01 May 2026

tailwind css neobrutalism tutorial web development css

How to Build a Neobrutalism Website with Tailwind CSS v4 (Step-by-Step)

Learn how to build a complete neobrutalist website from scratch using Tailwind CSS v4. This hands-on tutorial walks you through setting up, configuring, and building every component with code examples you can copy and paste.

Dov Azencot

@DovAzencot

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Alright, developers. Let's build something bold.

No theory. No fluff. Just you, me, and a terminal. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a fully functional neobrutalist website built with Tailwind CSS v4.

We're talking:

Thick black borders
Hard drop shadows
Electric yellow accents
Chunky typography
Zero rounded corners

This isn't a "here's a component" tutorial. We're building an entire landing page from scratch—hero section, features, pricing, footer, the works. Every line of code explained. Every design decision justified.

Grab your coffee. Open your terminal. Let's get brutal.

What We're Building

Before we start, here's what we're creating:

A landing page for a fictional SaaS product called "BoldTask"—a project management tool that doesn't look like every other project management tool.

The page will include:

Hero section with CTA
Feature cards
Pricing table
Testimonial section
Footer

All with that signature neobrutalist aesthetic: bold, high-contrast, and impossible to ignore.

Tech stack:

Tailwind CSS v4 (the latest and greatest)
HTML (or React/Next.js if you prefer)
Google Fonts (Archivo Black + Space Grotesk)

Time to complete: 45-60 minutes if you follow along

Step 1: Project Setup (5 minutes)

Let's start from zero. I'm using a simple HTML setup for this tutorial, but you can easily adapt this to React, Next.js, or any framework.

Create Your Project

mkdir neobrutalism-website
cd neobrutalism-website

Initialize npm and Install Tailwind v4

npm init -y
npm install tailwindcss@next @tailwindcss/vite@next

Note: We're installing Tailwind v4 (currently in beta, but stable enough for production). The @next tag gets you v4.

Create Project Structure

mkdir src
touch src/index.html src/styles.css

Your folder structure should look like this:

neobrutalism-website/
├── src/
│   ├── index.html
│   └── styles.css
├── package.json
└── node_modules/

Step 2: Configure Tailwind v4 (3 minutes)

Tailwind v4 has a new, cleaner config system. Instead of tailwind.config.js, we configure everything in CSS.

Create Your Styles File

Open src/styles.css and add:

@import "tailwindcss";
 
/* Tailwind v4 Theme Configuration */
@theme {
  /* Fonts */
  --font-family-sans: 'Space Grotesk', ui-sans-serif, system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-family-display: 'Archivo Black', ui-sans-serif, system-ui, sans-serif;
 
  /* Colors - Neobrutalist Palette */
  --color-brutal-yellow: #ffdb33;
  --color-brutal-pink: #ff006e;
  --color-brutal-cyan: #00f0ff;
  --color-brutal-black: #000000;
  --color-brutal-white: #ffffff;
  --color-brutal-gray: #e5e5e5;
 
  /* Border Radius - Zero for neobrutalism */
  --radius-none: 0px;
  --radius-sm: 0px;
  --radius-md: 0px;
  --radius-lg: 0px;
  --radius-xl: 0px;
 
  /* Border Widths - Thick */
  --border-width-default: 3px;
  --border-width-thick: 4px;
  --border-width-heavy: 6px;
 
  /* Shadows - Hard offset shadows (no blur) */
  --shadow-brutal-sm: 2px 2px 0 0 var(--color-brutal-black);
  --shadow-brutal: 4px 4px 0 0 var(--color-brutal-black);
  --shadow-brutal-md: 6px 6px 0 0 var(--color-brutal-black);
  --shadow-brutal-lg: 8px 8px 0 0 var(--color-brutal-black);
  --shadow-brutal-xl: 10px 10px 0 0 var(--color-brutal-black);
 
  /* Spacing adjustments */
  --spacing-brutal: 1.5rem;
}
 
/* Base Styles */
* {
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  box-sizing: border-box;
}
 
body {
  font-family: var(--font-family-sans);
  background-color: var(--color-brutal-white);
  color: var(--color-brutal-black);
  line-height: 1.6;
}
 
/* Custom Utility Classes */
.border-brutal {
  border: 4px solid var(--color-brutal-black);
}
 
.border-brutal-thick {
  border: 6px solid var(--color-brutal-black);
}
 
.shadow-brutal {
  box-shadow: var(--shadow-brutal);
}
 
.shadow-brutal-lg {
  box-shadow: var(--shadow-brutal-lg);
}
 
.shadow-brutal-xl {
  box-shadow: var(--shadow-brutal-xl);
}
 
/* Hover effect - shadow movement */
.btn-brutal {
  transition: all 0.15s ease;
}
 
