Prominent Developer Reassesses Styling Stacks, Opting for Vanilla CSS with AI Assistance

In a notable shift, a seasoned developer has announced a move away from popular styling frameworks like Tailwind CSS and ShadCN for most new projects, citing advancements in modern CSS, AI-assisted development, and a strategic focus on dependency reduction. The decision is not a dismissal of Tailwind’s quality, which the developer explicitly praised as an “amazing library” with a now-stabilized financial outlook, nor is it intended to dissuade others from its use. Instead, the re-evaluation stems from evolving workflows and a core philosophy regarding project architecture. Historically, Tailwind facilitated rapid iteration and inline styling, especially for individual developers eschewing design tools like Figma. However, with modern CSS features—including Flexbox, relative colors, and container queries—and the increasing proficiency of AI in generating production-ready code, the direct application of vanilla CSS has become a more viable and efficient alternative. This approach allows developers to specify desired features and even reference documentation, enabling AI to produce precise CSS without the abstraction layers of a utility-first framework. While AI may not fully leverage every nuanced Tailwind feature or syntax, it can be effectively guided to implement specific modern CSS capabilities.

The primary driver behind this architectural pivot is a strong emphasis on minimizing third-party library dependencies, a principle particularly relevant for creating educational content and ensuring long-term project maintainability. Excessive external libraries can introduce liabilities, such as breaking changes, security vulnerabilities, unaddressed bugs, or an inability to adopt new features if a library’s maintenance status becomes questionable—a concern previously highlighted by Tailwind’s own past financial difficulties and exemplified by ShadCN’s reliance on Radix UI. While acknowledging that some domain-specific libraries (e.g., for authentication or rich text editing) offer undeniable value, the developer argues that styling, being inherently replaceable with modern CSS and AI assistance, presents a prime candidate for de-standardization. This strategy aims to create more resilient, self-contained projects, mitigating risks associated with external dependencies and fostering a deeper understanding of foundational web technologies.