Tailwind CSS is a recently growing utility-based front-end framework. In this blog, I have some key points today that might give you some valuable insight if you should consider giving it a shot.
Here’s why you should consider Tailwind CSS as your primary front-end framework:
Utility-first
Tailwind CSS is easier to debug than other Non-CSS solutions where you have to go through multiple steps for simple prototyping and debugging tasks. With Tailwind CSS, you know your progress in real-time. This seems like a small thing at first, but it actually lets you focus on what you should be doing rather than going through circles to fix something that can be dealt with in minutes. The class names in Tailwind CSS represent one or multiple CSS declarations. Hence, you get to build complex components from a set of primitive utilities in no time.
Reusability
You can re-use the elements by making them a component and share it between elements. You also get to reuse optimizable CSS for your elements. Generally, your fonts and colors are based on relative values but with Tailwind, you can darken your text by 10% or make the text smaller by 20%. The values allow you to really get the little things right. Moreover, the real catch of small and composable utilities is the enforcement of consistency for every developer in the team as they have a fixed amount of options that make the design consistent.
Responsiveness
Tailwind CSS lets you design right in your browser where you can add transitions and animations. The HTML is completely responsive, so you don’t have to go back and forth multiple windows to test a component through the eyes of an end-user. As a result, you don’t switch tabs between HTML & style sheets, resulting in quicker developer hand-off with the help of fast-tracked progress.
Consistency and readability
The Class names in Tailwind CSS can be shared between elements so which also results in consistent bundle size. Not only does the CSS is easier to read, it fast tracks your workflow as the whole process becomes much quicker. And with writing faster styles, you get loads of pre-built classes for size and colors which also make it easier for other devs to learn the styles and collaborate in an ongoing project.
UI kits & Templates
Tailwind CSS makes it easier for devs to drop in components and cook something up in no time. The one thing Tailwind does best is fast-tracking your workflow with the help of UI libraries of expertly crafted components so you get to put all your attention on developing rather than getting stuck in the design process or hiring a designer.
There are several UI kits and templates on the internet made for/with Tailwind CSS. These UI kits and templates have a variety of responsive components for you to have a solid base for your design. They enable you to achieve your project requirements with functionality and responsiveness without having to do additional coding yourself. Tailwind CSS is also known as the go-to if you value customizability to a higher degree in responsive user interfaces. Some UI kits have free resources and components that you can check out right now. You can give their components a go right now with Tailwind play or Doge build and see how stuff looks in real-time. I’ll talk about some of the best UI kits on the market in another blog.
Conclusion
Tailwind CSS is a great low-level framework that solves many drawbacks of other CSS solutions. It does fast track the workflow for many devs but it’s not a solution for every web dev need. Front-end devs have the luxury to mesh different solutions as long as we guarantee maintainability, scalability, and performance. Tailwind CSS gets the job done for a great number of devs and provides a quicker approach to doing things seamlessly. Although, in order to adopt any new framework it’s vital to factor in the effects of any change on your workflow, performance, and scalability.
Top comments (3)
Nice article Bryan!
I also found that code reviews are easier to go through when using Tailwind CSS.
I have recently shared the three main reasons why we switched to Tailwind CSS where you can find more details.
I've been heavily considering testing out Tailwind on some sideprojects, this is some great motivation
Thank you, @diballesteros ! Do share your experience if you decide to give it a go.