.btn-brutal:hover {
  transform: translate(2px, 2px);
  box-shadow: 2px 2px 0 0 var(--color-brutal-black);
}
 
.btn-brutal:active {
  transform: translate(4px, 4px);
  box-shadow: 0px 0px 0 0 var(--color-brutal-black);
}

What we just did:

Set up custom color palette (black, white, yellow, pink, cyan)
Killed all border-radius values (neobrutalism = sharp edges)
Created hard shadow utilities (offset with no blur)
Added custom button hover effects that mimic the shadow "pressing"

Step 3: HTML Structure (5 minutes)

Create the basic HTML structure. Open src/index.html:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>BoldTask - Project Management That Doesn't Suck</title>
 
  <!-- Google Fonts -->
  <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
  <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Archivo+Black&family=Space+Grotesk:wght@400;500;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
 
  <!-- Tailwind CSS -->
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/src/styles.css">
</head>
<body>
  <!-- Navigation -->
  <nav class="border-b-4 border-brutal-black bg-brutal-white">
    <div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto px-6 py-4 flex justify-between items-center">
      <div class="text-2xl font-display">BoldTask</div>
      <div class="hidden md:flex gap-8">
        <a href="#features" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-pink transition-colors">Features</a>
        <a href="#pricing" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-pink transition-colors">Pricing</a>
        <a href="#about" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-pink transition-colors">About</a>
      </div>
      <button class="bg-brutal-yellow border-brutal shadow-brutal px-6 py-2 font-bold uppercase btn-brutal">
        Sign Up
      </button>
    </div>
  </nav>
 
  <!-- We'll add more sections here -->
 
  <main>
    <!-- Hero section will go here -->
    <!-- Features section will go here -->
    <!-- Pricing section will go here -->
    <!-- Testimonial section will go here -->
  </main>
 
  <!-- Footer will go here -->
 
</body>
</html>

Set Up Dev Server

We need a way to preview our work. Let's use Vite:


pnpm add vite
npm install vite
yarn add vite
bun add vite

Add this script to your package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "vite src"
  }
}

Now run:


pnpm dev
npm run dev
yarn dev
bun dev

Open http://localhost:5173 in your browser. You should see a basic navigation bar with the BoldTask branding.

Step 4: Build the Hero Section (10 minutes)

Now for the star of the show. The hero section needs to be BOLD.

Add this right after the <main> tag:

<!-- Hero Section -->
<section class="bg-brutal-yellow min-h-screen flex items-center justify-center px-6 py-20">
  <div class="max-w-6xl w-full">
    <div class="grid md:grid-cols-2 gap-12 items-center">
 
      <!-- Left Column - Text -->
      <div>
        <h1 class="font-display text-6xl md:text-8xl uppercase leading-none mb-6">
          Task Management That Doesn't Bore You to Death
        </h1>
        <p class="text-xl md:text-2xl font-bold mb-8 bg-brutal-white border-brutal shadow-brutal-lg p-6">
          Stop using the same gray dashboard as everyone else.
          BoldTask gives you project management with personality.
        </p>
 
        <!-- CTA Buttons -->
        <div class="flex flex-col sm:flex-row gap-4">
          <button class="bg-brutal-black text-brutal-yellow border-brutal shadow-brutal-lg
                         px-8 py-4 font-bold text-lg uppercase btn-brutal">
            Start Free Trial →
          </button>
          <button class="bg-brutal-white border-brutal shadow-brutal-lg
                         px-8 py-4 font-bold text-lg uppercase btn-brutal">
            Watch Demo
          </button>
        </div>
 
        <!-- Social Proof -->
        <div class="mt-12 flex items-center gap-8">
          <div class="text-center">
            <div class="text-4xl font-display">10K+</div>
            <div class="text-sm font-bold">Active Users</div>
          </div>
          <div class="h-12 w-1 bg-brutal-black"></div>
          <div class="text-center">
            <div class="text-4xl font-display">4.9★</div>
            <div class="text-sm font-bold">User Rating</div>
          </div>
          <div class="h-12 w-1 bg-brutal-black"></div>
          <div class="text-center">
            <div class="text-4xl font-display">24/7</div>
            <div class="text-sm font-bold">Support</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Right Column - Visual Element -->
      <div class="relative">
        <!-- Main Card -->
        <div class="bg-brutal-white border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-xl p-8 relative z-10">
          <div class="bg-brutal-pink h-4 w-20 mb-4"></div>
          <div class="h-3 bg-brutal-gray mb-2"></div>
          <div class="h-3 bg-brutal-gray w-3/4 mb-6"></div>
 
