Built It Because I Was Tired of Rebuilding It: The Story Behind ThemeShift

#webdev #javascript #react #opensource

As a developer, I’ve lost count of how many times I implemented dark mode or a theme toggler from scratch. Each time, it was the same routine:

Create theme context
Write toggle logic
Add local storage handling
Deal with CSS glitches and transitions 😵‍💫

I thought: "Why am I rebuilding the same thing over and over?" That’s when the idea for ThemeShift was born.

💡 Goal: Build a lightweight, customizable theme toggler that saves developers time.

🛠️ Challenges:
Getting smooth transitions right across browsers
Making it flexible but not complicated
Ensuring it’s TypeScript-friendly and tree-shakable

🎯 The Result:
Plug-and-play theme toggler for React
Animated icons for a polished UX
Support for custom themes + local storage persistence

💥 Launched it as Actionpackd’s first open-source tool.

Within a day:
✅ 108 downloads
✅ Positive feedback from the community
✅ Ideas flowing in for premium themes and integrations

💬 This journey reminded me that sometimes the best products solve your own frustrations. I’m sharing ThemeShift with the dev community—hoping it saves you those extra hours (and headaches). 🙌

👉 Check it out: npmjs.com/package/themeshift
💻 GitHub: github.com/ramasundaram-s/themeshift

Have you built something out of frustration? I’d love to hear your story! 👇