Before vs After Comparison

Real examples from our 500+ line to 50 line transformation
See the actual code changes that made our site 20x faster

Navigation Example

BEFORE: Bootstrap Navigation (147 lines)

                    .navbar { position: relative; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; justify-content: space-between; padding-top: .5rem; padding-bottom: .5rem; }

                    .navbar-brand { display: inline-block; padding-top: .3125rem; padding-bottom: .3125rem; margin-right: 1rem; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: inherit; white-space: nowrap; }

                    .navbar-nav { display: flex; flex-direction: column; padding-left: 0; margin-bottom: 0; list-style: none; }

                    .navbar-toggler { padding: .25rem .75rem; font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1; background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid transparent; border-radius: .25rem; transition: box-shadow .15s ease-in-out; }

                    /* ... 143 more lines of navigation styles ... */

AFTER: Less CSS Navigation (2 lines)

                    nav ul { list-style: none; display: flex; gap: 2rem; justify-content: center; margin: 2rem 0; }

                    nav a { color: #00ff41; text-decoration: none; }

Result: Same functionality, 98% less code. Navigation still works perfectly on all devices without media queries or JavaScript toggles.

Button Styling

BEFORE: Material Design Button (89 lines)

                    .btn { display: inline-block; font-weight: 400; color: #212529; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; cursor: pointer; user-select: none; background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid transparent; padding: .375rem .75rem; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.5; border-radius: .25rem; transition: color .15s ease-in-out, background-color .15s ease-in-out, border-color .15s ease-in-out, box-shadow .15s ease-in-out; }

                    .btn:hover { color: #212529; text-decoration: none; }

                    .btn-primary { color: #fff; background-color: #007bff; border-color: #007bff; }

                    .btn-primary:hover { color: #fff; background-color: #0069d9; border-color: #0062cc; }

                    @keyframes ripple { 0% { transform: scale(0, 0); opacity: 1; } 20% { transform: scale(25, 25); opacity: 1; } 100% { opacity: 0; transform: scale(40, 40); }}

                    /* ... 84 more lines for variants, states, animations ... */

AFTER: Less CSS Links (0 extra lines)

                    /* We don't use buttons. Links are semantic and accessible by default */

                    a { color: #00ff41; text-decoration: none; }

                    a:hover { opacity: .7; text-decoration: underline; }

Philosophy: Why create button components when semantic HTML links work perfectly? Screen readers understand them, keyboards can navigate them, and they don't need JavaScript.

Card Components

BEFORE: Bootstrap Card (112 lines)

                    .card { position: relative; display: flex; flex-direction: column; min-width: 0; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: #fff; background-clip: border-box; border: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.125); border-radius: .25rem; }

                    .card-body { flex: 1 1 auto; min-height: 1px; padding: 1.25rem; }

                    .card-title { margin-bottom: .75rem; }

                    .card-subtitle { margin-top: -.375rem; margin-bottom: 0; }

                    .card-text:last-child { margin-bottom: 0; }

                    .card-img-top { width: 100%; border-top-left-radius: calc(.25rem - 1px); border-top-right-radius: calc(.25rem - 1px); }

                    /* ... 106 more lines for shadows, hovers, variants ... */

AFTER: Less CSS Article (3 lines)

                    article { border: 1px solid #333; padding: 1.5rem; background: #0a0a0a; }

                    article:hover { border-color: #00ff41; }

                    /* That's it. Semantic HTML does the rest. */

Impact: Cards look clean, load instantly, and work everywhere. No rounded corners because they serve no user need. No shadows because they slow rendering. Just content in a box.

Typography Scale

BEFORE: Complex Typography System (78 lines)

                    h1, .h1 { font-size: 2.5rem; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; }

                    h2, .h2 { font-size: 2rem; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; }

                    h3, .h3 { font-size: 1.75rem; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; }

                    h4, .h4 { font-size: 1.5rem; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; }

                    h5, .h5 { font-size: 1.25rem; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; }

                    h6, .h6 { font-size: 1rem; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; }

                    .display-1 { font-size: 6rem; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.2; }

                    .display-2 { font-size: 5.5rem; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.2; }

                    /* ... plus 70 lines of responsive adjustments ... */

AFTER: Simple Typography (4 lines)

                    body { font: 18px/1.7 'Fira Code', monospace; }

                    h1 { font-size: 2.1rem; margin: 2rem 0 1.2rem; color: #00ff41; text-align: center; }

                    h2 { font-size: 1.5rem; margin: 2.5rem 0 1rem; }

                    h3 { font-size: 1.2rem; margin: 1.8rem 0 0.8rem; }

Why it works: Three heading levels are enough for any document. Consistent spacing creates rhythm. One font family maintains coherence. No weight variations needed when size creates hierarchy.

Performance Metrics

Real-World Impact:

                    Old Site (with frameworks):

                    CSS Files: 5 files, 287KB total

                    Load Time: 3.2 seconds on 4G

                    First Paint: 1.8 seconds

                    Lighthouse Score: 62/100

                    New Site (Less CSS):

                    CSS Files: 1 file, 1.8KB total

                    Load Time: 0.15 seconds on 4G

                    First Paint: 0.08 seconds

                    Lighthouse Score: 100/100

The Philosophy Difference

The transformation isn't just about removing code - it's about questioning every assumption:

Old thinking: "We need a grid system for layouts"
New thinking: "CSS Grid exists natively in browsers"

Old thinking: "Buttons need states, variants, and sizes"
New thinking: "Links are buttons that already work"

Old thinking: "Components need shadows for depth"
New thinking: "Borders are faster and clearer"

Old thinking: "Animations make sites feel modern"
New thinking: "Speed makes sites feel modern"

Every line removed is a victory for users. Every framework deleted is a gift to maintenance. Every animation eliminated is respect for battery life and CPU cycles.

📚 Documentation