          <!-- Task Items -->
          <div class="space-y-3">
            <div class="flex items-center gap-3 p-3 bg-brutal-yellow border-brutal">
              <div class="w-5 h-5 border-brutal bg-brutal-black"></div>
              <div class="h-2 bg-brutal-black w-full"></div>
            </div>
            <div class="flex items-center gap-3 p-3 bg-brutal-white border-brutal">
              <div class="w-5 h-5 border-brutal"></div>
              <div class="h-2 bg-brutal-gray w-4/5"></div>
            </div>
            <div class="flex items-center gap-3 p-3 bg-brutal-white border-brutal">
              <div class="w-5 h-5 border-brutal"></div>
              <div class="h-2 bg-brutal-gray w-3/4"></div>
            </div>
          </div>
        </div>
 
        <!-- Floating accent card -->
        <div class="absolute -bottom-8 -right-8 bg-brutal-cyan border-brutal-thick
                    shadow-brutal-lg p-6 w-40 text-center">
          <div class="text-3xl font-display mb-2">+47</div>
          <div class="text-xs font-bold">Tasks Done Today</div>
        </div>
      </div>
 
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

What we built:

Full-screen yellow background (instant impact)
Massive headline using Archivo Black
Content box with thick border and hard shadow
CTAs with hover effects (shadow moves when you hover)
Social proof metrics
Visual mockup of the product (abstract representation)
Floating accent card for depth

Design decisions:

Yellow background = high energy, impossible to ignore
White content box = creates contrast and hierarchy
Black CTA on yellow = maximum visibility
Floating cyan card = adds asymmetry (neobrutalist principle)

Step 5: Features Section (10 minutes)

Let's build feature cards. Add this after the hero section:

<!-- Features Section -->
<section class="bg-brutal-white py-20 px-6">
  <div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto">
 
    <!-- Section Header -->
    <div class="text-center mb-16">
      <h2 class="font-display text-5xl md:text-7xl uppercase mb-6">
        Why BoldTask?
      </h2>
      <p class="text-xl md:text-2xl font-bold max-w-3xl mx-auto">
        Because your productivity tool shouldn't put you to sleep
      </p>
    </div>
 
    <!-- Feature Grid -->
    <div class="grid md:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
 
      <!-- Feature 1 -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-pink text-brutal-white border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-lg p-8
                  hover:-translate-y-2 transition-transform">
        <div class="text-6xl font-display mb-4">⚡</div>
        <h3 class="font-display text-2xl uppercase mb-4">Lightning Fast</h3>
        <p class="font-bold">
          No lag. No loading. No waiting. Your tasks appear instantly
          because we don't bloat our code with unnecessary animations.
        </p>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Feature 2 -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-cyan border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-lg p-8
                  hover:-translate-y-2 transition-transform">
        <div class="text-6xl font-display mb-4">🎨</div>
        <h3 class="font-display text-2xl uppercase mb-4">Actually Unique</h3>
        <p class="font-bold">
          Tired of boring dashboards? We built something you'll actually
          want to open. Bold colors, zero BS.
        </p>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Feature 3 -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-yellow border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-lg p-8
                  hover:-translate-y-2 transition-transform">
        <div class="text-6xl font-display mb-4">🔒</div>
        <h3 class="font-display text-2xl uppercase mb-4">Privacy First</h3>
        <p class="font-bold">
          Your data stays yours. No tracking. No selling. No corporate
          surveillance. Just your tasks, secured.
        </p>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Feature 4 -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-white border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-lg p-8
                  hover:-translate-y-2 transition-transform">
        <div class="text-6xl font-display mb-4">📱</div>
        <h3 class="font-display text-2xl uppercase mb-4">Mobile Ready</h3>
        <p class="font-bold">
          Works on your phone, tablet, or desktop. Same bold design,
          same fast performance everywhere.
        </p>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Feature 5 -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-white border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-lg p-8
                  hover:-translate-y-2 transition-transform">
        <div class="text-6xl font-display mb-4">🤝</div>
        <h3 class="font-display text-2xl uppercase mb-4">Team Friendly</h3>
        <p class="font-bold">
          Invite your team. Assign tasks. Track progress. All without
          the corporate bloat of "enterprise" tools.
        </p>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Feature 6 -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-white border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-lg p-8
                  hover:-translate-y-2 transition-transform">
        <div class="text-6xl font-display mb-4">💰</div>
        <h3 class="font-display text-2xl uppercase mb-4">Fair Pricing</h3>
        <p class="font-bold">
          No hidden fees. No "contact sales." Just honest pricing that
          makes sense. Pay for what you use.
        </p>
      </div>
 
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

What we built:

6 feature cards in a responsive grid
Color blocking (pink, cyan, yellow, white) for visual interest
Emoji icons (simple, playful, on-brand)
Hover effect (cards lift on hover)
Consistent thick borders and hard shadows

Design pattern: Notice how the first three cards use accent colors (pink, cyan, yellow) while the bottom three use white? This creates a visual hierarchy—the top row gets more attention.

