States and Variants

Component state definitions and variant patterns.

Interactive States

State Definitions

State	Trigger	Visual Change
default	None	Base appearance
hover	Mouse over	Slight color shift
focus	Tab/click	Focus ring
active	Mouse down	Darkest color
disabled	disabled attr	Reduced opacity
loading	Async action	Spinner + opacity

State Priority

When multiple states apply, priority (highest to lowest):

disabled
loading
active
focus
hover
default

State Transitions

css

/* Standard transition for interactive elements */
.interactive {
  transition-property: color, background-color, border-color, box-shadow;
  transition-duration: var(--duration-fast);
  transition-timing-function: ease-in-out;
}

Transition	Duration	Easing
Color changes	150ms	ease-in-out
Background	150ms	ease-in-out
Transform	200ms	ease-out
Opacity	150ms	ease
Shadow	200ms	ease-out

Focus States

Focus Ring Spec

css

/* Standard focus ring */
.focusable:focus-visible {
  outline: none;
  box-shadow: 0 0 0 var(--ring-offset) var(--color-background),
              0 0 0 calc(var(--ring-offset) + var(--ring-width)) var(--ring-color);
}

Property	Value
Ring width	2px
Ring offset	2px
Ring color	primary (blue-500)
Offset color	background

Focus Within

css

/* Container focus when child is focused */
.container:focus-within {
  border-color: var(--color-ring);
}

Disabled States

Visual Treatment

css

.disabled {
  opacity: var(--opacity-disabled); /* 0.5 */
  pointer-events: none;
  cursor: not-allowed;
}

Property	Disabled Value
Opacity	50%
Pointer events	none
Cursor	not-allowed
Background	muted
Color	muted-foreground

Accessibility

Use aria-disabled="true" for semantic disabled
Use disabled attribute for form elements
Maintain sufficient contrast (3:1 minimum)

Loading States

Spinner Placement

Component	Spinner Position
Button	Replace icon or center
Input	Trailing position
Card	Center overlay
Page	Center of viewport

Loading Treatment

css

.loading {
  position: relative;
  pointer-events: none;
}

.loading::after {
  content: '';
  /* spinner styles */
}

.loading > * {
  opacity: 0.7;
}

Error States

Visual Indicators

css

.error {
  border-color: var(--color-error);
  color: var(--color-error);
}

.error:focus-visible {
  box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px var(--color-background),
              0 0 0 4px var(--color-error);
}

Element	Error Treatment
Input border	red-500
Input focus ring	red/20%
Helper text	red-600
Icon	red-500

Error Messages

Position below input
Use error color
Include icon for accessibility
Clear on valid input

Variant Patterns

Color Variants

css

/* Pattern for color variants */
.component {
  --component-bg: var(--color-primary);
  --component-fg: var(--color-primary-foreground);
  background: var(--component-bg);
  color: var(--component-fg);
}

.component.secondary {
  --component-bg: var(--color-secondary);
  --component-fg: var(--color-secondary-foreground);
}

.component.destructive {
  --component-bg: var(--color-destructive);
  --component-fg: var(--color-destructive-foreground);
}

Size Variants

css

/* Pattern for size variants */
.component {
  --component-height: 40px;
  --component-padding: var(--space-4);
  --component-font: var(--font-size-sm);
}

.component.sm {
  --component-height: 32px;
  --component-padding: var(--space-3);
  --component-font: var(--font-size-xs);
}

.component.lg {
  --component-height: 48px;
  --component-padding: var(--space-6);
  --component-font: var(--font-size-base);
}

Accessibility Requirements

Color Contrast

Element	Minimum Ratio
Normal text	4.5:1
Large text (18px+)	3:1
UI components	3:1
Focus indicator	3:1

State Indicators

Never rely on color alone
Use icons, text, or patterns
Ensure focus is visible
Provide loading announcements

ARIA States

html

<!-- Disabled -->
<button disabled aria-disabled="true">Submit</button>

<!-- Loading -->
<button aria-busy="true" aria-describedby="loading-text">
  <span id="loading-text" class="sr-only">Loading...</span>
</button>

<!-- Error -->
<input aria-invalid="true" aria-describedby="error-msg">
<span id="error-msg" role="alert">Error message</span>