---
term: card
category: spatial
status: canonical
authority: web.elonn.local
---

Card

A visual presentation wrapper for an object within a block. A card is presentation-only — the object exists independently of its card representation.

A card:
- previews, launches, expands, or links to an object
- is temporary and replaceable
- is renderer-level
- scales across web, mobile, XR, and desktop runtimes

A card is NOT:
- a runtime container
- a navigation state
- a workspace
- a surface
- a panel

Examples:
- place card
- member card
- gathering card
- message card
- calendar card

Card variants:
- compact — minimal summary
- expanded — detailed with more fields visible
- hero — single large-format presentation
- stacked — overlapping stack of cards
- floating — detached from block flow
- minimal — icon or indicator only

Allowed:
- card
- [object] card (e.g., place card, member card)
- card variant

Forbidden:
- widget (implies third-party embeddable)
- tile (implies fixed-grid layout)
- cell (implies table model)
- item (too generic)
- window (distinct; see: window)

Notes:
- Cards live inside blocks, which live inside surfaces.
- A surface is not a large card. A card never becomes the environment itself.
- Card rendering is runtime-specific, but the card abstraction is platform-neutral.

Related:
- object
- block
- surface (distinct)
- panel (distinct)
- window (distinct; future)