Step 6: Pricing Section (12 minutes)

Pricing tables are crucial. Let's make them impossible to miss:

<!-- Pricing Section -->
<section id="pricing" class="bg-brutal-black text-brutal-white py-20 px-6">
  <div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto">
 
    <!-- Section Header -->
    <div class="text-center mb-16">
      <h2 class="font-display text-5xl md:text-7xl uppercase mb-6">
        Simple Pricing
      </h2>
      <p class="text-xl md:text-2xl font-bold max-w-2xl mx-auto">
        No tricks. No hidden costs. Just pick a plan and start shipping.
      </p>
    </div>
 
    <!-- Pricing Grid -->
    <div class="grid md:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
 
      <!-- Free Plan -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-white text-brutal-black border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-lg p-8">
        <div class="mb-6">
          <div class="text-sm font-bold uppercase mb-2 text-gray-600">For Individuals</div>
          <h3 class="font-display text-4xl uppercase mb-4">Free</h3>
          <div class="text-5xl font-display mb-2">$0</div>
          <div class="text-sm font-bold text-gray-600">Forever free</div>
        </div>
 
        <ul class="space-y-3 mb-8">
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-yellow text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Up to 10 projects</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-yellow text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Unlimited tasks</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-yellow text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Mobile apps</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-gray-400 text-xl">✗</span>
            <span class="font-bold text-gray-400">Team collaboration</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-gray-400 text-xl">✗</span>
            <span class="font-bold text-gray-400">Priority support</span>
          </li>
        </ul>
 
        <button class="w-full bg-brutal-white border-brutal shadow-brutal
                       px-6 py-3 font-bold uppercase btn-brutal">
          Start Free
        </button>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Pro Plan (Highlighted) -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-yellow text-brutal-black border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-xl p-8
                  relative transform md:-translate-y-4">
        <!-- Popular Badge -->
        <div class="absolute -top-4 left-1/2 -translate-x-1/2 bg-brutal-pink text-brutal-white
                    border-brutal px-6 py-2 font-bold uppercase text-sm">
          Most Popular
        </div>
 
        <div class="mb-6 mt-4">
          <div class="text-sm font-bold uppercase mb-2">For Professionals</div>
          <h3 class="font-display text-4xl uppercase mb-4">Pro</h3>
          <div class="text-5xl font-display mb-2">$12</div>
          <div class="text-sm font-bold">Per month</div>
        </div>
 
        <ul class="space-y-3 mb-8">
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-black text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Unlimited projects</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-black text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Unlimited tasks</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-black text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Mobile apps</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-black text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Team collaboration (5 members)</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-black text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Priority support</span>
          </li>
        </ul>
 
        <button class="w-full bg-brutal-black text-brutal-yellow border-brutal shadow-brutal-lg
                       px-6 py-3 font-bold uppercase btn-brutal">
          Get Pro →
        </button>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Team Plan -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-cyan text-brutal-black border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-lg p-8">
        <div class="mb-6">
          <div class="text-sm font-bold uppercase mb-2">For Teams</div>
          <h3 class="font-display text-4xl uppercase mb-4">Team</h3>
          <div class="text-5xl font-display mb-2">$29</div>
          <div class="text-sm font-bold">Per month</div>
        </div>
 
        <ul class="space-y-3 mb-8">
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-black text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Everything in Pro</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-black text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Unlimited team members</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-black text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Advanced analytics</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-black text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">Custom integrations</span>
          </li>
          <li class="flex items-start gap-3">
            <span class="text-brutal-black text-xl">✓</span>
            <span class="font-bold">24/7 priority support</span>
          </li>
        </ul>
 
        <button class="w-full bg-brutal-black text-brutal-cyan border-brutal shadow-brutal
                       px-6 py-3 font-bold uppercase btn-brutal">
          Get Team
        </button>
      </div>
 
    </div>
 
    <!-- Money Back Guarantee -->
    <div class="mt-16 text-center">
      <div class="inline-block bg-brutal-yellow text-brutal-black border-brutal-thick
                  shadow-brutal-lg px-8 py-4 font-bold text-lg">
        💰 30-Day Money Back Guarantee - No Questions Asked
      </div>
    </div>
 
  </div>
</section>

What we built:

Three pricing tiers with clear differentiation
Color coding (white = free, yellow = popular, cyan = premium)
Middle card elevated and larger (draws attention to recommended plan)
"Most Popular" badge on the Pro plan
Feature checkmarks (✓ and ✗) for clarity
Money-back guarantee for trust

