frontend-ui-dark-ts

by microsoft

Build dark-themed React applications using Tailwind CSS with custom theming, glassmorphism effects, and Framer Motion animations. Use when creating dashboards, admin panels, or data-rich interfaces with a refined dark aesthetic.

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Frontend UI Dark Theme (TypeScript)

A modern dark-themed React UI system using Tailwind CSS and Framer Motion. Designed for dashboards, admin panels, and data-rich applications with glassmorphism effects and tasteful animations.

Stack

Package	Version	Purpose
`react`	^18.x	UI framework
`react-dom`	^18.x	DOM rendering
`react-router-dom`	^6.x	Routing
`framer-motion`	^11.x	Animations
`clsx`	^2.x	Class merging
`tailwindcss`	^3.x	Styling
`vite`	^5.x	Build tool
`typescript`	^5.x	Type safety

Quick Start

npm create vite@latest my-app -- --template react-ts
cd my-app
npm install framer-motion clsx react-router-dom
npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer
npx tailwindcss init -p

Project Structure

public/
├── favicon.ico                    # Classic favicon (32x32)
├── favicon.svg                    # Modern SVG favicon
├── apple-touch-icon.png           # iOS home screen (180x180)
├── og-image.png                   # Social sharing image (1200x630)
└── site.webmanifest               # PWA manifest
src/
├── assets/
│   └── fonts/
│       ├── Segoe UI.ttf
│       ├── Segoe UI Bold.ttf
│       ├── Segoe UI Italic.ttf
│       └── Segoe UI Bold Italic.ttf
├── components/
│   ├── ui/
│   │   ├── Button.tsx
│   │   ├── Card.tsx
│   │   ├── Input.tsx
│   │   ├── Badge.tsx
│   │   ├── Dialog.tsx
│   │   ├── Tabs.tsx
│   │   └── index.ts
│   └── layout/
│       ├── AppShell.tsx
│       ├── Sidebar.tsx
│       └── PageHeader.tsx
├── styles/
│   └── globals.css
├── App.tsx
└── main.tsx

Configuration

index.html

The HTML entry point with mobile viewport, favicons, and social meta tags:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, viewport-fit=cover" />
    
    <!-- Favicons -->
    <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" sizes="32x32" />
    <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.svg" type="image/svg+xml" />
    <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png" />
    <link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest" />
    
    <!-- Theme color for mobile browser chrome -->
    <meta name="theme-color" content="#18181B" />
    
    <!-- Open Graph -->
    <meta property="og:type" content="website" />
    <meta property="og:title" content="App Name" />
    <meta property="og:description" content="App description" />
    <meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/og-image.png" />
    <meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com" />
    
    <!-- Twitter Card -->
    <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
    <meta name="twitter:title" content="App Name" />
    <meta name="twitter:description" content="App description" />
    <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://example.com/og-image.png" />
    
    <title>App Name</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div id="root"></div>
    <script type="module" src="/src/main.tsx"></script>
  </body>
</html>

public/site.webmanifest

PWA manifest for installable web apps:

{
  "name": "App Name",
  "short_name": "App",
  "icons": [
    { "src": "/favicon.ico", "sizes": "32x32", "type": "image/x-icon" },
    { "src": "/apple-touch-icon.png", "sizes": "180x180", "type": "image/png" }
  ],
  "theme_color": "#18181B",
  "background_color": "#18181B",
  "display": "standalone"
}

tailwind.config.js

/** @type {import('tailwindcss').Config} */
export default {
  content: ['./index.html', './src/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}'],
  theme: {
    extend: {
      fontFamily: {
        sans: ['Segoe UI', 'system-ui', 'sans-serif'],
      },
      colors: {
        brand: {
          DEFAULT: '#8251EE',
          hover: '#9366F5',
          light: '#A37EF5',
          subtle: 'rgba(130, 81, 238, 0.15)',
        },
        neutral: {
          bg1: 'hsl(240, 6%, 10%)',
          bg2: 'hsl(240, 5%, 12%)',
          bg3: 'hsl(240, 5%, 14%)',
          bg4: 'hsl(240, 4%, 18%)',
          bg5: 'hsl(240, 4%, 22%)',
          bg6: 'hsl(240, 4%, 26%)',
        },
        text: {
          primary: '#FFFFFF',
          secondary: '#A1A1AA',
          muted: '#71717A',
        },
        border: {
          subtle: 'hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.08)',
          DEFAULT: 'hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.12)',
          strong: 'hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.20)',
        },
        status: {
          success: '#10B981',
          warning: '#F59E0B',
          error: '#EF4444',
          info: '#3B82F6',
        },
        dataviz: {
          purple: '#8251EE',
          blue: '#3B82F6',
          green: '#10B981',
          yellow: '#F59E0B',
          red: '#EF4444',
          pink: '#EC4899',
          cyan: '#06B6D4',
        },
      },
      borderRadius: {
        DEFAULT: '0.5rem',
        lg: '0.75rem',
        xl: '1rem',
      },
      boxShadow: {
        glow: '0 0 20px rgba(130, 81, 238, 0.3)',
        'glow-lg': '0 0 40px rgba(130, 81, 238, 0.4)',
      },
      backdropBlur: {
        xs: '2px',
      },
      animation: {
        'fade-in': 'fadeIn 0.3s ease-out',
        'slide-up': 'slideUp 0.3s ease-out',
        'slide-down': 'slideDown 0.3s ease-out',
      },
      keyframes: {
        fadeIn: {
          '0%': { opacity: '0' },
          '100%': { opacity: '1' },
        },
        slideUp: {
          '0%': { opacity: '0', transform: 'translateY(10px)' },
          '100%': { opacity: '1', transform: 'translateY(0)' },
        },
        slideDown: {
          '0%': { opacity: '0', transform: 'translateY(-10px)' },
          '100%': { opacity: '1', transform: 'translateY(0)' },
        },
      },
      // Mobile: safe area insets for notched devices
      spacing: {
        'safe-top': 'env(safe-area-inset-top)',
        'safe-bottom': 'env(safe-area-inset-bottom)',
        'safe-left': 'env(safe-area-inset-left)',
        'safe-right': 'env(safe-area-inset-right)',
      },
      // Mobile: minimum touch target sizes (44px per Apple/Google guidelines)
      minHeight: {
        'touch': '44px',
      },
      minWidth: {
        'touch': '44px',
      },
    },
  },
  plugins: [],
};

