Let’s start with a before and after.
Here’s an archive/snapshot of my hand-coded website before I started using Webflow. Please pardon the crappy design - I’m not a designer, and I had to polish the design and code over several months to get to this state as well as not being mobile-responsive too:
Samuel Liew's Website
My website completely built from scratch end-2015 and since hosted with Webflow (done ONLY with Webflow and in about two days too!):
https://samliew.com
How I joined Webflow ![:mag: :mag:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/apple/mag.png?v=12)
I joined Webflow actually due to my research on visual design tools in 2015, as around that time such tools were getting popular and I wanted to see they would actually work and improve my workflow. Look, I even compiled a list here. I had trialled a couple of them as well as paid for a few promising ones that didn’t have a trial/free plan.
Webflow is (one of) the best ![:tophat: :tophat:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/apple/tophat.png?v=12)
I must say Webflow had the most polished UI at that time (even now they are still improving and not going away), and this made it very easy to create HTML/CSS exports that I could easily use for integration with a third party CMS (Webflow didn’t have CMS at that time). Another plus point is that I can work on projects whether at home or at work, without having to download additional software. A few examples of designs I have successfully integrated with a third-party CMS:
How I joined the Webflow forum ![:warning: :warning:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/apple/warning.png?v=12)
In August 2015, I searched for Webflow support and posted in the Webflow forum as the dashboard had trouble loading projects. That was even before @waldo joined Webflow as an employee
On the same day, I also requested that the custom code component’s character limit be increased.
Supports simple to complex websites ![:level_slider: :level_slider:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/apple/level_slider.png?v=12)
The best thing about Webflow is that it allows me to create really really complex UIs from PSDs, and easily make updates to it from feedback provided by the project manager/client or changes from the designer. They can even sit down with me and I’ll make/show them the updated changes on the spot! Here’s what I’m talking about:
Custom code? Go crazy with it! ![:crazy_face: :crazy_face:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/apple/crazy_face.png?v=12)
As a web developer who likes to hack stuff together, the custom code fields and component in Webflow is a delight to use to quickly add functionality to the UI created in Webflow. Many other Webflow competitors dumb it down and do not even allow you to do this! Here are a few projects that I might not have done if Webflow didn’t have custom code:
- http://flickrsearch.webflow.io
- http://svg-collection.webflow.io
- http://fonts.webflow.io
- http://mrtok.com, Samuel Liew – Projects (social media aggregator for train breakdowns - reddit/twitter)
Shameless ![:electric_plug: :electric_plug:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/apple/electric_plug.png?v=12)
As Webflow is primarily a designer tool and not everyone knows JavaScript/jQuery/etc., I have been receiving requests to build custom functionality and/or use third party libraries using custom code. I have a custom landing page on my site for such requests: Top Webflow Expert Web Developer – Samuel Liew
Also, if you haven’t joined our Slack chat, register here https://webflow-slack-invite.herokuapp.com :webflow_heart:
Disclaimer: I am not an employee of Webflow, and the opinions expressed above are my own.