Design strategy:

Black background makes the colored cards POP
Middle card slightly raised creates visual hierarchy
Consistent CTA placement makes comparison easy
Different colored CTAs match the card background

Step 7: Testimonial Section (8 minutes)

Social proof sells. Let's add testimonials:

<!-- Testimonial Section -->
<section class="bg-brutal-gray py-20 px-6">
  <div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto">
 
    <!-- Section Header -->
    <div class="text-center mb-16">
      <h2 class="font-display text-5xl md:text-7xl uppercase mb-6">
        People Love It
      </h2>
      <p class="text-xl md:text-2xl font-bold max-w-2xl mx-auto">
        Don't take our word for it. Here's what actual users say.
      </p>
    </div>
 
    <!-- Testimonials Grid -->
    <div class="grid md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
 
      <!-- Testimonial 1 -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-white border-brutal shadow-brutal-lg p-6">
        <div class="text-brutal-yellow text-2xl mb-4">★★★★★</div>
        <p class="font-bold mb-6 text-lg">
          "Finally, a task manager that doesn't look like it was designed
          by accountants. BoldTask actually makes me WANT to check my tasks."
        </p>
        <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
          <div class="w-12 h-12 bg-brutal-pink border-brutal"></div>
          <div>
            <div class="font-bold">Sarah Chen</div>
            <div class="text-sm text-gray-600">Product Designer</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Testimonial 2 -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-white border-brutal shadow-brutal-lg p-6">
        <div class="text-brutal-yellow text-2xl mb-4">★★★★★</div>
        <p class="font-bold mb-6 text-lg">
          "I switched from Asana and never looked back. BoldTask is faster,
          cleaner, and way more fun to use. Plus it's actually affordable."
        </p>
        <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
          <div class="w-12 h-12 bg-brutal-cyan border-brutal"></div>
          <div>
            <div class="font-bold">Marcus Rodriguez</div>
            <div class="text-sm text-gray-600">Startup Founder</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Testimonial 3 -->
      <div class="bg-brutal-white border-brutal shadow-brutal-lg p-6">
        <div class="text-brutal-yellow text-2xl mb-4">★★★★★</div>
        <p class="font-bold mb-6 text-lg">
          "Our whole team uses it now. The bold design actually helps us
          stay focused. Weird but true."
        </p>
        <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
          <div class="w-12 h-12 bg-brutal-yellow border-brutal"></div>
          <div>
            <div class="font-bold">Priya Kapoor</div>
            <div class="text-sm text-gray-600">Engineering Manager</div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </div>
 
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

What we built:

Three testimonial cards with consistent styling
Star ratings (yellow = attention)
User avatars (abstract colored squares instead of photos)
Names and titles for credibility

Why abstract avatars? Real photos can feel corporate. Colored squares maintain the playful, geometric neobrutalist aesthetic.

Step 8: Footer (5 minutes)

Every website needs a footer. Let's make ours bold:

<!-- Footer -->
<footer class="bg-brutal-black text-brutal-white border-t-4 border-brutal-white py-12 px-6">
  <div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto">
 
    <div class="grid md:grid-cols-4 gap-12 mb-12">
 
      <!-- Brand -->
      <div>
        <div class="font-display text-3xl mb-4">BoldTask</div>
        <p class="font-bold text-gray-300">
          Project management that doesn't suck.
        </p>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Product Links -->
      <div>
        <h4 class="font-display text-lg uppercase mb-4">Product</h4>
        <ul class="space-y-2">
          <li><a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">Features</a></li>
          <li><a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">Pricing</a></li>
          <li><a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">Roadmap</a></li>
          <li><a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">Changelog</a></li>
        </ul>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Company Links -->
      <div>
        <h4 class="font-display text-lg uppercase mb-4">Company</h4>
        <ul class="space-y-2">
          <li><a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">About</a></li>
          <li><a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">Blog</a></li>
          <li><a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">Careers</a></li>
          <li><a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">Contact</a></li>
        </ul>
      </div>
 
      <!-- Newsletter -->
      <div>
        <h4 class="font-display text-lg uppercase mb-4">Stay Updated</h4>
        <p class="font-bold mb-4 text-gray-300">Get updates about new features.</p>
        <div class="flex gap-2">
          <input
            type="email"
            placeholder="Your email"
            class="flex-1 bg-brutal-white text-brutal-black border-brutal px-4 py-2
                   font-bold placeholder:text-gray-400"
          />
          <button class="bg-brutal-yellow text-brutal-black border-brutal shadow-brutal
                         px-4 py-2 font-bold uppercase btn-brutal">
            →
          </button>
        </div>
      </div>
 
