Continuing on our “business in web design” series, today our special guest is framer. I was recommended to this website builder by a product designer fellow from Bostom. He argued that this is better than Webflow with a competitive pricing, and being used by cool agencies. Since I focused on the business operation last time, I will analyze more on the design aspect today: why framer works for designers and business?
Framer
Framer is a interactive web-based prototyping tool built by a same name Amsterdam-based startup founded by ex-Facebookers Koen Bok and Jorn van Dijk in 2006.
strengths
- High speed: in launching prototyable web pages while maintain complete control.
- Familiarity & Easy to Navigate: The UI is heavily inspired by Figma.
- No-code: eleminate the need for front-end development knowledge.
- Streamline: Copy/Paste functionality from Figma to Framer
- Performance out of the box: excellent, with hosting setup comparable to Webflow.
- Additional features: an intuitive CMS, localization, built-in search, SEO tools, and interaction capabilities.
weaknesses
- Limited site search functionality on lower-tier plans.
- No custom styling of photos. No photo captions. No blockquotes. No spans.
- No built-in e-commerce sell-product functionality (check Shotify instead)
- Limited customization options for forms. You need to embeded 3rd party forms.
- Mixed results with Framer AI.
takeaways
- Know your website goals and test out it possibility before commited to Framer
- Start with the basics (UI, tools), explore template, master time-saving reusable components, use auto-layout, and take advantage of plugins
- Join the community learning tab of Framer (they has a cool vibrant one)
- Start early and iterate. Good luck!
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