Safe starting point
Comfortable
Compact, comfortable or spacious
Applies to Mobile to large desktop
Density is how much fits on screen. Match it to how people use the product, not to how good it looks empty.
- Mobile
- Comfortable
- Tablet
- Comfortable, tighter for data
- Laptop
- Comfortable or compactSame as desktop
- Desktop
- Comfortable or compact
- Large desktop
- Comfortable or compact
Depends on how often people use it, touch or pointer, how much they compare at once. A starting point, not a correct value.
Common range Row height: 32–36 compact, 40–48 comfortable, 56+ spacious
- Compact
- Data-heavy applications, admin tools. Many rows, frequent comparison, expert users. Smaller text, tight rows, fewer containers.
- Comfortable
- Most consumer apps and general product UI. A balance of scanning and clarity. The default when unsure.
- Spacious
- Content sites, marketing pages, onboarding. One idea at a time, generous spacing, larger type.
Why?
Expert users working all day want to see more at once. Occasional users need room to find their way.
When to deviate. Mobile usually means comfortable touch spacing. A tablet has to balance touch with showing more. Desktop enterprise tools can go compact. Mobile needs touch-sized targets however dense the content. Offer a density setting when both experts and newcomers use the same table.
Common mistakes (2)
- Marketing-page spacing inside a data tool.
- Dense and spacious areas mixed on one screen without reason.
Senior designer note“When people ask for it tighter, they usually mean they want to compare more rows without scrolling.”
No official source Shortcut tracks sets a rule for this. It is a judgement call.