    </div>
 
    <!-- Bottom Bar -->
    <div class="border-t-2 border-gray-700 pt-8 flex flex-col md:flex-row justify-between items-center gap-4">
      <div class="font-bold text-gray-400">
        © 2026 BoldTask. All rights reserved.
      </div>
      <div class="flex gap-6">
        <a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">Privacy</a>
        <a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">Terms</a>
        <a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">Twitter</a>
        <a href="#" class="font-bold hover:text-brutal-yellow transition-colors">GitHub</a>
      </div>
    </div>
 
  </div>
</footer>

What we built:

Four-column footer layout
Brand, navigation, and newsletter signup
Hover effects (links turn yellow)
Email input with brutal styling
Bottom copyright bar

Step 9: Adding Polish and Interactions (5 minutes)

Let's add some final touches to make the site feel polished.

Smooth Scrolling

Add this to your src/styles.css:

/* Smooth scrolling for anchor links */
html {
  scroll-behavior: smooth;
}
 
/* Custom scrollbar (optional but on-brand) */
::-webkit-scrollbar {
  width: 12px;
}
 
::-webkit-scrollbar-track {
  background: var(--color-brutal-gray);
}
 
::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
  background: var(--color-brutal-black);
  border: 2px solid var(--color-brutal-gray);
}
 
::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover {
  background: var(--color-brutal-yellow);
}

Add this JavaScript before the closing </body> tag:

<script>
  // Mobile menu toggle
  const mobileMenuButton = document.createElement('button');
  mobileMenuButton.className = 'md:hidden border-brutal bg-brutal-yellow px-4 py-2 font-bold';
  mobileMenuButton.textContent = 'MENU';
 
  const nav = document.querySelector('nav > div');
  const navLinks = nav.querySelector('.hidden');
 
  // This is a simple example - you'd want to make this more robust
  mobileMenuButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
    navLinks.classList.toggle('hidden');
    navLinks.classList.toggle('flex');
  });
 
  // Add button to nav (you'd do this more elegantly in production)
</script>

Performance Optimization

Add these meta tags to your <head>:

<!-- Preload critical fonts -->
<link rel="preload" as="style" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Archivo+Black&family=Space+Grotesk:wght@400;500;700&display=swap">
 
<!-- Meta tags for SEO and social -->
<meta name="description" content="BoldTask - Project management that doesn't suck. Bold design, fast performance, fair pricing.">
<meta property="og:title" content="BoldTask - Project Management That Doesn't Suck">
<meta property="og:description" content="Stop using boring task managers. BoldTask gives you project management with personality.">
<meta property="og:image" content="/og-image.png">
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">

Now test your website:

Responsive Testing

Open DevTools (F12) and test these breakpoints:

Mobile (375px)
Tablet (768px)
Desktop (1280px)

Make sure:

Text is readable at all sizes
Buttons are tappable on mobile (at least 44px tall)
Grid layouts collapse correctly
Shadows don't get cut off on small screens

Accessibility Check

Run through this checklist:

All interactive elements are keyboard accessible (Tab through the page)
Color contrast meets WCAG AA standards (black on white ✓, yellow on white ✓)
Images have alt text (we used divs, but if you add images, add alt text)
Form inputs have labels
Focus states are visible

Performance Check

Open Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools and run an audit. You should see:

Performance: 90+ (minimal CSS, no heavy frameworks)
Accessibility: 90+ (high contrast, semantic HTML)
Best Practices: 90+
SEO: 90+

If scores are low, common fixes:

Add width and height to images
Minify CSS in production
Enable caching headers
Compress images

Bonus: Converting to React/Next.js

Want to use this in a React app? Here's how to convert the hero section:

// components/Hero.tsx
export default function Hero() {
  return (
    <section className="bg-brutal-yellow min-h-screen flex items-center justify-center px-6 py-20">
      <div className="max-w-6xl w-full">
        <div className="grid md:grid-cols-2 gap-12 items-center">
 
          {/* Left Column */}
          <div>
            <h1 className="font-display text-6xl md:text-8xl uppercase leading-none mb-6">
              Task Management That Doesn't Bore You to Death
            </h1>
            <p className="text-xl md:text-2xl font-bold mb-8 bg-brutal-white border-brutal shadow-brutal-lg p-6">
              Stop using the same gray dashboard as everyone else.
              BoldTask gives you project management with personality.
            </p>
 
            <div className="flex flex-col sm:flex-row gap-4">
              <button className="bg-brutal-black text-brutal-yellow border-brutal shadow-brutal-lg
                               px-8 py-4 font-bold text-lg uppercase btn-brutal">
                Start Free Trial →
              </button>
              <button className="bg-brutal-white border-brutal shadow-brutal-lg
                               px-8 py-4 font-bold text-lg uppercase btn-brutal">
                Watch Demo
              </button>
            </div>
 
