tailwind-design-system

# Tailwind Design System (v4) Build production-ready design systems with Tailwind CSS v4, including CSS-first configuration, design tokens, component variants, responsive patterns, and accessibility. > **Note**: This skill targets Tailwind CSS v4 (2024+). For v3 projects, refer to the [upgrade guide](https://tailwindcss.com/docs/upgrade-guide). ## When to Use This Skill - Creating a component library with Tailwind v4 - Implementing design tokens and theming with CSS-first configuration - Building responsive and accessible components - Standardizing UI patterns across a codebase - Migrating from Tailwind v3 to v4 - Setting up dark mode with native CSS features ## Key v4 Changes | v3 Pattern | v4 Pattern | | ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `tailwind.config.ts` | `@theme` in CSS | | `@tailwind base/components/utilities` | `@import "tailwindcss"` | | `darkMode: "class"` | `@custom-variant dark (&:where(.dark, .dark *))` | | `theme.extend.colors` | `@theme { --color-*: value }` | | `require("tailwindcss-animate")` | CSS `@keyframes` in `@theme` + `@starting-style` for entry animations | ## Quick Start ```css /* app.css - Tailwind v4 CSS-first configuration */ @import "tailwindcss"; /* Define your theme with @theme */ @theme { /* Semantic color tokens using OKLCH for better color perception */ --color-background: oklch(100% 0 0); --color-foreground: oklch(14.5% 0.025 264); --color-primary: oklch(14.5% 0.025 264); --color-primary-foreground: oklch(98% 0.01 264); --color-secondary: oklch(96% 0.01 264); --color-secondary-foreground: oklch(14.5% 0.025 264); --color-muted: oklch(96% 0.01 264); --color-muted-foreground: oklch(46% 0.02 264); --color-accent: oklch(96% 0.01 264); --color-accent-foreground: oklch(14.5% 0.025 264); --color-destructive: oklch(53% 0.22 27); --color-destructive-foreground: oklch(98% 0.01 264); --color-border: oklch(91% 0.01 264); --color-ring: oklch(14.5% 0.025 264); --color-card: oklch(100% 0 0); --color-card-foreground: oklch(14.5% 0.025 264); /* Ring offset for focus states */ --color-ring-offset: oklch(100% 0 0); /* Radius tokens */ --radius-sm: 0.25rem; --radius-md: 0.375rem; --radius-lg: 0.5rem; --radius-xl: 0.75rem; /* Animation tokens - keyframes inside @theme are output when referenced by --animate-* variables */ --animate-fade-in: fade-in 0.2s ease-out; --animate-fade-out: fade-out 0.2s ease-in; --animate-slide-in: slide-in 0.3s ease-out; --animate-slide-out: slide-out 0.3s ease-in; @keyframes fade-in { from { opacity: 0; } to { opacity: 1; } } @keyframes fade-out { from { opacity: 1; } to { opacity: 0; } } @keyframes slide-in { from { transform: translateY(-0.5rem); opacity: 0; } to { transform: translateY(0); opacity: 1; } } @keyframes slide-out { from { transform: translateY(0); opacity: 1; } to { transform: translateY(-0.5rem); opacity: 0; } } } /* Dark mode variant - use @custom-variant for class-based dark mode */ @custom-variant dark (&:where(.dark, .dark *)); /* Dark mode theme overrides */ .dark { --color-background: oklch(14.5% 0.025 264); --color-foreground: oklch(98% 0.01 264); --color-primary: oklch(98% 0.01 264); --color-primary-foreground: oklch(14.5% 0.025 264); --color-secondary: oklch(22% 0.02 264); --color-secondary-foreground: oklch(98% 0.01 264); --color-muted: oklch(22% 0.02 264); --color-muted-foreground: oklch(65% 0.02 264); --color-accent: oklch(22% 0.02 264); --color-accent-foreground: oklch(98% 0.01 264); --color-destructive: oklch(42% 0.15 27); --color-destructive-foreground: oklch(98% 0.01 264); --color-border: oklch(22% 0.02 264); --color-ring: oklch(83% 0.02 264); --color-card: oklch(14.5% 0.025 264); --color-card-foreground: oklch(98% 0.01 264); --color-ring-offset: oklch(14.5% 0.025 264); } /* Base styles */ @layer base { * { @apply border-border; } body { @apply bg-background text-foreground antialiased; } } ``` ## Core Concepts ### 1. Design Token Hierarchy ``` Brand Tokens (abstract) └── Semantic Tokens (purpose) └── Component Tokens (specific) Example: oklch(45% 0.2 260) → --color-primary → bg-primary ``` ### 2. Component Architecture ``` Base styles → Variants → Sizes → States → Overrides ``` ## Detailed patterns and worked examples Detailed pattern documentation lives in `references/details.md`. Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient.