A component framework.
WHAT IT PROVIDES
A grid system
Prebuilt components: navigation, modals, forms, cards
A default visual style Utility classes
WHAT IT SUITS
Building quickly Administrative interfaces and internal tools Projects without design resources Teams already familiar with it
WHAT IT COSTS
A recognisable appearance unless customised More CSS than most projects use Some JavaScript dependencies
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE APPEARANCE
Customise through its variables, rather than overriding afterwards.
WHY
Overriding fights specificity and grows unmanageable.
WHAT TO BUILD FROM SOURCE
A version including only the components used.
WHY
Otherwise you ship substantially more than needed.
WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH
Markup structure required for components to work Version differences between major releases Accessibility, which requires following its documented patterns
WHAT TO CHECK
Keyboard operability of interactive components.
WHAT TO CONSIDER
Whether the project genuinely needs prebuilt components, or only a grid and some utilities.
