  • one item needs a boundary from the rest
  • interaction needs a surface (drag, hover, selection)
  • content is truly modular and reusable

But when you’re using a card to avoid making decisions, the UI feels like a “collection of boxes” instead of a story.

A better default

If you’re stuck, try one of these first:

  • Editorial layout: big title, small metadata, dividers, breathing room.
  • Tension: deliberately align two things you normally wouldn’t (number + paragraph, label + absurdly large type).
  • Rhythm: repeat one motif (a rule, a highlight, a stamp) so the page feels composed.

Cards aren’t the villain. Avoiding taste is.