Cover image for I Built Another React UI Library — Here's Why

Vladyusha

If you've been building React apps for a while, you've probably had the same thought:

"Not another React UI library..."

Honestly, I had it too.

The ecosystem already has amazing projects like shadcn/ui, Magic UI, Aceternity UI, Origin UI, and many others.

So why would anyone build another one?

It Started With Copying the Same Components

Every new project looked familiar.

I needed a modal.
Then tabs.
A tooltip.
A navigation menu.
A badge.
A hero section.

Sometimes I'd build them from scratch.
Sometimes I'd copy them from an old project.
Sometimes I'd spend an hour tweaking styles to match a new design.

Eventually I realized I wasn't building products—I was rebuilding the same UI over and over again.

I Wanted Components That Felt Production-Ready

Many libraries solve the problem of functionality.

I wanted to focus on something slightly different.

I wanted components that looked polished out of the box while still being easy to customize.

That meant:

  • Modern design
  • Smooth animations
  • Clean code
  • TypeScript-first
  • Tailwind CSS
  • Easy installation
  • No unnecessary abstractions

Why Not Just Use shadcn/ui?

I actually do.

Motoko UI isn't trying to replace shadcn/ui.

Instead, I see it as an extension of that ecosystem.

If shadcn/ui gives you the building blocks, Motoko UI focuses on higher-level components, interactive elements, and polished UI patterns that you can drop into real applications.

Building in Public

One decision I made early was to build everything in public.

Every component.
Every release.
Every improvement.

That keeps me accountable and gives other developers the opportunity to suggest ideas before they become part of the library.

The First Releases

So far I've added components like:

  • Accordion
  • Animated Tabs
  • Waves Shader
  • Theme Switcher
  • Badge
  • Modal
  • Tooltip

Along with:

  • Documentation
  • Registry support
  • Backgrounds & Shaders
  • Simple installation through the shadcn CLI

It's still a small project, but it's growing with every release.

What Comes Next

My goal isn't to create the biggest component library.

I want to create one that developers genuinely enjoy using.

Over the coming months, I'll be adding:

  • Dashboard components
  • Landing page sections
  • More shaders and animated backgrounds
  • Data visualization components
  • Better documentation
  • More polished developer experience

I'd Love Your Feedback

Open source gets better through feedback.

If you have ideas for components, improvements, or features you'd like to see, let me know.

And if you think Motoko UI is useful, I'd really appreciate a ⭐ on GitHub.

Thanks for reading.

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