My Thoughts on Webflow (all-in-one design platform)
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- www.mlwebco.com - In this video I talk about Webflow, the design tool that allows anyone to build responsive websites without knowing/using any code.
Webflow: www.webflow.com
My Website:
www.mlwebco.com
My Twitter:
/ mlwebco
My LinkedIn:
/ michaellocke
As a Frontend Developer my job involves a lot of Javascript and frameworks like Angular or Node. Since my job requires that level of coding skill, I'm not worried about tools like Webflow taking away work because my job will always be more complex than tools like Webflow can achieve. I'm excited about Webflow because of the beautiful creations that you designer types are going to bring into the world.
I couldn't see people at my old job using web flow. There is no way with the level of code needed. Maybe in 5 or 10 years it will be different.
I'm hooked!
Flux yes I love webflow, flux and Chris do speaches too😂😁
Yoooooo
I don’t know but watching your videos always kinda makes my day. thanks buddy
It's awesome! Introduced it to the UX Team and we are blown away how great it is. I can mockup live prototypes in a hour. Great talk on this.
I am preparing to start working in webflow. Thank for these videos. They are life savers.
Mike, Your tutorials are the best investment I have ever made till date. Thanks a ton! :)
Thank you Mike. I am a one month old newbie to the world of web design & coding. I love your videos because you communicate in a way that I can understand and voice information about site builders and tools like web flow that affirm my beginner instincts that site builders have some pros.
Certainly I will continue with my coding studies, but your videos have helped rid me of the stigma ( proliferated by developers in my local design developer groups) that a "real design/developer" only builds from scratch. My instincts were telling me that all tools can be valuable to a design/developer, because tech is such a ever developing arena and clients come with a broad spectrum of problems, Basically, unless you are a specialist in one area...the more tools in the shed...the better.
Thank you ...your videos have been of tremendous value to me. On my way to check out web flow now.
Webflow is great for learning html and css especially. I started years ago with it and now understand css so much better because in Webflow you are visually editing that CSS in a way where you can see it happening. It's a perfect seamless relationship between the parameter and what it does. Schools are now using webflow to teach css this to students.
Hi dexter. How has your growth with webflow been and how is it now. Better I bel
Great video Mike very informative as usual, I got to look into this program Webflow ..👍
Thanks Mike. I love Webflow. Problem solving is key.
Thanks Mike! I'm about to try it out now.
Webflow is starting to grow on me at first I wasn't too convinced, but now I'm just getting the hang of the tool when I'm completely satisfied I will be ready to invest.
Hi mike ,
Huge Fan straight form india , love your work , plz Keep up the good work (spreading knowledge)..... :)
Webflow saves me tons of time and is very profitable for my business. Awesome video!
I've been a fan in Web Flow for a while now. I will invest money into it once it has ecommerce capabilities. It's made great progress with its CMS and blog and I'm excited to see what comes of it.
I have a conflict going on in my head between my love with UX/UI and my love to actually write the HTML, CSS (Sass, less, stylus), and jQuery/ JavaScript. On one hand I love that there is this great tool and it writes great code. On the other hand I feel as if I'm "not a real front-end developer" if I use this tool.....hmmmmmm. I have checked out Webflow and it is pretty nifty!
Thx for the insight bro
Glad I watched this vid!
I loooooooooooovvveeeee webflow. Its like a miracle from heaven. Such a great tool.
Mike, thank you so much
Mike, I just started dabbling with Webflow myself, just based on your video posting and so far I really like it. It does seem pretty powerful and quite the time saver. However, there are some CSS styling elements that can be improved on the application's UI itself. I'll have to keep mucking around with it to get myself more familiarized with the environment. But in terms of getting a landing page up and running and making it responsive, it works great. Thanks for the tip!
Please post on the Webflow forums about your concerns! I know the team would love to get input on how to improve the platform! forum.webflow.com
I first used webflow about a year ago. Didn't love it right away, but came back to it last Fall and spent more time with it. I've now built several production sites and Webflow is what Dreamweaver should have been-- the UI is really good and the code is beautiful. You still need to have a basic understanding of code to build good pages with it. And I still tweak the code after export. I don't like that you can't access the code inside the app, but it's so great that it doesn't matter!
+Oliver Hoffmann I'm noticing it's not an easy app to learn. The basics are easy, but to truly master it, its taking me some time. Plenty of hours so far.
+Mike Locke True-- can't really expect to master it in a few hours. I found their tutorials very useful. Even if you're a code ninja, some things are SO much faster in webflow-like playing with CSS animation effects (Interactions on the Webflow panel), font and color mods.
Your coder friend is right, those tools does eat some of their work, but to me as a designer "in the making", it allows me to take small clients who needs small websites and I can quickly build some cool websites in a short amount of time despite sucking at coding.
