Any Webflow Users?
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- mg331
Learning this tool over the past 4 or 5 days has been the best damn distraction I could have hoped for. I'm good at Wordpress customizations, most CSS needs, and general coding, but given the way that Webflow works, I'm ecstatic to be learning this.
As an XD designer, all my design work tries to incorporate HTML principles and understanding, but when you're just working in Sketch or another prototype program it doesn't exactly translate to thinking in code. Now that I'm getting my hands dirty in WebFlow, I can't imagine prototyping in something else, or not building design ideas in WebFlow. The time-savings to create responsive versions is going to be amazing.
How many of you have had to create (and endlessly edit) way too many artboards for responsive versions and nearly lost your mind?
- Yes.grafician
- So would this replace using something like Figma, or Sketch?Gnash
- Yes. Mostly for websites.grafician
- Gnash - for me it wouldn't replace Sketch, it would replace things like Invision Studio, Principle, or Figma (which I have never used, but was considering)mg33
- Keep us posted on your experience with itGnash
- Will do. It's got a steep learning curve at first, and an annoyance is the reliance on classes (in code) for everything. But I'm managing.mg33
- plash1
I've used Webflow for about a year. It's a great rapid deployment tool but you're getting yourself in a closed environment. Plus you basically become an affiliate representative for them by force.
Their pricing is a bit undesirable, here's the breakdown:
• $25/mo for 10 projects with a limit of 100 static pages and only HTML exports. You might ask what kind of site needs more than 100 pg? If you do any type of advertising then a lot (landing pages, one-sheets, and industry demos add up).• Want a Blog/ API functionality? that's another $20/mo (and only 2000 records & 3 content editors and still only 100 static pages!)
• Ecommerce? $42/mo and a 2% transaction fee (up to $50K /y) and that doesn't include the processing fee (stripe is 2.9%, square is 2.75%) so, that's can be up to 5% on every transaction?! (wtf is webflow charging for) and again still 100 static pages and only 2000 records.
I realize that there's a workaround to the 100-page limits. and I understand not everyone wants to be hassled with managing a cloud stack or a business. (although if you're not watching the bottom line, good luck) and Google has made it pretty easy to spool up a lamp stack ready with WordPress. in fact I think managing WordPress is more complicated.
but for a WYSIWYG (using electron js) that implements bootstrap with flexbox and a $3,000/ year web hosting bill that you don't even get a private IP.. oh and the host will skim off all revenue.
webflow cost breakdown doesn't make business sense.
I've been using something called https://nicepage.com
it's basically webflow without the price tag. they use electronjs WYSIWYG editor with CMS endpoints to WordPress, HTML, Joomla, and like webflow has a marketplace for design blocks, page elements and templates.. all without the closed environment.cost is $200 one time payment for unlimited everything. (free for one site, $60 for unlimited) and you can connect to any cloud stack for hosting/eCommerce. or you can use theirs for $240 a year (which is still less than webflow SaaS plan that doesn't include hosting).
- Hmm. Thanks for sharing. I generally build 'brochure' sites that make Webflow perfect for my business. But your approach would appeal for larger stuff.monoboy
- If you factor in all the costs with your client contract you're still good. You can also develop for WP with it now.monoboy
- But I find they're system better.monoboy
- *theirmonoboy
- But I will look into nicepage.monoboy
- I tend to involve a Drupal dev for the big stuff, however. This might be another way.monoboy
- Nicepage looks pretty interesting. But I'd still have my concerns about using a 3rd-party tool to generate WP themes. Need to explore more.nocomply
- Also good points on the pricing model of webflow. That's a concern of mine too.nocomply
- mg330
no comply,
I don't know that yet but it's a good question. It might just end up being a prototyping tool for me on most client projects.
On sites with limited content changes, I imagine there's not a lot to do. For clients that are used to Drupal or WP or AEM or any others, this would be very different. All the editing appears to be done in the visual editor from what I've seen so far.
And, things that WP is perfect for - like blog posts - I haven't yet seen anything in WebFlow that does that. Might have just not found it yet.
