After five years of development as a paid product, the Reshaped design system has made the leap to fully open source. This comprehensive UI library, which bridges both React components and Figma design files, represents a significant shift in how premium design systems can evolve to serve broader developer communities.
The creator originally built Reshaped to solve a common problem in web development: the need for a design system that covers the core 80% of web UI patterns while providing flexibility for custom implementations. The library gained traction through a paid licensing model that supported individual developers and larger teams with source code access.
Development Timeline
- Started: 5 years ago (2019)
- Made React package free: 2 years ago (2022)
- Full open source release: January 2025
Performance Issues Surface in Community Testing
Early adopters have quickly identified several performance concerns with the documentation website and components. Users report noticeable delays when navigating between documentation sections, with some experiencing half-second freezes when switching tabs. The server-side rendering appears to be the culprit, taking around 500 milliseconds to render static content.
The development team has acknowledged these issues and plans to address them by migrating to a static website export now that the codebase is public. Several component-specific bugs have also been reported, including problems with the slider component's dual-handle behavior and backspace functionality in autocomplete fields.
Reported Performance Issues
- Documentation navigation delays: ~500ms
- Tab switching freezes: ~0.5 seconds
- Server-side rendering bottlenecks identified
- Static export migration planned
Component Quality Draws Mixed Reviews
Community feedback reveals a nuanced picture of the library's component quality. While many praise the overall design aesthetic and comprehensive feature set, developers have noted areas for improvement in micro-interactions and animations. The slider component's label transitions and switch component's lack of drag functionality have been highlighted as examples where the user experience could be enhanced.
These were a lot less obvious than with some other libraries (including ones claiming to be meticulously designed ...) and I have to extend some props for almost everything that animates in also animating out.
Despite these critiques, the consensus suggests Reshaped maintains higher quality standards compared to many existing alternatives, with users appreciating the attention to accessibility and design-engineering alignment.
Component Issues Identified
- Slider: Dual-handle collision behavior problems
- Autocomplete: Backspace functionality broken
- Switch: Missing drag interaction
- Label animations: Abrupt appearance/disappearance
Future Monetization Through Premium Components
The transition to open source doesn't signal an end to commercial development. The creator has outlined plans for premium component packages that would sit on top of the free core library. These advanced components would focus on sophisticated CSS and React implementations rather than simple template collections.
This approach mirrors successful models in the design system space, where core functionality remains free while specialized, complex components generate revenue. The strategy could provide sustainable funding for continued development while keeping essential tools accessible to all developers.
The move to open source represents a calculated risk after years of closed-source development, but early community engagement suggests strong potential for collaborative improvement and broader adoption across the React ecosystem.
Reference: Reshaped is now open-source