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Resource Bunk

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I Build UIs Without Writing a Single Component.

#webdev #programming #javascript #productivity

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(Yes, seriously — and no, it’s not drag-and-drop.)

We’re constantly told: “If you want a good UI, build your own components.”
But after years of React, Vue, and tailwind-tweaking marathons, I found a better way.

In fact, I stopped manually writing components entirely — and yet I still ship clean, responsive UIs… faster than before.

This isn't some no-code hype. It’s a developer-first workflow that skips the grunt work of building UIs from scratch, but still gives you full control.

Here’s how I do it — and how you can too.

🔧 The Workflow That Replaced My Component Folder

Instead of writing my own <Card>, <Table>, or <Form> from scratch, I now use:

🧱 Component generators + prebuilt design systems

Here’s the combo:

1. Use ShadCN/UI as My Baseline

  • ShadCN provides clean, headless UI components powered by Tailwind + Radix

  • Each component is:

    • Accessible
    • Themeable
    • Server-side compatible
    • Already styled with Tailwind

I don’t build components from scratch — I import and slightly tweak them.

👉 https://ui.shadcn.dev

2. Wrap Everything in Generator Templates

I created a simple CLI tool that:

  • Prompts me: “What are you building?” (e.g., “Settings Form”)
  • Injects the exact ShadCN components I need
  • Adds layout, spacing, responsive classes, and ARIA labels
  • Generates the .tsx file + auto-registered route

I now write:

$ uigen settings-form
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And it outputs:

// components/SettingsForm.tsx
import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input"
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
...
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Boom. 80% done in 3 seconds.

🧠 Why I Stopped Writing UIs the Old Way

🚫 Before:

  • 1 hour to build a modal, form, table from scratch
  • Constant spacing/layout inconsistencies
  • Boring decisions: padding, hover, border styles
  • UI fatigue = more bugs

✅ Now:

  • 5 minutes to compose an interface
  • Consistent styling across pages
  • Fewer regressions, more time for real logic
  • Focus on flows and experience — not pixels

✨ Bonus: Themed Instantly

Because ShadCN uses Tailwind with CSS variables under the hood, I just swap themes globally.

Dark mode? Easy.
Brand refresh? One config tweak.
No more hunting for hex codes across components.

🧩 But What About Custom UIs?

Sometimes I need something ShadCN doesn’t offer. Here's what I do:

  1. Start from their “Skeleton” component
  2. Add minimal Tailwind classes
  3. Wrap it into my own reusable piece

So instead of writing this from scratch:

<div className="bg-white p-6 rounded-md shadow-md">
  <h2 className="text-lg font-semibold mb-2">...</h2>
  <input className="..." />
  <button className="...">Save</button>
</div>
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I use:

import { Card, Input, Button } from "@/components/ui"

<Card>
  <h2>...</h2>
  <Input />
  <Button>Save</Button>
</Card>
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More semantic. More readable. Less prone to errors.

🧪 Tools That Supercharged This Stack

  • ShadCN UI – Fastest way to build consistent, accessible UI
  • Tailwind CSS – Utility-first styling with near-zero config
  • Plop.js – Tiny generator to scaffold custom UI files
  • Preline UI – If I ever want alternative components
  • ContentMint – My local markdown generator to write docs, changelogs, and tutorials from my component output

Final Thought

Most devs spend hours building UIs that someone else has already nailed.

I stopped doing that.

Now I:

  • Reuse intelligently
  • Customize minimally
  • Focus on experience and performance, not pixels

I don't write components anymore — and I ship faster because of it.

💬 Would you adopt this kind of workflow?
Do you still write all your UIs from scratch?

Drop your thoughts below 👇

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