vertical writing
Every UI component you know assumes horizontal text. Vertically Works is what buttons, toggles, dialogs, and lists become when reading flows top to bottom, right to left.
20 componentsKorean, Japanese, Chinese
4 applications
Applications #
What This Project Explores #
All challenges Should a sheet animate from screen geometry or reading direction?
How should mixed CJK and Latin content behave in the same column?
Where does the navigation rail belong in a vertical-first interface?
How does text selection work when reading flows top-to-bottom, right-to-left? Where does the IME candidate window appear when input is vertical?
What do the arrow keys mean in a vertical, RTL interface?
How does drag-and-drop reordering work when list items are columns?
How should AI chat interfaces adapt to vertical writing systems?
Derived Principles
Respect Reading Flow
Begin with how the reader moves, not convention.
Motion Has Meaning
Animation reinforces reading direction, never decoration.
Interaction Before Typography
Behavior is the goal; typography enables it.
Mixed Language First
Design for mixed scripts, not the average.
Accessibility Is Fundamental
Keyboard, touch, screen reader, reduced motion, built in.
Progressive Familiarity
New readers need a ramp · deepen the vertical commitment gradually.
Research Never Ends
Document open questions beside resolved ones.