Shadows

A method of containment that creates dimension in combination with borders or fill

Why it matters

The heaviest containment tool: shadow implies elevation, and elevation implies rank — what floats above may cover what sits below. Spend it on the few surfaces that genuinely hover; a page where everything floats has no floor.

See it

Four elevations, one light source — the higher a surface floats, the more temporary and focal it reads.

The numbers

  • Elevation is hierarchy — higher means more temporary, more focal

Related terms

Ask your assistant

Define "Shadows" using uxspot.

Works in Claude, Cursor or any MCP client — connect the uxspot MCP.

Think it stuck? A 20-second round of Spot Check will tell you.