Components Overview
An overview of ForgeUI components
Components
ForgeUI components are designed as building blocks, not finished pages.
They are meant to be composed, adapted, and combined to form complete interfaces rather than dropped in as final solutions. Each component is intentionally scoped to solve a specific problem and do it well.
ForgeUI treats components as part of a larger system, not isolated artifacts.
Design goals
Every ForgeUI component follows a small set of design goals.
Each component:
- solves a specific UI problem
- avoids unnecessary props and configuration
- is easy to read, reason about, and modify
- prioritizes structure over visual novelty
If a component becomes difficult to understand by reading its markup, it is considered a sign that the abstraction is too heavy.
Components should be understandable in isolation, but powerful in composition.
Composability first
ForgeUI components are built to compose naturally.
Rather than exposing large configuration surfaces, components are designed to:
- accept children naturally
- work well when nested
- be wrapped or extended without hacks
This allows teams to build higher-level patterns without fighting the underlying primitives.
Predictable APIs
Component APIs in ForgeUI are intentionally conservative.
This means:
- fewer props
- clearer responsibilities
- less conditional behavior hidden behind flags
Predictable APIs reduce the need for documentation and make components easier to adopt across teams.
Categories
ForgeUI components are grouped into a few broad categories. These categories describe intent, not strict boundaries.
Primitives
Primitives are the smallest building blocks in the system.
Examples include:
- buttons
- inputs
- labels
- basic interactive elements
Primitives focus on:
- accessibility
- predictable behavior
- minimal styling assumptions
They are designed to be reused everywhere.
Layouts
Layout components define structure and spatial relationships.
Examples include:
- sections
- grids
- containers
- page-level scaffolding
Layouts focus on:
- hierarchy
- spacing
- composition
They avoid encoding content-specific logic and instead provide flexible structure.
Patterns
Patterns are higher-level compositions built from primitives and layouts.
Examples include:
- navigation systems
- dashboards
- documentation layouts
- common interaction flows
Patterns demonstrate how components can be combined to solve real product problems without introducing new primitives unnecessarily.
Patterns are examples, not prescriptions.
Using components effectively
When working with ForgeUI components:
- start with primitives
- layer layouts to establish structure
- introduce patterns only when repetition emerges
This progression keeps systems flexible and avoids premature abstraction.
Extending components
ForgeUI components are designed to be extended safely.
Common extension strategies include:
- wrapping components with additional behavior
- composing new components from existing ones
- replacing visual utilities while keeping structure intact
These approaches preserve the integrity of the system while allowing customization.
Final thought
ForgeUI components are intentionally restrained.
They do less so that you can do more with them.
A good component system enables composition, not configuration.