—elements that share the same parent
and live at the same level of the structure
Siblings are elements that sit side by side under the same parent.
They share a context, follow the same rules, and participate in the same flow.
Understanding siblings is essential because so many layout decisions happen at this level.
Siblings tell us:
Siblings are not a hierarchy — they are a relationship.
When we understand it,
we can describe intentions with clarity.
Examples of what to say:
“Keep these two elements as siblings.”
“Do not insert anything between these siblings.”
“Style this sibling based on its position.”
“Move this element so it becomes a sibling of the others.”
Siblings help us talk about structure
without touching the deeper architecture.
AI needs to know which elements share the same level so it can:
When we name siblings,
we define the relationships that
must remain stable.
Tony de Araujo —New York | Lisbon