Six Data Grid Implementations Later, I Finally Learned to Build Components Right

📰 Hackernoon

Learn to build durable UI components by separating behavior from presentation using headless architecture and explicit contracts

intermediate Published 7 Jul 2026

Action Steps

Separate behavior from presentation using headless architecture
Define explicit contracts for component interactions
Implement signals-based reactivity for modern and efficient component updates
Test and refine component reusability and accessibility
Apply this approach to existing components for improved maintainability

Who Needs to Know This

UI/UX designers and software engineers can benefit from this approach to improve reusability, accessibility, and maintainability of their components

Key Insight

💡 Separating behavior from presentation is key to building maintainable and reusable UI components

Key Takeaways

Learn to build durable UI components by separating behavior from presentation using headless architecture and explicit contracts

Full Article

Drawing on six implementations of the same data grid, the article argues that the most durable UI pattern is separating behavior from presentation through headless architecture. It shows how explicit contracts, rather than framework-specific abstractions, improve reusability, accessibility, and maintainability while benefiting from modern signals-based reactivity.

Read full article → ← Back to Reads