postcss.config.js

export default {
  plugins: {
    tailwindcss: {},
    autoprefixer: {},
  },
};

src/styles/globals.css

@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;

/* Font faces */
@font-face {
  font-family: 'Segoe UI';
  src: url('../assets/fonts/Segoe UI.ttf') format('truetype');
  font-weight: 400;
  font-style: normal;
  font-display: swap;
}

@font-face {
  font-family: 'Segoe UI';
  src: url('../assets/fonts/Segoe UI Bold.ttf') format('truetype');
  font-weight: 700;
  font-style: normal;
  font-display: swap;
}

@font-face {
  font-family: 'Segoe UI';
  src: url('../assets/fonts/Segoe UI Italic.ttf') format('truetype');
  font-weight: 400;
  font-style: italic;
  font-display: swap;
}

@font-face {
  font-family: 'Segoe UI';
  src: url('../assets/fonts/Segoe UI Bold Italic.ttf') format('truetype');
  font-weight: 700;
  font-style: italic;
  font-display: swap;
}

/* CSS Custom Properties */
:root {
  /* Brand colors */
  --color-brand: #8251EE;
  --color-brand-hover: #9366F5;
  --color-brand-light: #A37EF5;
  --color-brand-subtle: rgba(130, 81, 238, 0.15);

  /* Neutral backgrounds */
  --color-bg-1: hsl(240, 6%, 10%);
  --color-bg-2: hsl(240, 5%, 12%);
  --color-bg-3: hsl(240, 5%, 14%);
  --color-bg-4: hsl(240, 4%, 18%);
  --color-bg-5: hsl(240, 4%, 22%);
  --color-bg-6: hsl(240, 4%, 26%);

  /* Text colors */
  --color-text-primary: #FFFFFF;
  --color-text-secondary: #A1A1AA;
  --color-text-muted: #71717A;

  /* Border colors */
  --color-border-subtle: hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.08);
  --color-border-default: hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.12);
  --color-border-strong: hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.20);

  /* Status colors */
  --color-success: #10B981;
  --color-warning: #F59E0B;
  --color-error: #EF4444;
  --color-info: #3B82F6;

  /* Spacing */
  --spacing-xs: 0.25rem;
  --spacing-sm: 0.5rem;
  --spacing-md: 1rem;
  --spacing-lg: 1.5rem;
  --spacing-xl: 2rem;
  --spacing-2xl: 3rem;

  /* Border radius */
  --radius-sm: 0.375rem;
  --radius-md: 0.5rem;
  --radius-lg: 0.75rem;
  --radius-xl: 1rem;

  /* Transitions */
  --transition-fast: 150ms ease;
  --transition-normal: 200ms ease;
  --transition-slow: 300ms ease;
}

/* Base styles */
html {
  color-scheme: dark;
}

body {
  @apply bg-neutral-bg1 text-text-primary font-sans antialiased;
  min-height: 100vh;
}

/* Focus styles */
*:focus-visible {
  @apply outline-none ring-2 ring-brand ring-offset-2 ring-offset-neutral-bg1;
}

/* Scrollbar styling */
::-webkit-scrollbar {
  width: 8px;
  height: 8px;
}

::-webkit-scrollbar-track {
  @apply bg-neutral-bg2;
}

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
  @apply bg-neutral-bg5 rounded-full;
}

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover {
  @apply bg-neutral-bg6;
}

/* Glass utility classes */
@layer components {
  .glass {
    @apply backdrop-blur-md bg-white/5 border border-white/10;
  }

  .glass-card {
    @apply backdrop-blur-md bg-white/5 border border-white/10 rounded-xl;
  }

