10 CSS & JavaScript Snippets for Creating Content Cards

CSS content cards are a great way to organize listings of blog posts, products, services, or just about any repetitive content.

When designed well, each card can stand out from the list and is easy to read. The use of additional effects like hover states and image filters can enhance things even further.

Here are ten examples of CSS content cards that are both beautiful and functional. Best of all, you’ll have access to source code to inspire your own projects.

Responsive Material Design Card by David Foliti

These cards feature Google’s Material Design principles and are gorgeously interactive. Clicking the hamburger menu sets off a slick animation in which the photo shrinks and detailed content is displayed. Think of it sort of like the online version of a traditional trading card.

See the Pen Material Design – Responsive card by David Foliti (@marlenesco)

Google Inspired Flip Cards by Ettrics

Inspired by the information shared in the Google Now personal assistant, each card features a dramatic drop-shadow effect and “flips” upon click or touch to reveal more content.

See the Pen Google Now Inspired Flip Cards by Ettrics (@ettrics)

Parallax Depth Cards by Andy Merskin

Designers looking for something truly unique will love Andy Merskin’s creation. Hovering over these photo cards will result in their changing perspective with a parallax scrolling effect tied to your cursor position. Text content is also simultaneously revealed. This one is just breathtaking.

See the Pen Parallax Depth Cards by Andy Merskin (@andymerskin)

Product Card by Virgil Pana

When it comes to online product listings, simple is usually better. Such is the case with the beautiful simplicity of this product card. Need more detail? Hovering reveals sizing and color information. The result is an exquisite UI.

See the Pen Product Card by Virgil Pana (@virgilpana)

Article News Card by Andy Tran

For a news or blog-focused website, this card design offers just about everything you could want in a well-organized format. Category, date/time, commenting, headlines, and plenty of room for a photo is all right there. Hovering reveals a story excerpt as well.

See the Pen Article News Card by Andy Tran (@andytran)

Blog Cards by Chyno Deluxe

We’re so used to seeing cards in a vertical format. That’s one reason why seeing Chyno Deluxe’s horizontal layout is so striking. The other reason is they just look amazing.

The design is very well put together, with the angled photo edge adding a classy effect. Hovering reveals more content layered above the photo.

See the Pen Blog Cards by Chyno Deluxe (@ChynoDeluxe)

Material Design:Profile Card by Emil Devantie Brockdorff

I’m a big fan of subtlety in design, and this Material Design Profile Card has it in spades. The light border around the photo brings that extra bit of attention to it.

Depending on screen size, the card will switch between horizontal and vertical layouts. The overall layout is just so simple – just what a profile card ought to be.

See the Pen Material Design:Profile Card by Emil Devantie Brockdorff (@Mestika)

CSS News Cards by Aleksandar Čugurović

This card design is functional, beautiful, and doesn’t require any JavaScript. Either of the included looks would be great for showcasing blog posts. The full-sized photo version on the right is perfect if you really want to focus on featured images.

See the Pen News Cards – CSS only by Aleksandar Čugurović (@choogoor)

Flexbox Cards by Lindsey

One of the nice aspects of this layout is that it adapts well to multiline headlines. So often, we’re forced to trim headlines to an unnatural length, which gives us a bit more freedom. Beyond that, this pure CSS design is attractive and quite easy for the user to follow.

See the Pen Flexbox Cards by Lindsey (@cssgirl)

Recipe Card by Kevin Lesht

This Recipe Card layout will surely get some mouths watering. It’s a bit wider than most cards seen in this roundup. It’s the perfect size for showcasing a dash more content. The use of icons adds to the index card look.

See the Pen Recipe Card by Kevin Lesht (@klesht)

It’s in the Cards

While CSS content cards provide a high level of organization to your layout, they also offer an opportunity for some extra creativity.

You’ll notice that many of the examples shown here take advantage of hover and click states to both share more detailed information and show off some incredible special effects. In that way, they’re much more flexible than what you see at first glance.

Take some time to experiment with the card layouts above – they may even inspire you to come up with some designs of your own. They’ll give users a visually interesting and fun way to interact with your content.