The UI of any application is like the interior design of an apartment for rent. The cleaner and clearer it is, the sooner the tenant will appear. A perfect UI may be built from scratch or a component library may be used for that. The first option guarantees unique design, the second one presupposes fewer working hours spent.
Such design systems like Airbnb Design, Shopify’s Polaris, and Google’s Material Design have been using components as the building blocks for creating a user interface and reusing them for creating applications. A component library usually includes buttons, input fields, icons, text, a UI kit, etc., and manages source code for these UI elements, often leveraging CSS and JS frameworks.
Some libraries offer complete SPA applications. For instance, the Webix UI library and framework offers numerous widgets that can exist as finished solutions for startups, separate departments of big companies, or as an interior solution connecting employees with the customers. The reviews mention the speed, the lightness, and the simplicity of the code.
React.js is another JavaScript library that is more widely known among developers. The reason for its popularity lies in the developer. React was first created by Jordan Walke, a software engineer working for Facebook.
The library is open source and it is used for building user interfaces specifically for single-page applications. React allows developers to create large web applications that can change data, without reloading the page. The main purpose of React is to be fast, scalable, and simple.
There are plenty of other UI libraries on the market nowadays. They all are included in various top 10 or top 20 lists on the Internet. We are not going to focus on the pros and cons of every one of them, as each project has its requirements. We will mention those who will enjoy exploiting a UI library:
- Developers. They save working time. Besides, they can use standardized front-end across different projects. One more important point is that a component library provides easier onboarding for newcomers. You know what to expect from a candidate if the experience of React, Webix, or other platforms is mentioned on their CV.
- Designers. Using a set of components in the same design scheme leads to the whole system’s consistency. The project may scale effectively without frequent changes in the overall design.
- Users. If the system is built with similar components that logically complement each other, users are less confused, faster get used to the app, and are more likely to turn into loyal customers.
Having conducted a bunch of interviews with holders of the above-mentioned Webix UI, we may conclude the business domains that can be interested in applying a UI library. It may come in handy for those who are considering purchasing a UI library as an option for the reason of time-saving.
Customers may come from different business domains:
- Transportation: There is a range of tools from simple apps for managing drivers’ schedules and payments to huge platforms that deal with product delivery, warehouses, cutting transportation costs, and eliminating wastes.
- Construction: A component library may help to coordinate the job of the whole team, connecting customers with the suppliers, builders, architects, and so on. Also, it may be used to make a prototype of a future project and to share it with customers for them to know what to expect.
- Small entrepreneurs: Here we may have platforms connecting customers and freelancers, or apps for vendors and delivery services.
- Finance: Managing personal finances or accounting services for a big company can be built with the help of ready-made widgets.
- Human Resources: A tool for the HR department that helps to make a database of the potential candidates with relevant search and filter settings is in demand.
Summary
We have described some UI libraries on demand. We have mentioned the benefits of using a UI library for all parties concerned. Besides, the business domains interested in applying ready-made components were also described. The advantages of the approach are quite persuasive, but of course, each developer decides for themselves.