TailwindCSS Case Study
Author: Iselin Engen <Iseost>Tailwind CSS Case Study
Introduction
Tailwind CSS is a modern, utility-first CSS framework that makes it easy to create fully customized user interfaces. Tailwind is built to let you customize every aspect of your design directly in your markup, by applying small, pre-built utility classes that help you design and style your projects faster and with greater flexibility.
About Tailwind CSS
- Founder: Adam Wathan.
- Launched: 2017 by Adam Wathan, with Steve Schoger and Jonathan Reinink.
- Current Tailwind Labs team: Adam Wathan, Steve Schoger, Jonathan Reinink, Robin Malfait and Philipp Spiess.
Tailwind CSS works by scanning all of your HTML files, JavaScript components, and any other templates for class names, generating the corresponding styles and then writing them to a static CSS file. It’s fast, flexible, and reliable — with zero-runtime. – (Source: Tailwindcss.com)
Tailwind was created to offer developers an alternative to traditional CSS approaches, which often required managing lengthy style sheets or working within the constraints of pre-built design templates. Since its launch. Tailwind has grown into one of the most popular CSS frameworks, supported by a large and active developer community.
Features
Tailwind lets you style elements directly in your HTML using utility classes. In my opinion, this makes frontend development much faster.
Worth mentioning features:
Utility-first Approach: Makes you style by using a set of ready-to-use utility classes without constantly switching between your HTML and CSS files.
Why I like it: Let’s me style elements right away, keeping my workflow smooth and fast.
Customizability: Makes you easily adjust colors, spacing, and other design details through configuration files.
Why I like it: Gives me control over the look and feel of every project I work on.
Responsive Design: Built-in responsive utilities like sm:, md:, lg:, and xl: mean I can handle different screen sizes without writing custom media queries.
Why I like it: Saves me time by making layouts adapt naturally to any device.
Plugin System: Extend Tailwind’s functionality by adding your own plugins or using community-made ones.
Why I like it: Lets me add extra features or use plugins others have built.
Performance Optimization: Tailwind integrates tools like PurgeCSS (tree-shaking) to automatically remove unused CSS in production, keeping file sizes small.
Why I like it: Optimizes CSS so my projects load quickly and stay lightweight.
Advantages and disadvantages
One of the best things about Tailwind is how fast you can develop with it. It gives you full freedom to create unique designs exactly how you want, without being limited by pre-made styles. I also really appreciate that Tailwind automatically removes unused CSS when you build for production, which keeps your projects lightweight and fast. The documentation is clear and easy to follow, and there’s a huge community out there sharing examples, tips, and resources that make learning and troubleshooting much easier.
On the flip side, Tailwind can make your HTML look a bit cluttered or “messy” because of all the utility classes you add directly to elements. For someone used to traditional CSS, the utility-first approach might feel a little strange or overwhelming at first. Also, since Tailwind doesn’t come with pre-designed components or templates, beginners might spend more time figuring out their design choices compared to using frameworks that offer ready-made styles.
Comparison with Competitors
When comparing Tailwind CSS to frameworks like Bootstrap, Foundation, and Materialize, the biggest difference is the approach. Bootstrap and the others provide ready-made components and design systems, making it easy to build consistent sites quickly great for beginners. But this can limit flexibility, and many sites end up looking alike unless you customize heavily.
Tailwind takes a different route with its utility-first approach. Instead of pre-styled components, it offers small utility classes to build custom designs right in your HTML. This gives you full control and unique results but requires a different mindset and more detailed styling work. Tailwind also shines with features like purging unused CSS and a strong plugin system, making it efficient and powerful.
In short, if you want speed and ready components, Bootstrap or Materialize are solid. But if you want total design freedom and a modern workflow, Tailwind is an awesome choice.
Get started
I have based my work on the latest version, which is v4.1. I’ve also chosen to use Tailwind CLI, as it’s the easiest and fastest way to get up and running with Tailwind CSS.
- Install Tailwind CSS
- Install tailwindcss and @tailwindcss/cli via npm.
npm install tailwindcss @tailwindcss/cli- Import Tailwind in your CSS
- Add the @import “tailwindcss”; import to your main CSS file.
@import "tailwindcss";- Start the Tailwind CLI build process
- Run the CLI tool to scan your source files for classes and build your CSS.
npx @tailwindcss/cli -i ./src/input.css -o ./src/output.css --watch- Start using Tailwind in your HTML
- Add your compiled CSS file to the and start using Tailwind’s utility classes to style your content.
Here is a small example of how Tailwind can be used:
<!doctype html><html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" /> <title>TailwindCSS</title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="./src/output.css" /> </head> <body class="bg-gradient-to-b from-orange-100 via-pink-100 to-purple-200 min-h-screen flex items-center justify-center" > <div class="bg-gradient-to-b from-orange-50 via-pink-50 to-purple-50 border border-orange-200 rounded-2xl shadow-xl p-8 max-w-sm w-full text-center shadow-[0_0_40px_rgba(255,182,193,0.6)]" > <h1 class="text-3xl font-bold text-orange-800 mb-4">Hello everybody!</h1> <p class="text-orange-900/80 text-lg mb-6"> This is a paragraph styled with TailwindCSS. </p> <button class="px-6 py-3 bg-gradient-to-r from-pink-500 via-orange-500 to-yellow-400 text-white font-semibold rounded-lg shadow-md hover:shadow-lg hover:scale-105 hover:brightness-110 transition-transform duration-300 w-full" > Click me </button> </div> </body></html>
Screenshot showing the output of the code above
On tailwindcss.com/docs, you’ll find the complete documentation for all the utility classes used in Tailwind. The site also includes guides for getting started (if you want to use a different setup), configuration options, customization tips, and examples of best practices. You can explore responsive design features, theme configuration, and even learn how to extend Tailwind with plugins—all in one place.
Why Tailwind Works for Me
Tailwind CSS offers a modern, utility-first approach that transforms how developers style web projects. By using small, reusable utility classes directly in the markup, it gives unmatched flexibility and control over design, enabling fast and efficient development. While the initial learning curve can be steep and the HTML may look crowded, the benefits of customization, responsive design, and optimized performance make Tailwind a powerful choice. Based on my experience, Tailwind made CSS more enjoyable and helped me build better, more personalized websites. I will definitely continue using it in future projects.