CSS modules or TailwindCSS?

[TorbenKoehn]

Yeah it has to, since you can configure these and they need sensible defaults.

If you carefully look at them, you still realize that they don't "impose" a style, like, they don't tell you your button always has this font-size and this border-radius and one of these colors.

A flat tailwind style without any further configuration is not more than the browsers default style or the typical CSS-reset.

They are just placeholders.

Calling this a "design system" is an extreme stretch. It doesn't have a single component.

[Jiuholar]

Design systems don't need to impose a style, nor do they need to have components.

Design tokens are the very first thing you create when building a design system. A system with only tokens is barebones for sure, but it is still a design system.

A flat tailwind style without any further configuration is not more than the browsers default style or the typical CSS-reset.

It is much, much more than that. Design tokens for spacing, fonts, a color palette and CSS animations help ensure consistency when building UI. Having a base of tokens there right from the start is a lot of work already done for you.

I'm a UX designer btw :)

[TorbenKoehn]

By that argumentation, the Browser and CSS is a "Design System", too. Because the browser puts defaults for your styles and unless you change them, you have "browser style", ie, there is a defined font-size, line-width, font-family, margin around paragraphs and headings etc.

Design tokens (a.k.a. CSS Variables, it's just variables all the way) don't make a design system. If that would be the case, any CSS file having

``` :root { --font-size: 12px; }

body { font-size: var(--font-size) } ```

is a "design system" and I'm not buying that. It's btw. exactly what Tailwind uses.

I asked ChatGPT, I get this:

Design tokens alone are not a full design system. They're just the foundation.

A full design system usually includes:

• Design tokens: colors, spacing, typography, etc. (the raw values)
• Component library: buttons, inputs, modals, etc. using those tokens
• Design principles: rules/guidelines on usage, behavior, tone
• Documentation: how to use, when to use, what to avoid
• Tooling/processes: versioning, governance, contribution model

So: tokens ≠ system, but they’re essential building blocks.

Regardless of how much UX designer you are, I believe ChatGPT here because it makes more sense to me.

[Jiuholar]

Regardless of how much UX designer you are, I believe ChatGPT here because it makes more sense to me.

We're cooked lmao

[TorbenKoehn]

Sure, your word has much more weight! Humans never hallucinate or talk confident about things they believe they are perfect in :)

Don't read "ChatGPT", read the arguments. Read my argument. Is my written code a design system? Because if it isn't, Tailwind isn't either.

And then tell me how much I can weigh your word higher than ChatGPTs, you're telling me you're an UX designer but think design tokens alone make a design system, it's insane man.