  .glass-panel {
    @apply backdrop-blur-lg bg-black/40 border border-white/5;
  }

  .glass-overlay {
    @apply backdrop-blur-sm bg-black/60;
  }

  .glass-input {
    @apply backdrop-blur-sm bg-white/5 border border-white/10 focus:border-brand focus:bg-white/10;
  }
}

/* Animation utilities */
@layer utilities {
  .animate-in {
    animation: fadeIn 0.3s ease-out, slideUp 0.3s ease-out;
  }
}

src/main.tsx

import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom/client';
import { BrowserRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
import App from './App';
import './styles/globals.css';

ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root')!).render(
  <React.StrictMode>
    <BrowserRouter>
      <App />
    </BrowserRouter>
  </React.StrictMode>
);

src/App.tsx

import { Routes, Route } from 'react-router-dom';
import { AnimatePresence } from 'framer-motion';
import { AppShell } from './components/layout/AppShell';
import { Dashboard } from './pages/Dashboard';
import { Settings } from './pages/Settings';

export default function App() {
  return (
    <AppShell>
      <AnimatePresence mode="wait">
        <Routes>
          <Route path="/" element={<Dashboard />} />
          <Route path="/settings" element={<Settings />} />
        </Routes>
      </AnimatePresence>
    </AppShell>
  );
}

Animation Patterns

Framer Motion Variants

// Fade in on mount
export const fadeIn = {
  initial: { opacity: 0 },
  animate: { opacity: 1 },
  exit: { opacity: 0 },
  transition: { duration: 0.2 },
};

// Slide up on mount
export const slideUp = {
  initial: { opacity: 0, y: 20 },
  animate: { opacity: 1, y: 0 },
  exit: { opacity: 0, y: 20 },
  transition: { duration: 0.3, ease: 'easeOut' },
};

// Scale on hover (for buttons/cards)
export const scaleOnHover = {
  whileHover: { scale: 1.02 },
  whileTap: { scale: 0.98 },
  transition: { type: 'spring', stiffness: 400, damping: 17 },
};

// Stagger children
export const staggerContainer = {
  hidden: { opacity: 0 },
  visible: {
    opacity: 1,
    transition: {
      staggerChildren: 0.05,
      delayChildren: 0.1,
    },
  },
};

export const staggerItem = {
  hidden: { opacity: 0, y: 10 },
  visible: {
    opacity: 1,
    y: 0,
    transition: { duration: 0.2, ease: 'easeOut' },
  },
};

Page Transition Wrapper

import { motion } from 'framer-motion';
import { ReactNode } from 'react';

interface PageTransitionProps {
  children: ReactNode;
}

export function PageTransition({ children }: PageTransitionProps) {
  return (
    <motion.div
      initial={{ opacity: 0, y: 20 }}
      animate={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
      exit={{ opacity: 0, y: -20 }}
      transition={{ duration: 0.3, ease: 'easeOut' }}
    >
      {children}
    </motion.div>
  );
}

Glass Effect Patterns

Glass Card

<div className="glass-card p-6">
  <h2 className="text-lg font-semibold text-text-primary">Card Title</h2>
  <p className="text-text-secondary mt-2">Card content goes here.</p>
</div>

Glass Panel (Sidebar)

<aside className="glass-panel w-64 h-screen p-4">
  <nav className="space-y-2">
    {/* Navigation items */}
  </nav>
</aside>

Glass Modal Overlay

<motion.div
  className="fixed inset-0 glass-overlay flex items-center justify-center z-50"
  initial={{ opacity: 0 }}
  animate={{ opacity: 1 }}
  exit={{ opacity: 0 }}
>
  <motion.div
    className="glass-card p-6 max-w-md w-full mx-4"
    initial={{ scale: 0.95, opacity: 0 }}
    animate={{ scale: 1, opacity: 1 }}
    exit={{ scale: 0.95, opacity: 0 }}
  >
    {/* Modal content */}
  </motion.div>
</motion.div>

Typography

Element	Classes
Page title	`text-2xl font-semibold text-text-primary`
Section title	`text-lg font-semibold text-text-primary`
Card title	`text-base font-medium text-text-primary`
Body text	`text-sm text-text-secondary`
Caption	`text-xs text-text-muted`
Label	`text-sm font-medium text-text-secondary`

Color Usage

Use Case	Color	Class
Primary action	Brand purple	`bg-brand text-white`
Primary hover	Brand hover	`hover:bg-brand-hover`
Page background	Neutral bg1	`bg-neutral-bg1`
Card background	Neutral bg2	`bg-neutral-bg2`
Elevated surface	Neutral bg3	`bg-neutral-bg3`
Input background	Neutral bg2	`bg-neutral-bg2`
Input focus	Neutral bg3	`focus:bg-neutral-bg3`
Border default	Border default	`border-border`
Border subtle	Border subtle	`border-border-subtle`
Success	Status success	`text-status-success`
Warning	Status warning	`text-status-warning`
Error	Status error	`text-status-error`