# ProcessBlock

> Case-study process section that arranges titled phase columns (a heading one level below the section title, h3 by default, and an activity list each, no Card surface) in a grid under a section title and optional description.

- Status: stable
- Group: structure
- Page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/process-block
- Contract: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/ProcessBlock.contract.json

## When to use

ProcessBlock presents a project's process as titled phase columns in a grid, under a section title and an optional description. Work case-study pages use it to walk through discovery-to-delivery phases between StoryBlock sections. Phases are data props, so pages keep copy colocated with the page.

## When not to use

The contract records no forbidden uses.

## Look-alikes

The contract names no look-alike with a deciding condition.

## Props

| Prop | Type | Default | Description | Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `phases` | `ProcessPhase[]` | none | Array of process phases to display. | Yes |
| `sectionTitle` | `string` | none | Section title, rendered at headingLevel (h2 by default) and used as the aria-label fallback. Defaults to the translated "Process" (`processBlock.title`); pass an empty string to render no title. | No |
| `headingLevel` | `2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5` | `2` | Heading level of the section title; phase titles sit one level below it. | No |
| `description` | `React.ReactNode` | none | Optional description or introduction text. | No |
| `backgroundColor` | `"transparent" \| "light" \| "white"` | `light` | Background color variant; defaults to light. | No |
| `maxWidth` | `"sm" \| "md" \| "lg" \| "full" \| "xl"` | `lg` | Maximum width constraint; defaults to lg. | No |
| `spacing` | `"compact" \| "default" \| "comfortable" \| "spacious"` | `comfortable` | Spacing variant; defaults to comfortable. | No |
| `columns` | `2 \| 3 \| 4` | `4` | Number of columns (2, 3 or 4); defaults to 4. | No |
| `className` | `string` | `""` | Additional CSS class. | No |
| `as` | `"article" \| "div" \| "section"` | `section` | Semantic HTML element to use; defaults to section. | No |
| `ariaLabel` | `string` | none | Accessible label for the section; falls back to sectionTitle. | No |

## Variants

- Allowed `headingLevel` values: `2`, `3`, `4`, `5` (default `2`).
- Allowed `backgroundColor` values: `transparent`, `light`, `white` (default `light`).
- Allowed `maxWidth` values: `sm`, `md`, `lg`, `full`, `xl` (default `lg`).
- Available spacings: `compact`, `default`, `comfortable`, `spacious` (default `comfortable`).
- Allowed `columns` values: `2`, `3`, `4` (default `4`).
- Allowed `as` values: `article`, `div`, `section` (default `section`).

## Invalid combinations

The contract records no invalid combinations.

## Keyboard

The contract records no keyboard interaction.

## Rules

Every item under When not to use is a MUST NOT. MUST and SHOULD follow RFC 2119.

| Level | Rule | How it is checked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MUST | ARIA: The root (a section by default) is named by ariaLabel, falling back to sectionTitle, so the default render is a region landmark; with as="div" the name sits on a generic element and is not announced. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | ARIA: The section title renders at headingLevel (default 2) and each phase title one level below it, so the block can sit under any heading up to h4 without skipping a level. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | Required stories produce no axe violations at the configured severity. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:matrix:ci`. WCAG 2.5.8. |
| MUST | The accessibility tree (role, name, state) matches the committed snapshot for every required story. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:matrix:ci`. WCAG 1.3.1, 4.1.2. |
| MUST | The component remains legible and operable under a real browser forced-colors: active pass. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:hc`. |
| MUST | A human completed an end-to-end accessibility review of this component. | Manual review, last on 2026-11-04. |
| MUST NOT | Maintainers: Do not bypass design tokens or skip forced-colors verification at beta. | Release review; not machine-checked. |

## Install and import

- Install: `npm install @digitaltableteur/react` (version 0.9.1, restricted access on npm).
- Import: `import { ProcessBlock } from "@digitaltableteur/react";`
- Entry point: `@digitaltableteur/react/patterns` exports it too.
- Styles: import `@digitaltableteur/react/style.css` once at the app boundary.

## Links

- Machine-readable contract (Design System Contract 1.0): https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/ProcessBlock.contract.json
- Markdown version of this page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/process-block.md
- Component index as JSON: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components.json
- All components: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components
- Source: The implementation lives in a private repository. This page, its Markdown twin and the contract are generated from it at build time and are the public source of truth.