Page Layout Patterns

Page Layout Patterns

This skill defines standardized page structure patterns for maintaining consistency across the application. All pages follow predictable spacing, layout, and wrapper conventions.

Table of Contents

1. Standard Page Wrapper
2. Page Structure Pattern
3. Spacing Conventions
4. Responsive Grid Patterns
5. Hero Section Pattern
6. Content Section Patterns
7. Common Layout Recipes
8. Real Project Examples

Standard Page Wrapper

Always Use MainLayout

IMPORTANT: All pages must be rendered within MainLayout. Never create standalone pages without this wrapper.

What MainLayout Provides:

• Sticky header with navigation
• Active route indicators with underline animation
• Max-width container (max-w-7xl) for content
• Consistent horizontal padding (px-8)
• Vertical page padding (py-16)
• White background with backdrop blur
• Proper z-index management

Your Responsibility: Pages only define content structure, not chrome (header, navigation, container).

// ✅ CORRECT - MainLayout wraps all routes in App.tsx
function App() {
  return (
    <BrowserRouter>
      <Routes>
        <Route element={<MainLayout />}>
          <Route path="/" element={<Home />} />
          <Route path="/about" element={<About />} />
        </Route>
      </Routes>
    </BrowserRouter>
  );
}

// ✅ CORRECT - Page component only defines content
export function MyPage() {
  return (
    <div className="space-y-32">
      {/* Page content here */}
    </div>
  );
}

// ❌ WRONG - Don't recreate navigation or container
export function MyPage() {
  return (
    <div className="min-h-screen">
      <header>
        <nav>{/* navigation */}</nav>
      </header>
      <main className="max-w-7xl mx-auto px-8 py-16">
        {/* content */}
      </main>
    </div>
  );
}

MainLayout Implementation Reference:

// src/layouts/MainLayout.tsx
export function MainLayout() {
  return (
    <div className="min-h-screen bg-white">
      {/* Sticky Navigation Header */}
      <header className="sticky top-0 z-50 border-b border-gray-200 bg-white/95 backdrop-blur supports-[backdrop-filter]:bg-white/60">
        <div className="mx-auto max-w-7xl px-8 py-4">
          <nav className="flex items-center justify-end">
            <div className="flex items-center gap-8">
              {/* Navigation links with active state */}
            </div>
          </nav>
        </div>
      </header>

      {/* Main Content with container and padding */}
      <main className="mx-auto max-w-7xl px-8 py-16">
        <Outlet /> {/* Your page renders here */}
      </main>
    </div>
  );
}

Page Structure Pattern

Standard Multi-Section Page

Use space-y-32 as the root spacing between major page sections:

export function PageName() {
  return (
    <div className="space-y-32">
      {/* Hero section - largest, most prominent */}
      <section className="relative overflow-hidden">
        <div className="relative px-6 py-32 text-center">
          <h1>Hero Title</h1>
          <p>Hero description</p>
        </div>
      </section>

      {/* Main content sections - separated by 128px (space-y-32) */}
      <section>
        <h2>Section Title</h2>
        <div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3">
          {/* Cards or content */}
        </div>
      </section>

      {/* Additional sections */}
      <section>
        {/* More content */}
      </section>
    </div>
  );
}

Key Points:

• Root container uses space-y-32 for major section separation
• Use semantic HTML (<section>, <article>)
• Hero sections get special treatment (see Hero Section Pattern)
• Each section is self-contained

Spacing Conventions

Spacing Scale Quick Reference

Follow this consistent spacing hierarchy throughout the application:

// ✅ CORRECT USAGE

// Page container (applied by MainLayout)
<main className="mx-auto max-w-7xl px-8 py-16">

// Between major page sections (hero, features, content blocks)
<div className="space-y-32"> {/* 128px */}

// Between subsections within a major section
<div className="space-y-16"> {/* 64px */}

// Between related items (paragraphs, list items, form fields)
<div className="space-y-8"> {/* 32px */}

// Between tightly related items (label + input, icon + text)
<div className="space-y-4"> {/* 16px */}

// Card grids
<div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-2"> {/* 32px gap */}