While I understand your point about "design in a browser", I prefer going fast at building the site in collaboration with my clients because they can't afford a big budget in the first place and this is not where I plan to really develop my design skills but instead making contacts and general experience.
Great advice again Mike! Could you please explain a bit more why in your opinion one shouldn't design in the browser? And isn't that a good why for visual designers to learn how to code and apply there design skills in another way?
I have used Dreamweaver since 2006 and using it handicapped me from learning how to code freehand. It held my hand and did the majority of code for me which was bad to me. I had to learn to code without it and at first it was confusing because my brain was accustomed to Dreamweaver. I really like coding now without these types of design tools. I guess many would find it useful to beat a deadline. Love your vlog by the way, always have.
+Rien London Great feedback. Always love to hear how others use these tools and opinions. Like you've I've always hand-coded myself. You're correct though, Dreamweaver handicapped a lot of people in learning basic HTML/CSS which is a great skill to have.
Hello Mike, thanks for you videos I really enjoy them, I'm one of the people that have been totally dumped on by Adobe with the Muse announcement. Do you think Webflow is a better option than Muse as I am going to have to switch.
Great input on the subject ! Have you ever tried Framer ? I'd love to hear your feedback on it as well.
Hey Mike, thanks for the video. I design a lot of my sites in WordPress right now and love it, especially when I use Beaver Builder. Another builder I'm interested in checking out is Elementor.
After watching a few videos on Webflow, however, it does look sweet. It seems to be placed right in between Wix and WordPress. How does it compare in terms of components that can be added to the site? I'm interested in adding a photo gallery or portfolio of my web design work.
Any insight you can share would be great.
Thanks!
AJ
I'm not using Webflow (yet) but I'm working for a company named Pagewiz - it's a visual drag and drop builder for landing pages - so if you plan to run google or facebook campaigns with landing pages it's a great easy solution for designers, you can also do everything there with some code. We got right now an old website and we tought we'll make it with webflow - I just hope that the code export there is good enough.
I’m a designer by trade, I’ve been turned down by many jobs because I can’t code. Webflow has help me combine photoshop with webflow and now I’m able to make ends meet.
I just started on webflow i like it so far but the new UI is taking me a while to figure out. Im so use to JIMDO i can build websites fast. But you gave me good insight on webflow wish they had better tutorials .PEACE
Thanks for posting your thoughts. I’m looking for an alternative to Muse and this looks very interesting and possibly a lot better than Muse.
Muse lacks the control over code that this tool and similar ones do seem to get you today. Sooner or later, you will need this sort of control. To hack it yourself, or someone of your team, or person you'd contract (freelance), for some particular functionality or integration. Today all is so dynamic, server generated chunks every where, that these visual only tools are even dangerous for a project.... If webflow can deal with today's complex scenario, hats off... but gotta see it myself to believe it....
Hey Mike, I have upper back issues haha. Can you give me any tips on how you went about fixing your back? I am a Software Engineering student, and I don't really have the money to pay for physio (I already wasted $100 on chiro), so any tips would be great. I have been working out and stretching a bit, but would love advice.
Thanks. As always, great video. I need to check out Webflow and Muse!
Check out FIGMA, it might replace Sketch for us, depending on how it evolves.
also, it seems to me that Developers and people that love to code will benefit long term if they focus their efforts on custom solutions, rather than building 'standardized' stuff that now that is basically automatically generated while designing with webflow. you can charge a premium and thus balace it out. also the work would be more challenging/interesting and besides you learn faster.
also there's more to it than just design. business strategy, sales, working with clients, branding, content strategy, marketing, SEO, analytics ...
also developers benefit from expanding their horizon in multiple dimensions ; )
great designers do that too.
can't wait to implement AI and Deep Learning modules and features for my clients purposes soon haha
so all in all, I welcome the digital evolution.
oh and by the way, i was surprised you didn’t mention Adobe Muse. Maybe you should try that out too :-)
Hi mike. my father has sciatica. can you tell me how did you cure yours? thank you
love your videos
Thoughts on Adobe Muse? I've checked out Webflow and very interested.. Thanks for your vid.
Nice review. And I'm guessing WEBFLOW is much improved now. I have some serious questions and would appreciate some answers plz. I am currently seriously thinking of attending a few short but intensive in-class practical web design courses in Html, CSS, Javascript, Responsive Web Design. I am also thinking about attending after that a short Wordpress in-class course. Then for the backend some short courses in PHP, Python and SQL. But I am confused!!! My questions are;
1- What about starting freelance web design for small local businesses using WEBFLOW? This is after a grounding in Html, CSS, and Javascript. Then studying how to use Webflow efficiently by way of their tutorials and the Webflow Masterclass by Ran Segall, and upgrades to get white-labeling. Then look for a few small local businesses that have bad quality websites or are not mobile responsive, then re-designs them using their logos and offers to sell them to them for a low but sensible price and ask for a small monthly fee to cover hosting, domain name if needed, maintenance and so forth. This would build up a nice small portfolio to showcase on the Freelance Web Design Website that is only just starting out, then advertise using social media and research for more local businesses. Then up the 1st payment price just a bit and give the same monthly package. Maybe later offer extras such as local lead packages. Any advice or tips or things to be wary of?
