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Building a Design System with Tailwind CSS

Create a consistent and scalable design system using Tailwind CSS. Learn about custom themes, component patterns, and maintaining design consistency.

11 mins read
Tailwind CSSDesign SystemCSSUI/UX

Building a consistent design system with Tailwind CSS ensures visual harmony across your application while maintaining flexibility and developer productivity. This guide covers creating custom themes, component patterns, and design tokens.

Setting Up Your Design System

JavaScripttailwind.config.js
module.exports = {  content: ['./src/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}'],  theme: {    extend: {      colors: {        primary: {          50: '#eff6ff',          500: '#3b82f6',          900: '#1e3a8a',        },        secondary: {          50: '#f0fdf4',          500: '#22c55e',          900: '#14532d',        }      },      fontFamily: {        sans: ['Inter', 'system-ui', 'sans-serif'],      },      spacing: {        '18': '4.5rem',      }    },  },  plugins: [],}
Design Tokens

Centralized color, typography, and spacing systems for consistency.

Component Library

Reusable components with consistent styling and behavior.

Documentation

Living style guide with examples and usage guidelines.

Developer Experience

IntelliSense, autocomplete, and easy customization.