web-component-design

name	web-component-design
description	Master React, Vue, and Svelte component patterns including CSS-in-JS, composition strategies, and reusable component architecture. Use when building UI component libraries, designing component APIs, or implementing frontend design systems.

Web Component Design

Build reusable, maintainable UI components using modern frameworks with clean composition patterns and styling approaches.

When to Use This Skill

• Designing reusable component libraries or design systems
• Implementing complex component composition patterns
• Choosing and applying CSS-in-JS solutions
• Building accessible, responsive UI components
• Creating consistent component APIs across a codebase
• Refactoring legacy components into modern patterns
• Implementing compound components or render props

Core Concepts

1. Component Composition Patterns

Compound Components: Related components that work together

// Usage
<Select value={value} onChange={setValue}>
  <Select.Trigger>Choose option</Select.Trigger>
  <Select.Options>
    <Select.Option value="a">Option A</Select.Option>
    <Select.Option value="b">Option B</Select.Option>
  </Select.Options>
</Select>

Render Props: Delegate rendering to parent

<DataFetcher url="/api/users">
  {({ data, loading, error }) => (loading ? <Spinner /> : <UserList users={data} />)}
</DataFetcher>

Slots (Vue/Svelte): Named content injection points

<template>
  <Card>
    <template #header>Title</template>
    <template #content>Body text</template>
    <template #footer><Button>Action</Button></template>
  </Card>
</template>

2. CSS-in-JS Approaches

Solution	Approach	Best For
Tailwind CSS	Utility classes	Rapid prototyping, design systems
CSS Modules	Scoped CSS files	Existing CSS, gradual adoption
styled-components	Template literals	React, dynamic styling
Emotion	Object/template styles	Flexible, SSR-friendly
Vanilla Extract	Zero-runtime	Performance-critical apps

3. Component API Design

interface ButtonProps {
  variant?: 'primary' | 'secondary' | 'ghost';
  size?: 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg';
  isLoading?: boolean;
  isDisabled?: boolean;
  leftIcon?: React.ReactNode;
  rightIcon?: React.ReactNode;
  children: React.ReactNode;
  onClick?: () => void;
}

Principles:

• Use semantic prop names (isLoading vs loading)
• Provide sensible defaults
• Support composition via children
• Allow style overrides via className or style

Quick Start: React Component with Tailwind

import { forwardRef, type ComponentPropsWithoutRef } from 'react';
import { cva, type VariantProps } from 'class-variance-authority';
import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';

const buttonVariants = cva(
  'inline-flex items-center justify-center rounded-md font-medium transition-colors focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:opacity-50',
  {
    variants: {
      variant: {
        primary: 'bg-blue-600 text-white hover:bg-blue-700',
        secondary: 'bg-gray-100 text-gray-900 hover:bg-gray-200',
        ghost: 'hover:bg-gray-100 hover:text-gray-900',
      },
      size: {
        sm: 'h-8 px-3 text-sm',
        md: 'h-10 px-4 text-sm',
        lg: 'h-12 px-6 text-base',
      },
    },
    defaultVariants: {
      variant: 'primary',
      size: 'md',
    },
  },
);

interface ButtonProps extends ComponentPropsWithoutRef<'button'>, VariantProps<typeof buttonVariants> {
  isLoading?: boolean;
}

export const Button = forwardRef<HTMLButtonElement, ButtonProps>(
  ({ className, variant, size, isLoading, children, ...props }, ref) => (
    <button
      ref={ref}
      className={cn(buttonVariants({ variant, size }), className)}
      disabled={isLoading || props.disabled}
      {...props}
    >
      {isLoading && <Spinner className="mr-2 h-4 w-4" />}
      {children}
    </button>
  ),
);
Button.displayName = 'Button';

Framework Patterns

React: Compound Components

import { createContext, useContext, useState, type ReactNode } from 'react';

interface AccordionContextValue {
  openItems: Set<string>;
  toggle: (id: string) => void;
}

const AccordionContext = createContext<AccordionContextValue | null>(null);

function useAccordion() {
  const context = useContext(AccordionContext);
  if (!context) throw new Error('Must be used within Accordion');
  return context;
}

export function Accordion({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
  const [openItems, setOpenItems] = useState<Set<string>>(new Set());

  const toggle = (id: string) => {
    setOpenItems((prev) => {
      const next = new Set(prev);
      next.has(id) ? next.delete(id) : next.add(id);
      return next;
    });
  };

  return (
    <AccordionContext.Provider value={{ openItems, toggle }}>
      <div className="divide-y">{children}</div>
    </AccordionContext.Provider>
  );
}

Accordion.Item = function AccordionItem({ id, title, children }: { id: string; title: string; children: ReactNode }) {
  const { openItems, toggle } = useAccordion();
  const isOpen = openItems.has(id);

  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={() => toggle(id)} className="w-full text-left py-3">
        {title}
      </button>
      {isOpen && <div className="pb-3">{children}</div>}
    </div>
  );
};

Vue 3: Composables

<script setup lang="ts">
import { ref, computed, provide, inject, type InjectionKey } from 'vue';

interface TabsContext {
  activeTab: Ref<string>;
  setActive: (id: string) => void;
}

const TabsKey: InjectionKey<TabsContext> = Symbol('tabs');

// Parent component
const activeTab = ref('tab-1');
provide(TabsKey, {
  activeTab,
  setActive: (id: string) => {
    activeTab.value = id;
  },
});

// Child component usage
const tabs = inject(TabsKey);
const isActive = computed(() => tabs?.activeTab.value === props.id);
</script>

Svelte 5: Runes

<script lang="ts">
  interface Props {
    variant?: 'primary' | 'secondary';
    size?: 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg';
    onclick?: () => void;
    children: import('svelte').Snippet;
  }

  let { variant = 'primary', size = 'md', onclick, children }: Props = $props();

  const classes = $derived(
    `btn btn-${variant} btn-${size}`
  );
</script>

<button class={classes} {onclick}>
  {@render children()}
</button>

Best Practices

1. Single Responsibility: Each component does one thing well
2. Prop Drilling Prevention: Use context for deeply nested data
3. Accessible by Default: Include ARIA attributes, keyboard support
4. Controlled vs Uncontrolled: Support both patterns when appropriate
5. Forward Refs: Allow parent access to DOM nodes
6. Memoization: Use React.memo, useMemo for expensive renders
7. Error Boundaries: Wrap components that may fail

Common Issues

• Prop Explosion: Too many props - consider composition instead
• Style Conflicts: Use scoped styles or CSS Modules
• Re-render Cascades: Profile with React DevTools, memo appropriately
• Accessibility Gaps: Test with screen readers and keyboard navigation
• Bundle Size: Tree-shake unused component variants