2- For Webflow, do we need to know backend coding or is it all taken care of by Webflow?
Thank you.
Great video Mike. Looking forward to seeing an update on Webflow as you use it more. For a developer who can code HTML, CSS and jQuery, how much would this benefit them say over an app like Sketch? Also, what are the benefits, in your opinion, over creating a design for a webpage in Photoshop and extracting the info from that PSD in Dreamweaver? Thanks
Designing in webflow is far faster because it's fully responsive so you are designing all viewports at once without creating multiple files in PSD. Then the code is already done for you. You should check it out!
+Dave Finkelstein Awesome, thanks for that info Dave 👍🏼 I'd also like to know how Webflow compares to Sketch...do the pros of Webflow outweigh the price difference between the two when you compare them?
Hey Mike! So, do you prefer working in Photoshop with Webflow as opposed to Photoshop with Invision (prototyping too)? I am versed in HTML & CSS and I think Webflow will keep my skills sharp in the coding. Thanks for this video!
+Gina Davis I prefer Photoshop + Invision for prototyping. I would go Photoshop (for design), Invision (for quick static prototyping) and Webflow for actually handling the development of the responsive site. All three are useful and could work together in a workflow.
thanks
Wordpress + Elementor pagebuilder is almost as good when used with a featherweight theme like GeneratePress or Astra - all FREE
digitalsketchguy I thought the same. Two months in to wf and Wp looks like ancient history. What is a plugin?
You still like webflow ? what you suggest bootstrap is still best or we should move into webflow ? also please let me know that after creating website with webflow can we convert that into wordpress ?
Hi Mike any update on using webflow? Is this tool really good for some agencies and client works? Any inputs about this? Thanks.
Thanks Mike, I'll be looking into webflow. I've used blocsapp.com before and they're releasing version 2 very soon. They might be a comparable tool but I'm not exactly sure what webflow is capable of as of writing this.
Geez I can't stand that term Design in Browser either. It really should be Develop in Browser. Have a mock up and as you go to code it make sure it responds well in the browser and scales well.
With that said I'll be having a look at this. Thanks for the suggestion Mike.
+Kris Jolls Agree about designing in the browser. ;)
+Kris Jolls Remember, when you play with webflow, use it as a development tool. Like you said, have your mockup first, then use Webflow to actually build the components and things, then you'll really see the benefit of using it.
I honestly find designing in webflow is far faster and better than designing in PS. My work is far better coming out of webflow than PS. But I always hated photoshop for design and thought it is not up to the task. Photoshop is meant for photos. Webflow is the future!
I beg to differ. You cannot compare Photoshop to Webflow. That is very misleading.
For many who do not use Fireworks, PS is their go to tool for prototyping and creating assets while allowing them to do do bitmap editing in the same environment. Webflow is NOT a design tool. It's a web and app development tool that can also be used for prototyping.
In my opinion, and Mike might agree, every UX Designer's toolbox should have;
A sketchpad
A vector app
A bitmap app
A prototyping method or app
A front-end / backend developer or none-code app.
Lastly as UX Designers and Design Leaders we should recommend tools and methods that have worked for us and never appear to endorse a particicular product.
Great discussion and yes agree 100%. Webflow is a development tool and yes you can design within it. But that's like saying an home builder can start building a house without first sketching out a blueprint, etc. Should not be a standard practice to just jump right into Webflow without first doing preliminary designs first. That includes whichever tools, sketch, photoshop, fireworks (whichever you choose). Yes, as you're within the process of developing within Webflow, it is easier to make design adjustments from within webflow at that time.
I agree with that. I also find PS or any other image design app to be cumbersome for that. I'm a vision guy and most of the stuff is in my head anyway so I actually prototype the site on graph paper for the general site structure and then build it in webflow. That being said, there are times that I have built a full site in webflow in an hour and a half with zero design direction to start with.
Interesting concept, can you link some of your designs you talk about?
Sure, You can see some of my work at www.dfinkdesign.com
Hey Mike,
Does CSS grid available on webflow now :)
Great advice! Question though. I currently am using Photoshop stand alone, but I also want to start using Fireworks because of your recommendation. How am I able to download Fireworks now?
+Kaden Alvarez Adobe makes it hard. Don't think you can download it "stand-alone". You would have to call Adobe sales department and ask. I believe its still available if you have the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Its under "previous versions" tab I believe.
