List item
About
A List item is a container that can contain simple to more complex content and interactions. If putting two or more list items together in a vertical manner, it can be composed to a List.
Anatomy
A List item (1.) can be composed of one, two or three slots:
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Leading slot: a leading slot is the slot on the left. It’s meant for leading items only.
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Text slot: a text slot is the slot in the middle. It may contain a headline only, or a headline and a sub text.
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Trailing slot: a trailing slot is the slot on the right. It often indicates and/or allows to take action.
A List item may be composed of a text slot only, but can never be composed of a leading slot or trailing slot only.
When to use List item
A List item can be used to showcase one, two or three information types next to each other in an ordered manner. If you want to showcase the same information types multiple times, several List items can be used below each other.
A List item may be used for, amongst other things:
- Composing a list of labels
- Composing a list of navigation labels
- Composing a list of history events
When not to use List item
- When you’re in need of showcasing more than 3 information types next to each other within the List item. Create a Table with Table rows instead.
- When the content within the List item communicates an action. Use a Button instead.
Behaviour
States A List item comes with the following states: Enabled, Hovered, Pressed, Activated, Focused, Disabled.
Sometimes List items don’t need to allow users to interact. The list item then serves the purpose of providing information, and that’s it. In that case, only the default state is used and there won’t be other states provided (see Do & Don’t).
Responsiveness
- Height: The height of the List item is not fixed an will depend on the content in it. However, it will always have 16px spacing around the content.
- Width: The List item does not have any minimum of maximum width, instead it does inherit the width of its parent container.
- Alignment: The leading slot and text slot are always aligned to center left, whereas the trailing slot is always aligned to center right.
- Text slot behaviour: When the headline and/or subtext get too long or the parent container gets narrowed, the texts will get truncated.
Content
A List item can contain the following elements and content pieces:
Leading slot
- Icon
Text slot
- Headline
- Sub text
Trailing slot
- Icon
- Sub text
Other
- Divider
Other best practices
Resources
- How to Design a List that Users Will Love? (uxpin.com)
- Listboxes vs. Dropdown Lists (nngroup.com)
- List Thumbnails on Mobile: When to Use Them and Where to Place Them (nngroup.com)
- Mobile Navigation: Image Grids or Text Lists? (nngroup.com)
- Extending Material Design’s list item component | by Adam Wattis | Bootcamp (uxdesign.cc)