            {/* Social Proof */}
            <div className="mt-12 flex items-center gap-8">
              <div className="text-center">
                <div className="text-4xl font-display">10K+</div>
                <div className="text-sm font-bold">Active Users</div>
              </div>
              <div className="h-12 w-1 bg-brutal-black"></div>
              <div className="text-center">
                <div className="text-4xl font-display">4.9★</div>
                <div className="text-sm font-bold">User Rating</div>
              </div>
            </div>
          </div>
 
          {/* Right Column - Visual */}
          <div className="relative">
            <div className="bg-brutal-white border-brutal-thick shadow-brutal-xl p-8 relative z-10">
              {/* Task mockup */}
              <div className="bg-brutal-pink h-4 w-20 mb-4"></div>
              <div className="h-3 bg-brutal-gray mb-2"></div>
              <div className="h-3 bg-brutal-gray w-3/4 mb-6"></div>
 
              <div className="space-y-3">
                <div className="flex items-center gap-3 p-3 bg-brutal-yellow border-brutal">
                  <div className="w-5 h-5 border-brutal bg-brutal-black"></div>
                  <div className="h-2 bg-brutal-black w-full"></div>
                </div>
                <div className="flex items-center gap-3 p-3 bg-brutal-white border-brutal">
                  <div className="w-5 h-5 border-brutal"></div>
                  <div className="h-2 bg-brutal-gray w-4/5"></div>
                </div>
              </div>
            </div>
 
            <div className="absolute -bottom-8 -right-8 bg-brutal-cyan border-brutal-thick
                          shadow-brutal-lg p-6 w-40 text-center">
              <div className="text-3xl font-display mb-2">+47</div>
              <div className="text-xs font-bold">Tasks Done Today</div>
            </div>
          </div>
 
        </div>
      </div>
    </section>
  );
}

Then in your tailwind.config.ts:

import type { Config } from 'tailwindcss'
 
const config: Config = {
  content: [
    './pages/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx,mdx}',
    './components/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx,mdx}',
    './app/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx,mdx}',
  ],
  theme: {
    extend: {
      fontFamily: {
        sans: ['var(--font-space-grotesk)', 'sans-serif'],
        display: ['var(--font-archivo-black)', 'sans-serif'],
      },
      colors: {
        'brutal-yellow': '#ffdb33',
        'brutal-pink': '#ff006e',
        'brutal-cyan': '#00f0ff',
        'brutal-black': '#000000',
        'brutal-white': '#ffffff',
        'brutal-gray': '#e5e5e5',
      },
      boxShadow: {
        'brutal-sm': '2px 2px 0 0 #000',
        'brutal': '4px 4px 0 0 #000',
        'brutal-lg': '6px 6px 0 0 #000',
        'brutal-xl': '8px 8px 0 0 #000',
      },
      borderWidth: {
        'brutal': '4px',
        'brutal-thick': '6px',
      },
    },
  },
  plugins: [],
}
 
export default config

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

After building dozens of neobrutalist sites, here are the pitfalls I see most often:

1. Inconsistent Border Widths

Mistake: Using 2px borders on some elements, 5px on others, 3px somewhere else.

Fix: Pick 2-3 border widths (e.g., 3px standard, 4px for emphasis, 6px for major elements) and stick to them throughout.

2. Forgetting Mobile Shadow Offsets

Mistake: 10px shadow offsets on mobile that get cut off or create horizontal scroll.

Fix: Use responsive shadow utilities:

.card {
  box-shadow: 4px 4px 0 0 #000;
}
 
@media (min-width: 768px) {
  .card {
    box-shadow: 8px 8px 0 0 #000;
  }
}

3. Too Many Accent Colors

Mistake: Using 5+ colors thinking "more = more brutal."

Fix: Stick to black + white + 2-3 accent colors max. Our palette uses yellow, pink, and cyan—that's already pushing it.

4. Neglecting Accessibility

Mistake: Yellow text on white background (unreadable), no focus states, poor contrast.

Fix: Always test contrast. Use black text on yellow/white backgrounds, white text on black/dark backgrounds.

5. Soft Shadows Sneaking In

Mistake: Accidentally using Tailwind's default shadows (shadow-lg) which have blur.

Fix: Create custom shadow utilities and disable default shadows if needed.

Next Steps and Resources

Congrats! You just built a complete neobrutalist website from scratch.