Thanks! I got it.
You actually had an add on here for pagecloud. Have you checked that out yet?
Im always agree with you man! but today is not the day! :P i trully don't like WYSIWYGs or templates or ui kits i think they make you lazy and limited in some cases. since i'd begun to learn more code and get used to more complex code i beginning to really improve in my web designs because it doesnt require money you just need to learn a Little bit and once you embrace it more opportunities will come for example my workflow became superfast once i learn to use npm , sass and gulp and i can even use it offline
+lel z I hear you. Love hearing other sides. Its a long discussion, will definitely talk about both sides more as I dive deeper and get a good understanding of how these apps work and how I use it. More convo to come...
Hey Mike, do you still use fireworks, or have you changed to photoshop now?
+Johnny Glockem Both, I'm slowly moving towards using PS for new projects. Many old projects (especially at work at ADP) I use FW 99% of the time. I use FW for quick design and prototyping. But sadly as Adobe continues to burry FW, i'm growing more with PS in my daily workflow.
hey mike!! what do you think about adobe Muse?
My feeling about Adobe Muse is that it's behind a bit compared to Webflow. Just overall and with the code it exports. Also, I can't trust Adobe with the experimental apps. You may like it but if it's not making money, they'll eventually cut it. So I can't trust the non-popular apps from Adobe. But we can't trust PS, AI, Dreamweaver, XD, etc. those apps move the needle for them.
Has anyone change from Muse to Webflow? If so how does Webflow compare.
I will go to Niagara College's 2 years "New Median Web Design" and I really want to be a front-end developer in the future but I am afraid that sites like webflow and wix will take off and front-end development will become absolute :( Maybe in 10 years these apps will be so powerful that I will need to switch to becoming a software developer which I don't like.
And how does it stack against Pinegrow (greatly interested in this one, 1 time purchase, and cheap) and Macaw ? These are standalone desktop applications, one time purchase (not so sure about Macaw).....I dislike subscriptions...even more if cloud related accounts.... with a passion. I'm all for coding (+ Photoshop to mount all design first, or similar tool (indeed, I prefer Affinity Photo and others, tho my longer expertise is with Photoshop)) versus these visual solutions, even versus frameworks. Never enjoyed those as much as crafting my code to, anyways, always reflect my graphical idea in the exact way I wanted, thanks to CSS greatness. Still, these and/or frameworks save tons of times in generating and having maintained by their authors, the matters of responsiveness for a bunch of mobiles and other devices, browsers, compatibility with libraries, etc, etc, etc. If wasn't for that, and frameworks are a must today, in case at some point one wants to leave freelancing and get into a job. Indeed, one problem I see arising here, is... if we speak about careers, it could only be sensible path if Webflow or whatever would be adopted massively by companies.. if not, best luck in convincing a company when you just arrive, to use this or that wysiwyg....
For designers (different than my type) with not time or willing to learn front-end coding, who are only interested in freelancing, there I see more room for it...
Ooops. Just realized the video is from 2016.... :s
Isn't it a rental model? As in, can't buy it outright like Sketch?
It's actually a free online tool but you have to pay to export the code so its not a rental model unless you need their hosting and or cms.
does it also include javascript?
Yea it should, there are form elements in webflow.
hmmm... it does not necessarily mean it'd deal deeply with the JS code... One think I'll try to test...
Hey Mike what are your thoughts on Affinity Design (affinity.serif.com/en-us/), Pixelmator.com and figma (www.figma.com/)
I think Affinity is a great tool. I personally haven't used it but I know people who are using it and loves it. I think it looks amazing and I can tell its the real deal. Me, I just stick with one that works for me and that's Sketch. But Affinity is a great powerful alternative to Photoshop.
I have A. Designer. Both Photo and Designer, great tools. Real competitors of Adobe, but not as powerful as of yet. Anyway, depending on your needs, you might do all what you need with those. (Design is for vectors, Photo is a raster tool, like photoshop). For UX/UI, is all about Sketch. None of these tools, Adobe's included, have the functionality for UX that Sketch has.
Why choose between webflow and wordpress when you can use both!!
Man I'm using webflow for 6 months now. But no one uses webflow in the web design industry yet. Everyone says why not use WordPress.. What's your point of you man?
Guys I'm at a bit've a wits end here, as we all know there's so many tools out there, each for different stages of the app and web design process from mock up to high fidelity
www.prototypr.io/prototyping-tools/
The clock is ticking for me on starting any kind of a career in Web/UX/UI design and I need to pick my tool before going to work, is Webflow a catch all?
Any feed back is a huge help. I'd love to email Mike here personally but I feel the man is too busy for questions like this, hence posting this vid, so its up to you the jury, cheers.
webflow kills it..this vid kills me ..the point of the story he says lol
don't follow the hype!, its not that good in the long run.............