Build your first component system using AI — no coding experience needed.
Four phases from zero to a live component browser — all guided by AI.
Claude Code needs a paid Claude subscription to work. Do this at home to save time on workshop day.
Phase 01
Three installs, done in order. Each one only takes a few minutes.
The engine that powers React and Storybook on your machine.
Claude Code uses this as a background shell tool on Windows — no git knowledge needed, no version control involved.
Two ways to install — try WinGet first. If it fails, use the npm fallback below.
claude — capital C won't work.
Connect Claude Code to your Anthropic account. This only needs to be done once.
Phase 02
Make a folder, launch Claude Code inside it, and let the AI scaffold React + Vite + Tailwind for you.
All your component code will live in one folder on your Desktop. Then launch Claude Code inside it.
Two prompts inside Claude Code — one for the project scaffold, one for Tailwind. Run them one at a time.
npm create vite@latest. Use the react-ts template. Install all dependencies. Don't ask questions, just do it.
Phase 03
A real component system in three tiers — atomic primitives first, then molecules that combine them, then compound components with subparts.
Type each prompt one at a time in Claude Code. Wait for each to finish before moving on.
Components for representing people and capturing single-choice inputs.
Toggle states, loading indicators, and contextual help.
One last building block to separate sections, then on to molecules.
Each molecule uses one or more primitives from the previous tier — a richer visual unit composed from the building blocks.
Two more molecules to round out the middle tier.
Compound components have multiple visual parts that work together — designed as a coordinated set.
Modal.Header (with title and a close X button on the right), Modal.Body (main content area), and Modal.Footer (right-aligned action buttons, separated from the body by a subtle divider). Sizes: sm, md, lg, xl. Sits centered on a dimmed semi-transparent backdrop. Smooth scale-and-fade in on open, fade out on close. Rounded corners with a soft shadow.Tabs.List (the row of tab buttons), Tabs.Tab (an individual tab), and Tabs.Panel (the content area below). Three variants: underline (active tab has an accent bottom border that slides between tabs), pill (active tab has a filled accent background), and enclosed (tabs sit in a bordered container with the active tab connected to the panel below). Clear active/inactive states, hover state for inactive tabs, focus ring for keyboard users.Accordion.Item (one row), Accordion.Trigger (the clickable header with label and chevron icon), and Accordion.Content (the collapsible body). Two states per item: collapsed (only trigger visible, chevron points down) and expanded (content visible, chevron rotated 180° to point up). Smooth height animation when expanding. Subtle divider between adjacent items. Trigger has hover and focus states.The final two compound components — for choices and structured data.
Dropdown.Trigger (button that opens it), Dropdown.Menu (the floating panel), Dropdown.Item (a menu option), Dropdown.Separator (thin line between groups), and Dropdown.Label (small uppercase muted label for grouping). Menu has soft shadow, rounded corners, subtle fade-in. Items show hover (light background) and selected (check icon on right) states. Items support an optional leading icon and a trailing shortcut hint in muted text. A danger variant has red text.Table (container), Table.Header (sticky top row), Table.HeaderCell (with optional sort arrow that flips between ascending/descending), Table.Body, Table.Row (with hover state), and Table.Cell. Variants: default (row borders), striped (alternating row backgrounds), and borderless. Loading state shows shimmering skeleton rows. Empty state shows a centered icon with a friendly message when there's no data.Phase 04
Launch a visual browser for all your components — click through them, change variants, and see everything live in the browser.
Ask Claude to install Storybook and create story files for every component — then open it in your browser.
From zero to a live React component library with Storybook — all guided by Claude Code in plain English. No prior coding experience required.