The latest articles on DEV Community by Hossein Najafi (@hossein_najafi81). https://dev.to/hossein_najafi81 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F2537636%2Ff3d08162-5467-4d1c-9af4-9a39636492f1.jpg https://dev.to/hossein_najafi81 en Hossein Najafi Sat, 04 Jul 2026 14:19:23 +0000 https://dev.to/hossein_najafi81/how-i-stopped-relying-on-ui-libraries-and-started-building-my-own-reusable-components-3bn3 https://dev.to/hossein_najafi81/how-i-stopped-relying-on-ui-libraries-and-started-building-my-own-reusable-components-3bn3 <p>When I started working with React, I used UI libraries for almost everything — buttons, inputs, modals, you name it.</p> <p>It felt fast at first ⚡ I could build interfaces quickly without thinking too much about structure or design.</p> <p>But over time, I started noticing some problems:</p> <p>My projects became dependent on external libraries 📦<br> Customizing components was often painful 😵‍💫<br> I had less control over performance and design consistency 🎯<br> I wasn’t really improving my component design skills 📉</p> <p>So I decided to change my approach.</p> <h2> <strong>🧱 Building my own component system</strong> </h2> <p>Instead of installing a new library every time, I started building my own reusable components from scratch:</p> <p>Button<br> Input (with variants like password toggle, number formatting, etc.)<br> Modal<br> Form components</p> <p>At first, it took more time ⏳ But very quickly I noticed something important:</p> <p>I started understanding UI architecture much deeper than before 🧠</p> <h2> <strong>⚡ What I learned</strong> </h2> <p><strong>1. Reusability is not just about code ♻️</strong></p> <p>It’s about designing components that can adapt to different use cases without rewriting logic.</p> <p><strong>2. Props are powerful if used correctly 🎛️</strong></p> <p>A well-designed props system can replace entire libraries in small to medium projects.</p> <p><strong>3. Less dependency = more control 🧩</strong></p> <p>I don’t have to wait for library updates or fight with overrides anymore.</p> <h2> <strong>🚀 The result</strong> </h2> <p>Now my projects are:</p> <p>More consistent in design 🎨<br> Easier to maintain 🛠️<br> More lightweight ⚡<br> Fully under my control 🔒</p> <p>And most importantly, I feel like I actually understand what I’m building.</p> <h2> <strong>💬 Final thought</strong> </h2> <p>UI libraries are great — but they shouldn’t replace understanding.</p> <p>Building your own components, even if simple, can completely change how you think as a frontend developer 💡</p> <p>If you’re a React developer, I highly recommend trying it at least once.</p> webdev programming react frontend