// Navigation items
<nav className="flex gap-8"> {/* 32px gap */}

Visual Spacing Hierarchy

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MainLayout: px-8 py-16                  │
│                                         │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ Section 1                       │   │
│  │                                 │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                         │
│  ↕ space-y-32 (128px)                   │
│                                         │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ Section 2                       │   │
│  │  ┌─────────────────────────┐   │   │
│  │  │ Subsection A            │   │   │
│  │  └─────────────────────────┘   │   │
│  │                                 │   │
│  │  ↕ space-y-16 (64px)            │   │
│  │                                 │   │
│  │  ┌─────────────────────────┐   │   │
│  │  │ Subsection B            │   │   │
│  │  │  - Item 1               │   │   │
│  │  │  ↕ space-y-8 (32px)     │   │   │
│  │  │  - Item 2               │   │   │
│  │  └─────────────────────────┘   │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────┘   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Before/After Example: Proper Spacing

// ❌ BEFORE - Inconsistent spacing
export function BadPage() {
  return (
    <div className="space-y-12">
      <section className="py-8">
        <h1>Title</h1>
        <p className="mt-2">Description</p>
      </section>

      <section className="py-24">
        <div className="grid gap-4 grid-cols-3">
          {/* cards too close together */}
        </div>
      </section>
    </div>
  );
}

// ✅ AFTER - Consistent, standardized spacing
export function GoodPage() {
  return (
    <div className="space-y-32">
      <section>
        <div className="space-y-4">
          <h1>Title</h1>
          <p>Description</p>
        </div>
      </section>

      <section>
        <div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-3">
          {/* cards with proper breathing room */}
        </div>
      </section>
    </div>
  );
}

Responsive Grid Patterns

Three-Column Grid (Most Common)

Single column on mobile, 2 on tablet, 3 on desktop:

<div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
  {items.map((item) => (
    <Card key={item.id}>
      {/* Card content */}
    </Card>
  ))}
</div>

Equal Height Cards: Grid automatically makes cards equal height. No additional CSS needed.

// ✅ Cards will automatically stretch to match tallest card
<div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-3">
  <Card>Short content</Card>
  <Card>Very long content that makes this card taller...</Card>
  <Card>Medium content</Card>
</div>

Two-Column Grid

// Equal columns
<div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-2">
  <div>Column 1</div>
  <div>Column 2</div>
</div>

Asymmetric Layouts (Sidebar Pattern)

2/3 main content, 1/3 sidebar:

<div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-3">
  {/* Main Content - Takes 2 columns */}
  <div className="space-y-8 md:col-span-2">
    <h1>Main Content</h1>
    <p>Primary content area...</p>
  </div>

  {/* Sidebar - Takes 1 column */}
  <div className="md:col-span-1">
    <Card className="sticky top-20">
      <CardHeader>
        <CardTitle>Sidebar</CardTitle>
      </CardHeader>
      <CardContent>
        {/* Sidebar content */}
      </CardContent>
    </Card>
  </div>
</div>

Alternative syntax using grid template columns:

<div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-[2fr_1fr]">
  <div>{/* Main content */}</div>
  <div>{/* Sidebar */}</div>
</div>

Four-Column Grid

<div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-4 gap-8">
  {items.map((item) => (
    <Card key={item.id}>{/* Card content */}</Card>
  ))}
</div>

Grid Breakpoint Reference

Mobile:  grid-cols-1      (< 768px)
Tablet:  md:grid-cols-2   (≥ 768px)
Desktop: lg:grid-cols-3   (≥ 1024px)
Wide:    xl:grid-cols-4   (≥ 1280px)

Hero Section Pattern

Hero sections are the primary visual focus of a page. They require special treatment:

Standard Hero Structure

<section className="relative overflow-hidden">
  {/* Background gradient blobs */}
  <div className="absolute inset-0 -z-10">
    <div className="absolute left-1/2 top-0 -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2">
      <div className="h-[600px] w-[600px] rounded-full bg-gradient-to-br from-blue-400/20 via-purple-400/20 to-pink-400/20 blur-3xl" />
    </div>
    <div className="absolute right-0 top-1/2 translate-x-1/2">
      <div className="h-[400px] w-[400px] rounded-full bg-gradient-to-br from-cyan-400/20 via-blue-400/20 to-indigo-400/20 blur-3xl" />
    </div>
  </div>

