Tailwind Design System
Build consistent, scalable UI with Tailwind CSS.
Component Patterns
Button variants
html
<!-- Primary --> <button class="bg-blue-600 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-blue-700 focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500 focus:ring-offset-2 transition-colors"> Primary </button> <!-- Secondary --> <button class="bg-gray-100 text-gray-900 px-4 py-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-gray-200 border border-gray-300"> Secondary </button> <!-- Destructive --> <button class="bg-red-600 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-red-700"> Delete </button> <!-- Ghost --> <button class="text-gray-600 px-4 py-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-gray-100"> Ghost </button>
Card
html
<div class="bg-white rounded-xl shadow-sm border border-gray-200 p-6 hover:shadow-md transition-shadow"> <h3 class="text-lg font-semibold text-gray-900">Title</h3> <p class="mt-2 text-gray-600">Description text here.</p> </div>
Input
html
<label class="block"> <span class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Email</span> <input type="email" class="mt-1 block w-full rounded-lg border border-gray-300 px-3 py-2 shadow-sm focus:border-blue-500 focus:ring-1 focus:ring-blue-500 placeholder:text-gray-400" placeholder="you@example.com" /> </label>
Responsive Design
html
<!-- Mobile-first: stack → side by side → 3 columns --> <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-6"> <div>Card 1</div> <div>Card 2</div> <div>Card 3</div> </div> <!-- Hide on mobile, show on desktop --> <nav class="hidden md:flex gap-4">...</nav> <!-- Mobile menu, hidden on desktop --> <nav class="flex md:hidden">...</nav>
Dark Mode
html
<!-- Toggle with class strategy --> <div class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-900 text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100"> <h1 class="text-gray-900 dark:text-white">Heading</h1> <p class="text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-400">Body text</p> <button class="bg-blue-600 dark:bg-blue-500 text-white">Action</button> </div>
javascript
// Toggle dark mode
document.documentElement.classList.toggle('dark');
// Respect system preference
if (window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches) {
document.documentElement.classList.add('dark');
}
Custom Theme (tailwind.config)
javascript
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
brand: {
50: '#f0f9ff',
500: '#0ea5e9',
900: '#0c4a6e',
},
},
fontFamily: {
sans: ['Inter', 'system-ui', 'sans-serif'],
},
spacing: {
'18': '4.5rem',
},
},
},
};
Animation
html
<!-- Fade in --> <div class="animate-fade-in">Content</div> <!-- Slide up --> <div class="animate-in slide-in-from-bottom-4 duration-300">Content</div> <!-- Pulse loading --> <div class="animate-pulse bg-gray-200 h-4 rounded w-3/4"></div> <!-- Skeleton loader --> <div class="space-y-3 animate-pulse"> <div class="h-4 bg-gray-200 rounded w-3/4"></div> <div class="h-4 bg-gray-200 rounded w-1/2"></div> <div class="h-4 bg-gray-200 rounded w-5/6"></div> </div>
Notes
- •Mobile-first: start with base styles, add
md:andlg:for larger screens. - •Use
@applysparingly — it defeats the purpose of utility classes. Use it only in component libraries. - •Design tokens (colors, spacing, fonts) belong in
tailwind.config.js, not hardcoded in classes. - •Use
groupandpeerfor parent/sibling-based styling instead of JavaScript. - •Tailwind v4 uses CSS-first configuration. Check your version.