tailwind-patterns – Design & UI skill for AI agents

Tailwind CSS v4 principles. CSS-first configuration, container queries, modern patterns, design token architecture.

Design & UISKILL.mdClaude Code · Codex · Hermes · DeepSeek

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Claude Code

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Codex

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Hermes Agent

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DeepSeek

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Call it in DeepSeek: /tailwind-patterns – then describe the task you want done.

SKILL.md content

Tailwind CSS Patterns (v4 - 2025)

> Modern utility-first CSS with CSS-native configuration.

When to Use

Use this skill when configuring Tailwind v4, using CSS-first theme and design tokens, or implementing container queries and modern Tailwind patterns.

---

1. Tailwind v4 Architecture

What Changed from v3

| v3 (Legacy) | v4 (Current) |

|-------------|--------------|

| tailwind.config.js | CSS-based @theme directive |

| PostCSS plugin | Oxide engine (10x faster) |

| JIT mode | Native, always-on |

| Plugin system | CSS-native features |

| @apply directive | Still works, discouraged |

v4 Core Concepts

| Concept | Description |

|---------|-------------|

| CSS-first | Configuration in CSS, not JavaScript |

| Oxide Engine | Rust-based compiler, much faster |

| Native Nesting | CSS nesting without PostCSS |

| CSS Variables | All tokens exposed as --* vars |

---

2. CSS-Based Configuration

Theme Definition

@theme {
  /* Colors - use semantic names */
  --color-primary: oklch(0.7 0.15 250);
  --color-surface: oklch(0.98 0 0);
  --color-surface-dark: oklch(0.15 0 0);
  
  /* Spacing scale */
  --spacing-xs: 0.25rem;
  --spacing-sm: 0.5rem;
  --spacing-md: 1rem;
  --spacing-lg: 2rem;
  
  /* Typography */
  --font-sans: 'Inter', system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-mono: 'JetBrains Mono', monospace;
}

When to Extend vs Override

| Action | Use When |

|--------|----------|

| Extend | Adding new values alongside defaults |

| Override | Replacing default scale entirely |

| Semantic tokens | Project-specific naming (primary, surface) |

---

3. Container Queries (v4 Native)

Breakpoint vs Container

| Type | Responds To |

|------|-------------|

| Breakpoint (md:) | Viewport width |

| Container (@container) | Parent element width |

Container Query Usage

| Pattern | Classes |

|---------|---------|

| Define container | @container on parent |

| Container breakpoint | @sm:, @md:, @lg: on children |

| Named containers | @container/card for specificity |

When to Use

| Scenario | Use |

|----------|-----|

| Page-level layouts | Viewport breakpoints |

| Component-level responsive | Container queries |

| Reusable components | Container queries (context-independent) |

---

4. Responsive Design

Breakpoint System

| Prefix | Min Width | Target |

|--------|-----------|--------|

| (none) | 0px | Mobile-first base |

| sm: | 640px | Large phone / small tablet |

| md: | 768px | Tablet |

| lg: | 1024px | Laptop |

| xl: | 1280px | Desktop |

| 2xl: | 1536px | Large desktop |

Mobile-First Principle

1. Write mobile styles first (no prefix)

2. Add larger screen overrides with prefixes

3. Example: w-full md:w-1/2 lg:w-1/3

---

5. Dark Mode

Configuration Strategies

In v4 the default dark variant follows the media query. To use a class selector in CSS-first configuration, define @custom-variant dark (&:where(.dark, .dark *));. The table below describes behavior choices, not v4 JavaScript config keys.

| Method | Behavior | Use When |

|--------|----------|----------|

| class | .dark class toggles | Manual theme switcher |

| media | Follows system preference | No user control |

| selector | Custom selector (v4) | Complex theming |

Dark Mode Pattern

| Element | Light | Dark |

|---------|-------|------|

| Background | bg-white | dark:bg-zinc-900 |

| Text | text-zinc-900 | dark:text-zinc-100 |

| Borders | border-zinc-200 | dark:border-zinc-700 |

---

6. Modern Layout Patterns

Flexbox Patterns

| Pattern | Classes |

|---------|---------|

| Center (both axes) | flex items-center justify-center |

| Vertical stack | flex flex-col gap-4 |

| Horizontal row | flex gap-4 |

| Space between | flex justify-between items-center |

| Wrap grid | flex flex-wrap gap-4 |

Grid Patterns

| Pattern | Classes |

|---------|---------|

| Auto-fit responsive | grid grid-cols-[repeat(auto-fit,minmax(250px,1fr))] |

| Asymmetric (Bento) | grid grid-cols-3 grid-rows-2 with spans |

| Sidebar layout | grid grid-cols-[auto_1fr] |

> Note: Prefer asymmetric/Bento layouts over symmetric 3-column grids.

---

7. Modern Color System

OKLCH vs RGB/HSL

| Format | Advantage |

|--------|-----------|

| OKLCH | Perceptually uniform, better for design |

| HSL | Intuitive hue/saturation |

| RGB | Legacy compatibility |

Color Token Architecture

| Layer | Example | Purpose |

|-------|---------|---------|

| Primitive | --blue-500 | Raw color values |

| Semantic | --color-primary | Purpose-based naming |

| Component | --button-bg | Component-specific |

---

8. Typography System

Font Stack Pattern

| Type | Recommended |

|------|-------------|

| Sans | 'Inter', 'SF Pro', system-ui, sans-serif |

| Mono | 'JetBrains Mono', 'Fira Code', monospace |

| Display | 'Outfit', 'Poppins', sans-serif |

Type Scale

| Class | Size | Use |

|-------|------|-----|

| text-xs | 0.75rem | Labels, captions |

| text-sm | 0.875rem | Secondary text |

| text-base | 1rem | Body text |

| text-lg | 1.125rem | Lead text |

| text-xl+ | 1.25rem+ | Headings |

---

9. Animation & Transitions

Built-in Animations

| Class | Effect |

|-------|--------|

| animate-spin | Continuous rotation |

| animate-ping | Attention pulse |

| animate-pulse | Subtle opacity pulse |

| animate-bounce | Bouncing effect |

Transition Patterns

| Pattern | Classes |

|---------|---------|

| All properties | transition-all duration-200 |

| Specific | transition-colors duration-150 |

| With easing | ease-out or ease-in-out |

| Hover effect | hover:scale-105 transition-transform |

---

10. Component Extraction

When to Extract

| Signal | Action |

|--------|--------|

| Same class combo 3+ times | Extract component |

| Complex state variants | Extract component |

| Design system element | Extract + document |

Extraction Methods

| Method | Use When |

|--------|----------|

| React/Vue component | Dynamic, JS needed |

| @apply in CSS | Static, no JS needed |

| Design tokens | Reusable values |

---

11. Anti-Patterns

| Don't | Do |

|-------|-----|

| Arbitrary values everywhere | Use design system scale |

| !important | Fix specificity properly |

| Inline style= | Use utilities |

| Duplicate long class lists | Extract component |

| Mix v3 config with v4 | Migrate fully to CSS-first |

| Use @apply heavily | Prefer components |

---

12. Performance Principles

| Principle | Implementation |

|-----------|----------------|

| Purge unused | Automatic in v4 |

| Avoid dynamism | No template string classes |

| Use supported build integration | Benchmark the actual project; no universal speedup |

| Cache builds | CI/CD caching |

---

> Remember: Tailwind v4 is CSS-first. Embrace CSS variables, container queries, and native features. The config file is now optional.

Limitations

Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.

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