  {/* Hero content */}
  <div className="relative px-6 py-32 text-center">
    <div className="mx-auto max-w-4xl">
      {/* Optional decorative icon */}
      <div className="mb-6 flex justify-center">
        <div className="rounded-full bg-gradient-to-br from-blue-500 to-purple-600 p-3 shadow-lg shadow-blue-500/50">
          <Icon className="h-8 w-8 text-white" />
        </div>
      </div>

      {/* Main heading with gradient text */}
      <h1 className="mb-6 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-900 via-blue-900 to-purple-900 bg-clip-text text-6xl font-extrabold tracking-tight text-transparent sm:text-7xl md:text-8xl">
        Hero Title
      </h1>

      {/* Subtitle */}
      <p className="mx-auto mb-12 max-w-3xl text-xl leading-relaxed text-gray-600 sm:text-2xl">
        Compelling description with <span className="font-semibold text-blue-600">highlighted</span> keywords
      </p>
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

Hero Anatomy

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ <section> relative overflow-hidden             │
│                                                 │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │ Background: absolute inset-0 -z-10    │    │
│  │ - Gradient blobs positioned absolute  │    │
│  │ - Multiple layers for depth           │    │
│  └────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                                 │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │ Content: relative px-6 py-32          │    │
│  │                                        │    │
│  │  ┌──────────────────────────────┐     │    │
│  │  │ max-w-4xl mx-auto           │     │    │
│  │  │                              │     │    │
│  │  │  - Decorative icon           │     │    │
│  │  │  - Large gradient heading    │     │    │
│  │  │  - Subtitle paragraph        │     │    │
│  │  └──────────────────────────────┘     │    │
│  └────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Hero Principles

1. Relative positioning - Section is relative to contain absolute backgrounds
2. Overflow hidden - Prevents gradient blobs from creating scrollbars
3. Absolute backgrounds - Positioned with absolute inset-0 -z-10
4. Relative content - Content div is relative to sit above backgrounds
5. Generous padding - py-32 gives hero sections breathing room
6. Centered text - text-center with mx-auto max-w-4xl for readability
7. Gradient text - Use bg-gradient-to-r, bg-clip-text, text-transparent

Content Section Patterns

Standard Content Section

<section>
  <div className="space-y-8">
    <div className="space-y-4">
      <h2 className="text-3xl font-bold text-gray-900">Section Title</h2>
      <p className="text-lg leading-relaxed text-gray-600">
        Section introduction or description
      </p>
    </div>

    {/* Section content */}
    <div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3">
      {/* Cards or content items */}
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

Text-Heavy Content Section

Use consistent heading hierarchy and spacing:

<section>
  <div className="space-y-16">
    {/* Section header */}
    <div className="space-y-4">
      <h2 className="text-3xl font-bold text-gray-900">Main Section</h2>
      <p className="leading-relaxed text-gray-600">
        Introduction paragraph
      </p>
    </div>

    {/* Subsections */}
    <div className="space-y-8">
      <div className="space-y-4">
        <h3 className="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900">Subsection Title</h3>
        <p className="leading-relaxed text-gray-600">
          Subsection content with proper spacing
        </p>
      </div>

      <div className="space-y-4">
        <h3 className="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900">Another Subsection</h3>
        <p className="leading-relaxed text-gray-600">
          More content
        </p>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

Card Grid Section

<section>
  <div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3">
    {items.map((item) => (
      <Card key={item.id} className="group hover:-translate-y-2 transition-transform">
        <CardHeader className="space-y-4">
          {/* Card content */}
        </CardHeader>
      </Card>
    ))}
  </div>
</section>

Common Layout Recipes

Recipe 1: Hero + Feature Grid (Homepage Pattern)

export function Home() {
  return (
    <div className="space-y-32">
      {/* Hero Section */}
      <section className="relative overflow-hidden">
        <div className="absolute inset-0 -z-10">
          {/* Background gradients */}
        </div>
        <div className="relative px-6 py-32 text-center">
          <h1>Welcome</h1>
          <p>Description</p>
        </div>
      </section>

