Key Takeaways from the State of CSS 2023 Survey

As a developer, I always look forward to the State of CSS survey results each year. It's fascinating to see how CSS usage evolves across the industry. This year's survey provides great insights into the tools and techniques 9,000 developers are actually relying on to build websites and applications. CSS Grid adoption has skyrocketed, with over 90% of respondents actively using it in projects now. As a freelancer still supporting older browsers at times, I've avoided Grid in the past due to spotty support. But it's clear that I need to fully embrace it now - no more fallback layout hacks needed! Tailwind CSS continues its meteoric rise, with usage doubling again to over 50%. Its utility-first approach just resonates with developers. I still prefer solutions like CSS Modules for abstraction, but for quick prototypes and MVPs, Tailwind helps me build consistent UIs fast. As a freelancer, that rapid iteration is invaluable. Bootstrap remains widely known, but its usage dropped, while competitor Tailwind is still gaining momentum. This lines up with my experience - Bootstrap's stigma of overused cookie-cutter sites has driven me to other solutions. But its awareness is still dominant. CSS variables have hit the mainstream with 76% adoption. As a freelancer who frequently switches between projects, vars make it easier to update colors, spacing, etc in one place. They enable much needed reuse in CSS. Over half of respondents now use CSS Modules for scoping CSS. I avoided them initially, but Modules are a game changer for component libraries. The scoping prevents conflicts as a freelancer jumping into new codebases regularly. A pain point called out by many is lack of auto duration and easing for CSS animations. This forces us to still rely on JavaScript animation libraries at times. CSS has come so far, but still lacks great auto transition options present in libraries like GSAP. Browser compatibility remains the top pain point by a large margin. We've come to expect new JavaScript features transpiling away differences, but CSS inconsistencies still demand rigorous cross-browser testing. As a freelancer, I've learned this lesson many times! Overall, the survey highlights that while CSS is progressing rapidly, challenges like browser differences persist. As a freelancer, it's crucial that I balance adopting new capabilities like Grid and Variables with supporting the constraints of clients' legacy browser requirements. But the survey gives me confidence that solutions like Tailwind and CSS Modules provide better tools to build flexible, production-ready websites in 2023.