diff --git a/client/__tests__/util/annoMatrix/serverMocks/routes.ts b/client/__tests__/util/annoMatrix/serverMocks/routes.ts
index f195026a..a5b9c34c 100644
--- a/client/__tests__/util/annoMatrix/serverMocks/routes.ts
+++ b/client/__tests__/util/annoMatrix/serverMocks/routes.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ function makeMockColumn(s: any, length: any) {
       return new Array(length).fill(s.categories[0]);
 
     default:
-      throw new Error("unkonwn type");
+      throw new Error("unknown type");
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/client/__tests__/util/annoMatrix/serverMocks/schema.ts b/client/__tests__/util/annoMatrix/serverMocks/schema.ts
index f957a352..2bdb63d5 100644
--- a/client/__tests__/util/annoMatrix/serverMocks/schema.ts
+++ b/client/__tests__/util/annoMatrix/serverMocks/schema.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { RawSchema } from "../../../../src/common/types/entities";
+import { RawSchema } from "../../../../src/common/types/schema";
 
 export const schema: { schema: RawSchema } = {
   schema: {
diff --git a/client/__tests__/util/stateManager/sampleResponses.ts b/client/__tests__/util/stateManager/sampleResponses.ts
index 77c15689..f5ef9254 100644
--- a/client/__tests__/util/stateManager/sampleResponses.ts
+++ b/client/__tests__/util/stateManager/sampleResponses.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import zip from "lodash.zip";
 import _ from "lodash";
 import { flatbuffers } from "flatbuffers";
 import { NetEncoding } from "../../../src/util/stateManager/matrix_generated";
-import { RawSchema } from "../../../src/common/types/entities";
+import { RawSchema } from "../../../src/common/types/schema";
 
 /*
 test data mocking REST 0.2 API responses.  Used in several tests.
diff --git a/client/src/common/types/entities.ts b/client/src/common/types/entities.ts
index c1f2e8e4..fabef218 100644
--- a/client/src/common/types/entities.ts
+++ b/client/src/common/types/entities.ts
@@ -1,60 +1,3 @@
 // If a globally shared type or interface doesn't have a clear owner, put it here
 
-export type Category = number | string | boolean;
-
-export interface AnnotationColumn {
-  categories?: Category[];
-  name: string;
-  type: "string" | "float32" | "int32" | "categorical" | "boolean";
-  writable: boolean;
-}
-
-interface DataFrame {
-  nObs: number;
-  nVar: number;
-  // TODO(thuang): Not sure what other types are available
-  type: "float32";
-}
-
-export interface LayoutColumn {
-  dims: string[];
-  name: string;
-  // TODO(thuang): Not sure what other types are available
-  type: "float32";
-}
-interface RawLayout {
-  obs: LayoutColumn[];
-  var?: LayoutColumn[];
-}
-
-interface RawAnnotations {
-  obs: {
-    columns: AnnotationColumn[];
-    index: string;
-  };
-  var: {
-    columns: AnnotationColumn[];
-    index: string;
-  };
-}
-
-export interface RawSchema {
-  annotations: RawAnnotations;
-  dataframe: DataFrame;
-  layout: RawLayout;
-}
-
-interface Annotations extends RawAnnotations {
-  obsByName: { [name: string]: AnnotationColumn };
-  varByName: { [name: string]: AnnotationColumn };
-}
-
-interface Layout extends RawLayout {
-  obsByName: { [name: string]: LayoutColumn };
-  varByName: { [name: string]: LayoutColumn };
-}
-
-export interface Schema extends RawSchema {
-  annotations: Annotations;
-  layout: Layout;
-}
+export {};
diff --git a/client/src/common/types/schema.ts b/client/src/common/types/schema.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..12dbb34f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/common/types/schema.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+type Category = number | string | boolean;
+
+export interface AnnotationColumnSchema {
+  categories?: Category[];
+  name: string;
+  type: "string" | "float32" | "int32" | "categorical" | "boolean";
+  writable: boolean;
+}
+
+interface XMatrixSchema {
+  nObs: number;
+  nVar: number;
+  // TODO(thuang): Not sure what other types are available
+  type: "float32";
+}
+
+export interface EmbeddingSchema {
+  dims: string[];
+  name: string;
+  // TODO(thuang): Not sure what other types are available
+  type: "float32";
+}
+interface RawLayoutSchema {
+  obs: EmbeddingSchema[];
+  var?: EmbeddingSchema[];
+}
+
+interface RawAnnotationsSchema {
+  obs: {
+    columns: AnnotationColumnSchema[];
+    index: string;
+  };
+  var: {
+    columns: AnnotationColumnSchema[];
+    index: string;
+  };
+}
+
+export interface RawSchema {
+  annotations: RawAnnotationsSchema;
+  dataframe: XMatrixSchema;
+  layout: RawLayoutSchema;
+}
+
+interface AnnotationsSchema extends RawAnnotationsSchema {
+  obsByName: { [name: string]: AnnotationColumnSchema };
+  varByName: { [name: string]: AnnotationColumnSchema };
+}
+
+interface LayoutSchema extends RawLayoutSchema {
+  obsByName: { [name: string]: EmbeddingSchema };
+  varByName: { [name: string]: EmbeddingSchema };
+}
+
+export interface Schema extends RawSchema {
+  annotations: AnnotationsSchema;
+  layout: LayoutSchema;
+}
diff --git a/client/src/util/stateManager/annotationsHelpers.ts b/client/src/util/stateManager/annotationsHelpers.ts
index 0ff6e9d0..f6b30d8d 100644
--- a/client/src/util/stateManager/annotationsHelpers.ts
+++ b/client/src/util/stateManager/annotationsHelpers.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Helper functions for user-editable annotations state management.
 See also reducers/annotations.js
 */
 
-import { Schema } from "../../common/types/entities";
+import { Schema } from "../../common/types/schema";
 
 /*
 There are a number of state constraints assumed throughout the
diff --git a/client/src/util/stateManager/schemaHelpers.ts b/client/src/util/stateManager/schemaHelpers.ts
index eaf2aeed..84056754 100644
--- a/client/src/util/stateManager/schemaHelpers.ts
+++ b/client/src/util/stateManager/schemaHelpers.ts
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ import catLabelSort from "../catLabelSort";
 import {
   RawSchema,
   Schema,
-  LayoutColumn,
-  AnnotationColumn,
-} from "../../common/types/entities";
+  EmbeddingSchema,
+  AnnotationColumnSchema,
+} from "../../common/types/schema";
 
 /*
 System wide schema assumptions:
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ export function removeObsAnnoColumn(schema: Schema, name: string): Schema {
 export function addObsAnnoColumn(
   schema: Schema,
   _: string,
-  defn: AnnotationColumn
+  defn: AnnotationColumnSchema
 ): Schema {
   const newSchema = _copyObsAnno(schema);
 
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ export function addObsAnnoCategory(schema: any, name: any, category: any) {
   return newSchema;
 }
 
-export function addObsLayout(schema: Schema, layout: LayoutColumn): Schema {
+export function addObsLayout(schema: Schema, layout: EmbeddingSchema): Schema {
   /* add or replace a layout */
   const newSchema = _copyObsLayout(schema);
   newSchema.layout.obs.push(layout);