      {/* Features Grid */}
      <section>
        <div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3">
          {features.map((feature) => (
            <Card key={feature.id}>{/* Feature card */}</Card>
          ))}
        </div>
      </section>
    </div>
  );
}

Recipe 2: Two-Column Content + Sidebar

export function About() {
  return (
    <div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-3">
      {/* Main Content (2/3) */}
      <div className="space-y-8 md:col-span-2">
        <div className="space-y-4">
          <h1 className="text-4xl font-bold">Page Title</h1>
          <p className="text-lg text-gray-600">Introduction</p>
        </div>

        <Separator />

        <div className="space-y-16">
          <div className="space-y-4">
            <h2 className="text-3xl font-bold">Section</h2>
            <p>Content</p>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>

      {/* Sticky Sidebar (1/3) */}
      <div className="md:col-span-1">
        <Card className="sticky top-20">
          <CardHeader>
            <CardTitle>Sidebar Title</CardTitle>
            <CardDescription>Description</CardDescription>
          </CardHeader>
          <CardContent>
            {/* Sidebar content */}
          </CardContent>
        </Card>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Recipe 3: Centered Content (Error Pages, Forms)

export function NotFound() {
  return (
    <div className="flex min-h-[60vh] items-center justify-center">
      <Card className="w-full max-w-md text-center">
        <CardHeader>
          <div className="mb-4">
            <h1 className="text-8xl font-bold text-blue-600">404</h1>
          </div>
          <CardTitle className="text-2xl">Page Not Found</CardTitle>
          <CardDescription className="text-base">
            Error message
          </CardDescription>
        </CardHeader>
        <CardContent>
          <Button>Take Action</Button>
        </CardContent>
      </Card>
    </div>
  );
}

Recipe 4: Multi-Section Content Page

export function ContentPage() {
  return (
    <div className="space-y-32">
      {/* Introduction Section */}
      <section>
        <div className="space-y-4 text-center">
          <h1 className="text-5xl font-bold">Page Title</h1>
          <p className="text-xl text-gray-600">Subtitle</p>
        </div>
      </section>

      {/* Content Section 1 */}
      <section>
        <div className="space-y-8">
          <h2 className="text-3xl font-bold">Section 1</h2>
          <div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-2">
            {/* Content */}
          </div>
        </div>
      </section>

      {/* Content Section 2 */}
      <section>
        <div className="space-y-8">
          <h2 className="text-3xl font-bold">Section 2</h2>
          {/* Content */}
        </div>
      </section>
    </div>
  );
}

Real Project Examples

Example 1: Home Page (Hero + Grid)

File: src/pages/Home.tsx

This page demonstrates the hero + feature grid pattern:

export function Home() {
  return (
    <div className="space-y-32">
      {/* Hero Section with gradient backgrounds */}
      <div className="relative overflow-hidden">
        {/* Background gradient blobs */}
        <div className="absolute inset-0 -z-10">
          <div className="absolute left-1/2 top-0 -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2">
            <div className="h-[600px] w-[600px] rounded-full bg-gradient-to-br from-blue-400/20 via-purple-400/20 to-pink-400/20 blur-3xl" />
          </div>
          <div className="absolute right-0 top-1/2 translate-x-1/2">
            <div className="h-[400px] w-[400px] rounded-full bg-gradient-to-br from-cyan-400/20 via-blue-400/20 to-indigo-400/20 blur-3xl" />
          </div>
        </div>

        <div className="relative px-6 py-32 text-center">
          <div className="mx-auto max-w-4xl">
            {/* Decorative icon */}
            <div className="mb-6 flex justify-center">
              <div className="rounded-full bg-gradient-to-br from-blue-500 to-purple-600 p-3 shadow-lg shadow-blue-500/50">
                <Sparkles className="h-8 w-8 text-white" />
              </div>
            </div>

            {/* Gradient heading */}
            <h1 className="mb-6 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-900 via-blue-900 to-purple-900 bg-clip-text text-6xl font-extrabold tracking-tight text-transparent sm:text-7xl md:text-8xl">
              {APP_NAME}
            </h1>

