My company needs me to learn how to create static websites. Now, I have a basic understanding of HTML/CSS and some JQuery, but it’s not enough to create a full site (I might be able to if you give me several months LOL).
So far, I’ve used Webflow for very small personal sites, that’s all.
Is the code that Webflow generates good enough to be used as a final site? Can I tell my boss confidently that the WF site is ready to be sent to the client? We’re not creating NASA-life-or-death kind of thing, just normal websites for corporations.
After I’ve used WF to create the site, is it a good idea to pass to front-end devs in my company and get them to optimize the code? Can the code be optimized easily or will it actually be easier/faster for them to code everything from scratch?
After I’ve used WF to create the site, how easy is it to code it to tie it to a Wordpress-powered CMS? Not WF’s own CMS, though.
Can WF be used as a learning tool to help me learn HTML/CSS faster?
Of course, I’m still learning HTML/CSS/JQuery but in the meantime, the company has no time to wait for that since come on, it’ll take years to be good at those and they need to see magic by next week.
I’m particularly interested to hear from any front-end devs here or people who’re working/worked in web design agencies using WF.
I believe the question you’re hedging at is, “If I use Webflow to create sites, will anyone know?” The answer to which is, unequivocally, yes. It will be as plain as the nose on your face to anyone who has any clue what they are looking at.
Once you see the code, it will be obvious even to you.
Yes.
No. This is the place where you will absolutely, positively, be found out.
Not difficult to port over.
Not really.
If your company already has front-end devs, then why does your company need you to learn how to create websites in the first place? It seems like a strange request. If what they really need for you to learn is how to DESIGN static websites, then Webflow is really not a bad tool to use, as long as you’re upfront about it. Any front-end developer will be able to take what you create in Webflow and recreate it by hand relatively quickly, if that is what needs to be done.
Just be honest about it and tell your company that you’ve found a tool that you think may help to shortcut this process and get your team to where it needs to be as quickly as possible, and show them Webflow. You may be surprised.
On the other hand. I would be happy to lend you my services of hand-coding your Webflow-created pages, for a fee.
I am a freelance web designer, but having an experience of collaborating with agencies and developers. I can answer your question based on my experience (even that it is not so big 2 years)
Webflow generated code is beautiful and clean. For seeing this you can look at any Webflow template site code. But you have to remember that Webflow is a TOOL and do not do a magic It will depend on you too, how logical and clean the code structure will be.
I am not exactly sure what do you mean when you say " optimize the code". But I do not think front-end developer can have many issues with the Webflow code.
From my experience: the PHP developer, that I was working with, wasn’t complaining about the code. But it will always depend on person too
I believe it is no more harder than any other code
It helped me a lot. Especially with understanding CSS. Visualizing what you are changing and how it is affect other elements on the site is the good part.
If you are on a professional plan, you can choose to “beautify” the HTML, which will make it infinitely easier to work with and yes, much MUCH better than the WYSIWYG garbage you’re referring to.
@sabanna : Tks, when I mention about getting front-end devs to optimize the code, I was referring to me passing the WF code (exported) to them, and they’ll further tune it and make it even better. Maybe even cleaner and shorter, cleverer etc. The front-end devs in my company are not designers, they’re pure coders. This is where my role is: design and prototype.
@Cricitem : What do you mean by “beautify”? I was on the $20/month plan a couple months back and it allowed me to export the code. Are you referring to some feature I’m not aware of?
A one-click button to make the code look like it was handcrafted by a CSS legend?
Yes. If you look at the code generated by the sites you created on the $20/month plan, you’ll notice that it’s basically a huge wall of text.
If you are on the Professional Plan, you can choose to “beautify” the HTML from within the dashboard, which basically means it exports it with different elements on separate lines with nested elements tabbed in, etc. all of which make the code much easier to work with and customize outside of Webflow.
2.) Depending on what you mean by optimization a dev shouldn’t have much trouble. Ask you dev what needs to be added. More likely then not you can add it in the Webflow editor before export.
3.) Shouldn’t be an issue for someone who knows what they are doing.
4.) Yes. If you are a visual and hands on learner then Webflow will help you learn. It helped me.
I would disagree with this, personally. If you’re looking for a site builder that will export quality code, Wix and Weebly won’t help you there. Their sites are only able to be hosted on their servers through their websites. Webflow is much different and will export professional code that can be used and edited further. Wordpress templates also will not give you the control and versatility that Webflow offers in designing, and will always be tied to a Wordpress database (which doesn’t sound like what you’re looking for).
Webflow has allowed me to gain a better understanding of HTML and CSS, most definitely. You can build a wicked looking site using the Webflow Designer, then look at the code to see how the same result could have been achieved through hand-coding everything. Compare the code to settings you set in the Designer, and you’re on your way to understanding CSS.
Hope this helps! Best Zack @ MetaFlare Media & Design
It will depend on you too, how logical and clean the code structure will be.
The front-end devs in my company are not designers, they’re pure coders. This is where my role is: design and prototype.