What to Do Next

1. Deploy It

# Build for production
npm run build
 
# Deploy to Vercel, Netlify, or wherever

2. Add Functionality

Connect the newsletter form to a service (ConvertKit, Mailchimp)
Implement the pricing CTAs with Stripe
Add analytics (Plausible, Fathom)

3. Expand the Design System

Create more components (modals, dropdowns, tooltips)
Build additional pages (about, blog, contact)
Add dark mode (neobrutalism works great in dark mode too)

4. Optimize Further

Minify CSS and HTML
Add image optimization
Implement caching strategies
Consider a static site generator for even better performance

Helpful Resources

Design Inspiration:

Brutalist Websites - Curated collection
Gumroad - Neobrutalism done right
Feastables - Playful neobrutalist e-commerce

Tools:

Neobrutalism - Pre-built neobrutalist components
Tailwind CSS v4 Docs - Official documentation
Google Fonts - Free fonts (Archivo Black, Space Grotesk)

Color Palette Generators:

Coolors - Generate color schemes
Adobe Color - Color wheel and palette tools

Final Thoughts

You just built a neobrutalist website from zero to deployed in under an hour. That's pretty damn impressive.

Key takeaways:

Neobrutalism = thick borders + hard shadows + bold colors + zero border-radius
Tailwind v4's @theme directive makes customization cleaner
Consistency is crucial (border widths, shadows, colors)
Accessibility still matters (high contrast helps)
Start with a solid design system, then build components

This site isn't just a demo—it's a template you can adapt for real projects. Change the colors, swap the fonts, adjust the shadows, make it yours.

The best part about neobrutalism? It's forgiving. Imperfection is part of the aesthetic. Your slightly misaligned border or off-center element? That's not a bug, it's character.

Now go build something bold that doesn't look like everyone else's portfolio/SaaS/landing page.

And if you want pre-built components so you can move even faster, check out Neobrutalism. It's this aesthetic, packaged as copy-paste components.

Happy building. 🚀

Have questions? Drop a comment or reach out on Twitter. I love seeing what people build with this style.

Want the full code? The complete HTML file is available as a GitHub Gist (link in comments).

Found this helpful? Share it with a developer who needs to escape the boring design trap.

← Back to blogs

How to Build a Neobrutalism Website with Tailwind CSS v4 (Step-by-Step)

What We're Building

Step 1: Project Setup (5 minutes)

Create Your Project

Initialize npm and Install Tailwind v4

Create Project Structure

Step 2: Configure Tailwind v4 (3 minutes)

Create Your Styles File

Step 3: HTML Structure (5 minutes)

Set Up Dev Server

Step 4: Build the Hero Section (10 minutes)

Step 5: Features Section (10 minutes)

Step 6: Pricing Section (12 minutes)

Step 7: Testimonial Section (8 minutes)

Step 8: Footer (5 minutes)

Step 9: Adding Polish and Interactions (5 minutes)

Smooth Scrolling

Mobile Menu Toggle

Performance Optimization

Responsive Testing

Accessibility Check

Performance Check

Bonus: Converting to React/Next.js

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

1. Inconsistent Border Widths

2. Forgetting Mobile Shadow Offsets

3. Too Many Accent Colors

4. Neglecting Accessibility

5. Soft Shadows Sneaking In

Next Steps and Resources

What to Do Next

Helpful Resources

Final Thoughts

20 Neobrutalism Color Palettes with Hex Codes (Copy & Paste Ready)

How to Convert Any React Project to Neobrutalism in 10 Minutes

Neobrutalism vs Minimalism: When to Use Each (and When Not To)

How to Build a Neobrutalism Website with Tailwind CSS v4 (Step-by-Step)

What We're Building

Step 1: Project Setup (5 minutes)

Create Your Project

Initialize npm and Install Tailwind v4

Create Project Structure

Step 2: Configure Tailwind v4 (3 minutes)

Create Your Styles File

Step 3: HTML Structure (5 minutes)

Set Up Dev Server

Step 4: Build the Hero Section (10 minutes)

Step 5: Features Section (10 minutes)

Step 6: Pricing Section (12 minutes)

Step 7: Testimonial Section (8 minutes)

Step 8: Footer (5 minutes)

Step 9: Adding Polish and Interactions (5 minutes)

Smooth Scrolling

Mobile Menu Toggle

Performance Optimization

Step 10: Testing and Refinements (5 minutes)

Responsive Testing

Accessibility Check

Performance Check

Bonus: Converting to React/Next.js

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

1. Inconsistent Border Widths

2. Forgetting Mobile Shadow Offsets

3. Too Many Accent Colors

4. Neglecting Accessibility

5. Soft Shadows Sneaking In

Next Steps and Resources

What to Do Next

Helpful Resources

Final Thoughts

Related posts

20 Neobrutalism Color Palettes with Hex Codes (Copy & Paste Ready)

How to Convert Any React Project to Neobrutalism in 10 Minutes

Neobrutalism vs Minimalism: When to Use Each (and When Not To)