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No.181 · Data

Media Inspector

A media grid with no modal. Selecting an asset opens the grid around it: the thumbnail grows into a full-width inspector on the next row, the rest of the grid reflows to make room, and next/previous walk the inspector through the grid in place.

The prompt

The design brief behind this component — reuse it to regenerate, remix, or explain it.

Build a media browser that replaces grid → modal with grid → selected object → inspection in place. The grid is CSS grid (auto-fill, minmax(8.5rem, 1fr), grid-auto-flow: row dense) of square thumbnails with filenames. Selecting one turns that grid item into the inspector: it spans the full row (grid-column: 1 / -1), and dense packing backfills the row it came from, so the inspector opens directly beneath its neighbours. The rest of the grid reflows around it with a FLIP translate (380ms). The chosen image grows out of its own thumbnail — a FLIP scale from the thumbnail's rect to the stage (420ms) — so the object you picked becomes the object you're inspecting. The inspector row holds a stage at the asset's real aspect ratio (object-fit contain, capped height) and an info column that fades in after the stage lands. The info column has: - an 'n / total' counter with previous, next and close - the filename and a metadata grid: dimensions with a reduced ratio (4032 × 3024 · 4:3), size and type, taken, place, camera, owner - a palette strip - actions (the primary filled, Delete in red) Next and previous move the inspector through the grid in place — the FLIP makes it hop to the next position — rather than swapping content in a fixed box. Keyboard: thumbnails use roving focus with arrow keys that respect the live column count, plus Home/End. Enter opens. Inside the inspector ← → browse and Escape closes, returning focus to the thumbnail. Under 34rem of container width the grid is three tight columns, and the inspector becomes a full-bleed block of the column (image on top, up to 60vh) with swipe left/right on the image. The demo uses procedural landscape artwork (Wahiba Sands, Muttrah, Wadi Shab…) so it needs no network. Paper and Night themes.

Notes

Interaction
Click a photo; use ← → or the arrows to walk through the grid; Esc closes. On a phone, swipe the image.
Motion
Grid reflow 380ms FLIP; the chosen image scales out of its thumbnail in 420ms; the info column fades in after.
Accessibility
Thumbnails are labelled buttons with roving tabindex. The inspector is a labelled region ('name, 3 of 10') that takes focus; the image has alt text; nav buttons are labelled, and Escape returns focus to the thumbnail. Reduced motion removes the reflow and growth, so the inspector simply appears in place.
Responsive
Container queries switch to a three-column grid and a stacked, full-bleed inspector under 34rem, with swipe for next and previous.
On touch
Swipe left or right on the image.

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