UI library for hackaton

How can you build fast, unique UIs in a few minutes, and win competitions with minimal effort?

In a hackathon, speed is everything. You have 24-48 hours to turn an idea into a working prototype that impresses judges. Every minute counts, and the teams that ship fastest often win. But there's a problem: building a good-looking UI takes time you don't have.

Why speed matters in hackathons

Hackathons aren't about perfect code or enterprise-grade architecture. They're about:

• Rapid prototyping: Getting your idea from concept to demo as fast as possible
• Visual impact: Judges see dozens of demos - yours needs to look professional to stand out
• Functionality over perfection: A working prototype beats a half-finished masterpiece every time
• Team efficiency: Frontend developers need to move fast so backend and business logic can shine

The team that can build and iterate fastest has a huge advantage. But most teams get stuck on the same thing: making their UI look good enough to demo.

The UI development challenges of 2025

Building modern web interfaces has never been more complex:

1. Framework lock-in

Every framework comes with its own setup and has its own pros and cons but you should be able to choose the right framework for the right job. Framework-specific component libraries often lock you into a single ecosystem. If you need to switch frameworks for a different job, those libraries become useless, forcing you to start from scratch. This creates a dependency trap, limiting flexibility and adaptability in fast-paced environments like hackathons.

By the time you're done setting up, other teams are already building features.

2. Design system complexity

Creating consistent, professional-looking components from scratch is time-consuming:

/* Just for ONE button variant - imagine doing this for every component */
.primary-button {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);
  border: none;
  border-radius: 8px;
  padding: 12px 24px;
  color: white;
  font-weight: 600;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: all 0.2s ease;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(50, 50, 93, 0.11), 0 1px 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
}
.primary-button:hover {
  transform: translateY(-1px);
  box-shadow: 0 7px 14px rgba(50, 50, 93, 0.1), 0 3px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
}
.primary-button:active {
  transform: translateY(0);
}
/* Now multiply this by buttons, cards, forms, modals, alerts... */

3. Responsive design complexity

Your demo needs to work on laptops, tablets, and phones. Building responsive layouts takes careful planning:

<!-- Typical responsive nightmare -->
<div class="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 xl:grid-cols-4 gap-4 sm:gap-6 lg:gap-8 p-4 sm:p-6 lg:p-8">
  <div class="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-sm hover:shadow-md transition-shadow duration-200 p-4 sm:p-6">
    <h3 class="text-lg sm:text-xl font-semibold mb-2 sm:mb-3 text-gray-900">Card Title</h3>
    <p class="text-sm sm:text-base text-gray-600 mb-4">Card description goes here...</p>
    <button class="w-full sm:w-auto bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white font-medium py-2 px-4 rounded transition-colors duration-200">
      Action
    </button>
  </div>
</div>

4. Dark mode and theming

Modern apps need dark mode support. Implementing this properly requires planning every color and state:

/* Light mode */
.card {
  background-color: #ffffff;
  border: 1px solid #e5e7eb;
  color: #111827;
}

/* Dark mode */
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  .card {
    background-color: #1f2937;
    border: 1px solid #374151;
    color: #f9fafb;
  }
}

/* Plus manual theme toggle support */
[data-theme="dark"] .card {
  background-color: #1f2937;
  border: 1px solid #374151;
  color: #f9fafb;
}

All of this eats into your precious hackathon time.

How daisyUI solves hackathon UI problems

daisyUI is built for exactly this scenario: when you need professional-looking components fast, without the setup overhead or design complexity. daisyUI is beginner friendly, framework-agnostic, and designed for speed.

Lightning-fast setup

Get started in under 60 seconds with just a CDN link:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en" data-theme="light">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>My Hackathon Project</title>
  <link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/daisyui@5" rel="stylesheet">
  <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@tailwindcss/browser@4"></script>
</head>
<body>
  <button class="btn btn-primary">Let's build!</button>
</body>
</html>

No build tools, no package.json, no configuration files. Just start coding.

Pre-built components that look professional

Every component is designed to look good out of the box:

<!-- A complete hero section in 5 lines -->
<div class="hero min-h-screen bg-base-200">
  <div class="hero-content text-center">
    <div class="max-w-md">
      <h1 class="text-5xl font-bold">Hello Hackathon!</h1>
      <p class="py-6">Your amazing idea deserves an amazing demo. Built with daisyUI in minutes, not hours.</p>
      <button class="btn btn-primary">Get Started</button>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Instant dark mode and themes

Switch between 35+ professional themes with a single attribute change:

<!-- Light theme -->
<html data-theme="light">

<!-- Dark theme -->
<html data-theme="dark">

<!-- Cyberpunk theme for that extra wow factor -->
<html data-theme="cyberpunk">

Your entire app's appearance changes instantly. Perfect for demoing different looks to judges.

Mobile-responsive by default

All daisyUI components work perfectly on any screen size without extra classes:

<!-- This card looks perfect on mobile, tablet, and desktop -->
<div class="card w-96 bg-base-100 shadow-xl">
  <figure><img src="/api-screenshot.jpg" alt="API Demo" /></figure>
  <div class="card-body">
    <h2 class="card-title">Our API Integration</h2>
    <p>Real-time data processing with machine learning insights.</p>
    <div class="card-actions justify-end">
      <button class="btn btn-primary">View Demo</button>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Why daisyUI gives you a competitive edge

1. Focus on your core idea

Instead of spending 6 hours making buttons look good, spend that time on:

• Your unique value proposition
• Core functionality that solves the problem
• Data integration and API work
• User experience and flow

2. Professional presentation

Judges see a lot of rough prototypes. A polished UI makes your idea feel more real and investable:

<!-- A professional-looking stats dashboard in minutes -->
<div class="stats shadow">
  <div class="stat">
    <div class="stat-title">Total Users</div>
    <div class="stat-value">89,400</div>
    <div class="stat-desc">21% more than last month</div>
  </div>
  <div class="stat">
    <div class="stat-title">Revenue</div>
    <div class="stat-value">$12,200</div>
    <div class="stat-desc">14% more than last month</div>
  </div>
</div>

3. Rapid iteration

Need to try a different layout or color scheme? Change a few classes and you're done:

<!-- Try different button styles instantly -->
<button class="btn btn-primary">Primary Action</button>
<button class="btn btn-secondary">Secondary Action</button>
<button class="btn btn-accent">Accent Action</button>
<button class="btn btn-ghost">Ghost Action</button>

4. Team productivity

Your entire team can contribute to the UI without learning complex systems:

• Designers can prototype directly in HTML
• Backend developers can build interfaces without CSS expertise
• Frontend developers can focus on interactions and logic

Real hackathon success stories

Teams using daisyUI consistently ship faster and demo better:

• 48-hour startup weekend: "We had a working prototype with professional UI in 4 hours. Spent the rest of the time on business logic and user testing."
• Corporate innovation hackathon: "While other teams were still setting up React and Styled Components, we were already user testing our MVP."
• University hackathon: "The judges were impressed by how polished our demo looked. daisyUI made us look like we had a dedicated designer."

Getting started in your next hackathon

1. Before the event: Bookmark the daisyUI components page and familiarize yourself with the basic classes
2. Hour 1: Set up your project with the CDN approach and build your basic layout
3. Hours 2-24: Focus on your core functionality, knowing your UI will look professional
4. Final hours: Polish with themes and micro-interactions

Don't let UI development slow you down. In a hackathon, the best idea with the fastest execution wins. daisyUI gives you both speed and quality, so you can focus on what matters: building something amazing.

Ready to dominate your next hackathon? Get started with daisyUI and ship faster than ever.