- their officialwebsite is all done in webflow ofc, I think they have a blog too and also a video on how to create a blog in webflow - very easy anywaygrafician
- Thanks for the feedback. For now I'm thinking webflow may only make sense in certain scenarios for my clients. I guess I really just gotta try it out myself.nocomply
- mg330
My main focus at work right now is getting us moving towards better immersive editorial content. We’re a content marketing agency, produce a lot of digital content and print as well. I’m the only UX person left and we also lost some devs. My role is merging more within our creative and editorial team.
I’ve used most of the leading design and prototyping tools and almost all of them lack scrolling actions. Invision Studio doesn’t have it. We haven’t wanted to take on Figma or Framer. I need tools that allow for easy and accurate creation of complex interactions and storytelling features and animations even just for prototyping for devs, or need tools that I can build out actual web pages. I’m a longtime Wordpress user, so anything that gets me into code and css customization is perfect.
I’ve been using ReadyMag for this kind of thing but it has its trade offs. For example... it has a slideshow tool but it can’t be styled. I can build a slideshow module but the actions based on link triggers are limited. Ex: I can create a sequence from item 1 to 2 and back, but not 2 to 3 and so on. I built an immersive content piece in it for a pitch recently and everyone loved it; it went so much further than a static comp to show scrolling effects.
So now I’m looking at WebFlow because it seems more versatile than ReadyMag. Better handoff to devs for heavier customizations. Bit of a learning curve, but it’s going quickly. Seems like there are plenty of animation features to learn.
On account of my agency reducing staff, it seems the right tool to work as a more multifaceted designer / ux / web design / etc.
- Then yeah, you're good with WFgrafician
- If you spend a day on the vid tutorials first, you'll be off and running in no time.monoboy
- The interactions are OK once you get the workflow, class and object naming etc. Took me a bit of time to get it.monoboy
- The Grid layout tool is cool btw, perfect for editorial and tile designs.monoboy
- mg331
I finally figured out what I love about this: It's as complex and capable as Axure, which I haven't used in about 3 years, but it's real web pages and not Axure's proprietary code that can't be reused. To do some of the things you can do in WebFlow, in Axure, using code principles and not Axure's tools that don't relate is really great.
I used Axure a ton years ago and got pretty dangerous with it, but I never built stuff in Axure while thinking like a web designer and what HTML and CSS can actually do. With Webflow, that's the only way I'm thinking because that's the only way it works.
- nocomply0
Thanks for sharing your experience mg33.
Coming from 10+ years in WordPress, I'm really interested in webflow, but haven't had a chance to play around with it.
How do you see it as working out for client managed websites for small businesses, non-profits, etc...?
Are non-techie clients going to have challenges editing their content?
- Chimp0
I used it to build one quick site. I found the experience really good.
I haven't use it as a prototyping tool though. I usually just use Invision for that.
- monoboy0
I've built and hosted a few client sites with it. I highly recommend it. Zapier integrations make it pretty handy.
Not used the eCommerce offering yet but hoping to get a client on it soon.
As a freelancer, it makes you more cost-effective, with zero dev costs. And all the fee is yours. You can even set the hosting fees.
Animations are a faff but I don't like overcooked stuff anyway.
Client's can be sceptical until they see it.
Its freekin' ace IMO. Hoping more freelancers don't catch on to it tbh.
- If you follow basic doc structure you can't go wrong. Their tutorial vids are brilliant and the forum is full of active support.monoboy
- grafician0
I had a subscription for about a year, made some simple presentation websites, then they introduced cms and ecommerce and changed the game.
Definitely use it for prototypes - but more or less you have 90% fidelity so you can do the entire design in it. You just need to create the back-end for most projects, the front-end can be done in Webflow - including animations, micro interactions, etc. everything!
Very solid platform, highly recommend it. And no, you don't have to know how to code - that's the point! They have great video tutorials, help, etc. just in case, plus you can just clone some other template/website from the community and then just customize it. Easy peasy!
You can create simple websites or even blogs in under a day! Ecommerce shops with hundreds of products over the weekend...