After years of working with frontend frameworks, switching to Tailwind CSS inside Elements for macOS felt like stepping into a new era of web design.

Tailwind + Elements = Total Design Freedom

From the moment I opened Elements, it felt like a tool made for modern creators. Its native macOS UI is slick, the Markdown integration is seamless, and the workflow is intuitive.

With Tailwind in Elements:

⚡ You design visually using atomic classes

⚡ You get live preview updates without build delays

⚡ You can drop in any Tailwind component library (Tailwind UI, Flowbite, etc.)

🎯 You don't need to override prebuilt styles—you're in control

Honestly, it's the most fun and fluid experience I've had building websites.

Why Foundation and Bootstrap Let Me Down

I've used both Foundation and Bootstrap in client projects and internal tools. Back in the day, they were great stepping stones. But now they feel... abandoned. It's rigid, outdated, and awkward to customize.

Foundation feels... abandoned. It's rigid, outdated, and awkward to customize.

Bootstrap is bloated and opinionated. Every site ends up looking the same unless you fight against the framework.

Even simple things like spacing or responsiveness become a battle of overrides, custom variables, or !important flags.

And don't get me started on component styling. You either stick with the baked-in styles or spend hours rewriting them.

The Elements Advantage

With Elements, everything is flat-file and clean—your content lives in Markdown, JSON, or YAML, and the design layer is fully yours via Tailwind.

Here's a real-world example of how easy it is to design a custom callout:

<div class="p-6 bg-blue-100 border-l-4 border-blue-500 text-blue-900">
    Elements + Tailwind = your creative vision, with no compromise.
</div>

Try doing that in Foundation or Bootstrap without writing custom CSS.

Tailwind Wins for Custom Sites

If you're building anything from a modern portfolio, to a high-performance landing page, or a unique client site, Tailwind + Elements is hands-down the best combination I've used. No bloat, no forced styles, no legacy baggage.

Final Thoughts

Foundation feels stuck in the past, Bootstrap still clings to cookie-cutter design, whereas Tailwind is the future and Elements is how you design with it effortlessly on macOS.

Once you start building with this combo, it's hard to go back. The workflow is fast, the results are beautiful, and the freedom is unmatched.