We had the fantastic opportunity to take part in Webflow Conf 2022 and learned a lot. The conference was an incredible experience; we were blown away by the talent on display! In this blog post, we'd like to share our thoughts on the conference and what we learned. We can't wait to see what the future holds for the design and development of websites and web apps!
What is Webflow?
Webflow is a no-code web design platform. It enables designers to create responsive websites without coding. Plus, it's a potent tool for building beautiful, responsive websites. What’s more, teams can do it without worrying about the underlying code! We have an article reviewing Webflow’s hosting and building. Feel free to check it out!
What is Webflow Conf?
The Webflow Conf is an annual event that brings Webflow professionals from all over the world. Yet, it's an instance for anyone interested in web design and development. Its 2022 edition took place at The Midway in San Francisco. Likewise, it features talks from industry leaders, workshops, and networking opportunities. Capicua’s team had the chance to join this myriad of experts this year. And, even before starting, we were sure it wouldn’t disappoint.
On this occasion, its in-person agenda included several expositions about the different aspects of Webflow. Yet, it took a step further and discussed various web design and development issues. In this path, conferences enclose topics like Grow, Collaborate, Design, and Build. The talks had a hefty dose of Webflow’s team, with its CEO, Vlad Magdalin, and its VP of Product, Jiaona Zhang. But it also included many exciting exposers from top-notch colleague brands. Speakers include Einat Sharon, Product Designer at Microsoft, and Eric Stigna, Art Director at Yahoo. Parris Khachi, Discord’s Senior Engineering Manager, was also part of the event.
2022 Webflow Conf Updates
1. Marketplace. The addition of Marketplace is a new feature for the community. Here, devs can develop integrations into Webflow to tap into its full potential. An example is Punchlist. This app sets continuous feedback loops on finalized development processes. We also met with Ryan from Monto and discussed its eCommerce integration for Webflow.
2. Documentation. One item where Webflow didn't stand was development documentation. Luckily, it launched a new and updated documentation portal. Now, devs can get better use of its full potential.
3. Scalable CMS. Another relevant announcement during Webflow’s Conf involved its CMS. In this case, the focus was on scaling it to meet enterprise needs. While it used to have a limit of 10,000 CMS items per customer, nowadays, it can serve websites beyond 100,000+ items. This expansion reveals so far unknown customization levels of CMS scale. According to business needs, there are also plans that cover 10,000 or 20,000 items. In all cases, it increases the number of types of content within the site. To achieve this scalability, the platform focused on two cornerstone aspects. On the one hand, the management and creation. Yet, on the other hand, it also considered performance scalability. This combination means that products can remain performant despite content library size changes.
4. Logic. Webflow's Logic rises as a robust automation tool for different processes. One of its primary uses is to collect leads. Yet, it's also available for customer connections and site management. With it, teams can create workflows in just three steps. After setting the trigger, it allows for many conditional variables. After choosing these variables, all you need is to connect their respective actions. Its connection to core functions like the platforms' CMS is a significant highlight. Hence, it eases tremendously many mission-critical tasks. Yet, it also furnishes low-code customizations via webhooks and HTTP blocks. Last but not least, it also has testing tools to check its functionality before launching.
Let's say you have a website to provide consulting services. Your trigger could be the contact form itself. But you can add variables such as companies' budgets, deadlines, or process stages. And further, give each variable a specific action. Does a company have a small budget? You can send them a brochure with economic plans. Is there a company with a short deadline? Send them a document with your sprint method's benefits for short-term collaborations. That's it! All this happens in the context of visual development. As a result, coding knowledge is less needed to achieve value proposals for your business. The lead collection is as easier as it gets!
5. DevLink. Yet, one of the most revolutionary features Webflow brings to the table is DevLink. This tool allows the sync of Webflow components with React projects. While designers create building blocks, devs can instantly use those in React projects. Its process has three main steps. First, designers can create and build UI components in Webflow. Later, Webflow gets connected with the local environment. That way, components will be accessible, and devs can use them in React immediately. Finally, its sync feature pushes automatic updates from Webflow to React.
As the platform itself describes it, this match combines visual development and React. Despise being visual; devs can add HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to their canvas. After saving, Webflow will translate into semantic and ready-for-production code. Still, designers can create rich animations with no code contact. All this dedicated structure allows faster workflows between teams. Also, it cuts the back-and-forths of developers and designers. Thus, it encourages joint work and increases productivity and time-saving. This paradigm change means that designers won't handle code anymore. Meanwhile, devs won't be responsible for things like screen pixel adjustments. In sum, each team will focus on its specialties while working simultaneously. Undoubtedly, this workflow will allow the rise of next-gen integral platforms.
Conclusion
The disruptive innovation that Webflow allowed for creating first landing pages and now enterprise-grade websites will also impact platform development pretty soon. We are at the gates of radical change by blending the frontier of design and code, which will spin new workflows new possibilities but, more importantly, and will redefine the role of the designer and the front-end developer first. Future designers will be able to "no code" entire platforms with only light help from developers. At the same time, Front End developers might have to be able to design AND develop using Webflow before building it from scratch.