            <p className="mx-auto mb-12 max-w-3xl text-xl leading-relaxed text-gray-600 sm:text-2xl">
              A modern, production-ready React TypeScript starter template
            </p>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>

      {/* Features Grid - 3 columns with equal height cards */}
      <div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3">
        {features.map((feature) => (
          <Card key={feature.title} className="group hover:-translate-y-2 transition-all">
            <CardHeader className="space-y-4">
              <div className="flex items-start justify-between">
                <div className={`rounded-xl bg-gradient-to-br ${feature.gradient} p-3`}>
                  <Icon className="h-6 w-6 text-white" />
                </div>
                <Badge>{feature.badge}</Badge>
              </div>
              <div>
                <CardTitle className="mb-2 text-2xl">{feature.title}</CardTitle>
                <CardDescription>{feature.description}</CardDescription>
              </div>
            </CardHeader>
          </Card>
        ))}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Key Patterns Used:

• space-y-32 between hero and features
• relative overflow-hidden for hero background effects
• gap-8 for card grid spacing
• Three-column responsive grid: grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3
• Equal height cards (automatic with grid)

Example 2: About Page (Sidebar Layout)

File: src/pages/About.tsx

This page demonstrates the 2/3 + 1/3 sidebar pattern:

export function About() {
  return (
    <div className="grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-3">
      {/* Main Content - 2 columns */}
      <div className="space-y-8 md:col-span-2">
        <div>
          <h1 className="mb-4 text-4xl font-bold tracking-tight text-gray-900">
            About This Project
          </h1>
          <p className="text-lg leading-relaxed text-gray-600">
            Introduction paragraph
          </p>
        </div>

        <Separator />

        <div className="space-y-4">
          <h2 className="text-3xl font-bold text-gray-900">Features</h2>
          <p className="leading-relaxed text-gray-600">Description</p>
        </div>

        <div className="space-y-4">
          <h3 className="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900">Subsection</h3>
          <p className="leading-relaxed text-gray-600">Content</p>
        </div>
      </div>

      {/* Sidebar - 1 column, sticky */}
      <div className="md:col-span-1">
        <Card className="sticky top-20">
          <CardHeader>
            <CardTitle>Tech Stack</CardTitle>
            <CardDescription>Core technologies</CardDescription>
          </CardHeader>
          <CardContent className="space-y-4">
            <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-2">
              {technologies.map((tech) => (
                <Badge key={tech} variant="outline">{tech}</Badge>
              ))}
            </div>
          </CardContent>
        </Card>
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Key Patterns Used:

• grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-3 for asymmetric layout
• md:col-span-2 for main content (2/3 width)
• md:col-span-1 for sidebar (1/3 width)
• sticky top-20 keeps sidebar visible during scroll
• space-y-8 between content sections
• space-y-4 between related items (heading + paragraph)

Example 3: NotFound Page (Centered Content)

File: src/pages/NotFound.tsx

This page demonstrates centered content for simple pages:

export function NotFound() {
  return (
    <div className="flex min-h-[60vh] items-center justify-center">
      <Card className="w-full max-w-md text-center">
        <CardHeader>
          <div className="mb-4">
            <h1 className="text-8xl font-bold text-blue-600">404</h1>
          </div>
          <CardTitle className="text-2xl">Page Not Found</CardTitle>
          <CardDescription className="text-base">
            The page you're looking for doesn't exist or has been moved.
          </CardDescription>
        </CardHeader>
        <CardContent>
          <Link to="/">
            <Button size="lg" className="w-full">
              Return Home
            </Button>
          </Link>
        </CardContent>
      </Card>
    </div>
  );
}

Key Patterns Used:

• flex min-h-[60vh] items-center justify-center for vertical/horizontal centering
• max-w-md constrains card width
• text-center for centered text
• Single Card component contains all content

