Tailwind CSS provides utility-first styling but excels as a design system foundation. Configuration files define design tokens. Component patterns establish consistency. The result is rapid development with design coherence.
Configuration Strategy
Define colors, spacing, and typography in tailwind.config.js. Extend default themes with brand-specific values. Use CSS variables for runtime theming. Create semantic color names mapping to your design language.
- Define brand colors in configuration for consistency
- Create spacing scale matching your design grid
- Configure typography presets for headings and body text
- Use extend to add custom values without losing defaults
- Generate CSS variables for dynamic theming support
Component Patterns
Extract repeated utility combinations into components or @apply blocks. Create variants for common states. Document component usage for team consistency. Balance extraction with Tailwind's utility philosophy.