Example 4: MainLayout Structure

File: src/layouts/MainLayout.tsx

The wrapper all pages inherit:

export function MainLayout() {
  return (
    <div className="min-h-screen bg-white">
      {/* Sticky Navigation Header */}
      <header className="sticky top-0 z-50 border-b border-gray-200 bg-white/95 backdrop-blur supports-[backdrop-filter]:bg-white/60">
        <div className="mx-auto max-w-7xl px-8 py-4">
          <nav className="flex items-center justify-end">
            <div className="flex items-center gap-8">
              <Link to="/" className="relative px-4 py-2 text-base font-medium">
                Home
                {isActive('/') && (
                  <span className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 h-0.5 bg-blue-600" />
                )}
              </Link>
              <Link to="/about" className="relative px-4 py-2 text-base font-medium">
                About
                {isActive('/about') && (
                  <span className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 right-0 h-0.5 bg-blue-600" />
                )}
              </Link>
            </div>
          </nav>
        </div>
      </header>

      {/* Main Content Container */}
      <main className="mx-auto max-w-7xl px-8 py-16">
        <Outlet /> {/* Pages render here */}
      </main>
    </div>
  );
}

What It Provides:

• min-h-screen ensures full viewport height
• sticky top-0 z-50 header stays visible on scroll
• max-w-7xl constrains content width
• px-8 py-16 provides consistent page padding
• gap-8 between navigation items
• Active route indicators with underline
• Backdrop blur effect on header

Quick Reference Checklist

When creating a new page, verify:

• Page is wrapped in MainLayout (via route definition)
• Page component starts with <div className="space-y-32">
• Major sections use <section> tags
• Hero sections use relative overflow-hidden
• Hero backgrounds use absolute inset-0 -z-10
• Subsections use space-y-16 or space-y-8
• Card grids use gap-8
• Responsive grids: grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3
• Sticky sidebars use sticky top-20
• Text uses consistent heading hierarchy (h1 → h2 → h3)
• Leading-relaxed for body text readability
• Centered content uses flex with items-center justify-center

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Recreating Navigation

// ❌ WRONG - Don't recreate header/nav
export function MyPage() {
  return (
    <div>
      <header>
        <nav>{/* navigation */}</nav>
      </header>
      <div>{/* content */}</div>
    </div>
  );
}

// ✅ CORRECT - MainLayout provides navigation
export function MyPage() {
  return (
    <div className="space-y-32">
      {/* Just content */}
    </div>
  );
}

Mistake 2: Inconsistent Spacing

// ❌ WRONG - Random spacing values
<div className="space-y-6">
  <section className="py-12">{/* ... */}</section>
  <section className="py-20">{/* ... */}</section>
</div>

// ✅ CORRECT - Use standard scale
<div className="space-y-32">
  <section>{/* ... */}</section>
  <section>{/* ... */}</section>
</div>

Mistake 3: Non-Responsive Grids

// ❌ WRONG - Fixed columns, doesn't adapt to mobile
<div className="grid grid-cols-3 gap-8">

// ✅ CORRECT - Responsive columns
<div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-8">

Mistake 4: Missing Relative Parent for Absolute Children

// ❌ WRONG - Absolute backgrounds without relative parent
<section className="overflow-hidden">
  <div className="absolute inset-0">{/* Will be positioned wrong */}</div>
</section>

// ✅ CORRECT - Relative parent contains absolute children
<section className="relative overflow-hidden">
  <div className="absolute inset-0 -z-10">{/* Properly contained */}</div>
</section>

Summary

Core Principles:

1. Always use MainLayout - Never recreate navigation or containers
2. Consistent spacing scale - 32, 16, 8, 4 (space-y-32/16/8/4)
3. Responsive grids - Always include mobile-first breakpoints
4. Semantic HTML - Use section, article, header appropriately
5. Hero sections - relative + overflow-hidden with absolute backgrounds
6. Equal height cards - Grid handles automatically
7. Sticky sidebars - Use sticky top-20 for sidebar cards

Spacing Hierarchy:

• Major sections: space-y-32 (128px)
• Subsections: space-y-16 (64px)
• Related items: space-y-8 (32px)
• Tight groups: space-y-4 (16px)
• Card grids: gap-8 (32px)

Grid Patterns:

• Three-column: grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-8
• Sidebar layout: grid gap-8 md:grid-cols-3 with md:col-span-2 + md:col-span-1
• Centered: flex min-h-[60vh] items-center justify-center

By following these patterns, all pages will have consistent structure, spacing, and responsive behavior.