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Is web design dead?
Countless articles, videos, and subreddits have pondered this question over the last few years, and for good reason. With the growth of canned templates, off-the-shelf themes, and pre-packaged options, web design can feel less… designed.
Despite this state of sameness, the web is still the central communications platform. At last check, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/website-statistics/#:~:text=There%20are%20about%201.13%20billion,are%20actively%20used%20and%20updated." target="_blank">71% of businesses</a> have a website, and there are <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/website-statistics/#:~:text=There%20are%20about%201.13%20billion,are%20actively%20used%20and%20updated." target="_blank">1.13 billion sites</a> swarming the Internet. How can a brand stand out?
The answer is simple: they invest in beautiful, high-quality, custom digital experiences, the kinds that inspire visitors to engage, convert, and buy. And while a stunning UX can turn heads, the best sites put content first and utilize modern tech in profound ways.  
<a href="https://www.kentico.com/" target="_blank">Kentico</a>, a leading composable hybrid headless digital experience platform (DXP), has long been a champion of custom website design, highlighting the spirit of innovation through its exclusive “Site of Year” competition. The annual contest recognizes the most ambitious sites built with Kentico – and the 2022 winners were, in a word, breathtaking.
“The [Site of the Year] winners are clients and partners who succeed in delivering exceptional user experiences,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-xperience-pinter/" target="_blank">Dominik Pinter</a>, Kentico CEO. “Their websites or apps show excellence in creativity, innovation, content modeling, and the use of technology. The creators of the websites are experts in innovative thinking – creative people with a strong vision.”
According to Pinter, the winners and finalists went beyond attractive content and interactive features, leveraging Kentico’s full potential to improve productivity for marketers while providing a solution to future-proof their growth.  
While 2022 is in the rearview, many of the sites produced on Kentico continue to shine. We wanted to take a fresh look at the winners, dive deep into a few standouts, and share how these projects continue to challenge the status quo.
<h2>Celebrating innovation across industries</h2>
The “Site of the Year” competition solicits entries from any global partner or customer that built a website or app using <a href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/blog/kentico-xperience-13-is-here" target="_blank">Kentico Xperience 13</a> or the new <a href="https://www.kentico.com/platforms/xperience-by-kentico" target="_blank">Xperience by Kentico</a> – and launched it in 2022.
The competition covered ten industry categories: Entertainment and Hospitality, B2B, Commerce, Consumer Goods, Education and Careers, Healthcare, Financial Services, Government and Municipal, Industrial Manufacturing, and NGO and Associations.
Submissions were evaluated by a hand-picked committee of experts, who judged each entry on a range of criteria. All winners were then entered into a Community Choice competition, which was open to public voting.
While each category showcased its top pick, Kentico also included other finalists – which, in all cases, offered exceptional experiences. You can peruse every project in more detail by downloading this <a href="https://www.kentico.com/discover/resources/soty-2022-ebook" target="_blank">dynamite ebook</a>.
It was a tough call with so many great use cases, but these three really exemplify the quality and innovation in this year’s crop.
<h2>Pro Football Hall of Fame</h2>
As the Entertainment and Hospitality Industry winner and Community Choice Award recipient, the <a href="https://www.profootballhof.com/" target="_blank">Pro Football Hall of Fame</a> scores on every play.
Like a wide receiver scrambling downfield, this website is blazing fast. The mobile experience is elegant, app-like, and features intuitive navigation. From a visual perspective, the whole experience unfolds with gorgeous, energetic photography, reflecting the dynamic history and culture of American football.
For an organization that’s been around for over 100 years, making a bold digital statement reflects modern relevance. <a href="https://www.americaneagle.com/" target="_blank">Americaneagle.com</a> – the agency behind the site – did its homework to ensure a seamless, cohesive brand experience that celebrates the past while looking ahead. 
What we really love about the Pro Football Hall of Fame site are the interactive details. Visitors can search its rich database of athletes based on a series of filters, and each player’s page features a slick design that combines career performance stats with powerful imagery.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kentico-sites-pro-football-hof-1024x655.jpg" alt="Kentico Site of the Year 2022 example of the Pro Football Hall of Fame with both desktop and mobile views" />In addition to an online store featuring an array of merchandise, fans can score tickets to the museum experience and plan their trip to the storied venue in Canton, Ohio. These enhancements have increased online transactions and foot traffic, making it a site that blends the past and the future – and one that earns its place in the digital experience hall of fame.  
<h2>Potten &amp; Pannen</h2>
For Czech-based <a href="https://www.pottenpannen.cz/" target="_blank">Potten &amp; Pannen</a>, the ingredients for a successful digital strategy called for more than the typical accoutrements. As an importer, distributor, and retailer of kitchen equipment, it needed a website that reflected its reputation for luxury and sophistication while scaling to meet the demands of online retail.
Everything about the new Potten &amp; Pannen site exudes elegance, from the wide-format hero images to the light and airy template. The product photos are bright and beautiful, and the text and graphics bring a distinctly European sensibility to the general gestalt. Superb.
One thing that really stands out from a UX perspective is the mobile experience. Elements are well-placed within the frame and highly clickable – and the use of white space helps the overall legibility on longer-form product pages, where images and details can get lengthy. The result: a more pleasing shopping experience and more conversions at the right points.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kentico-sites-potten-pannen-1024x655.jpg" alt="Kentico Site of the Year 2022 example of Potten and Pannen with both desktop and mobile views" />The secret ingredient for Potten &amp; Pannen is baked behind the scenes, where the Cloud adds pizzaz. The company launched four e-Commerce websites to meet growing demand, and an auto-scaling strategy allows for dynamic resource allocation during peak periods.
<a href="https://www.bluesoft.cz/en/" target="_blank">Bluesoft</a>, the Kentico partner that brought the project to life, didn’t stop with scalability. The solution also tapped the power of artificial intelligence by leveraging Kentico’s integration with <a href="https://www.recombee.com/" target="_blank">Recombee</a> – an AI-powered recommender. This allowed the brand to serve more relevant recommendations for products.
With such rich innovation from frontend to backend, Potten &amp; Pannen brought real sizzle to the commerce category – and a great menu addition to the “Site of the Year.”
<h2>Suffolk Credit Union</h2>
Rounding out our picks in the financial services category is <a href="https://www.suffolkcu.org/" target="_blank">Suffolk Credit Union</a>, built by <a href="https://www.zaginteractive.com/" target="_blank">Zag Interactive</a>. It’s hard to ignore the innate challenges that any fintech application faces around security and trust, so we were immediately drawn to the use case.
What struck us about this project was the uniquely inviting design. The thoughtful approach to journey mapping in key customer areas like auto loans and mortgages makes the experience easy to navigate while supporting users at every step.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/kentico-sites-suffolk-credit-union-1024x589.jpg" alt="Kentico Site of the Year 2022 example of Suffolk Credit Union with both desktop and mobile views" />The large, legible text and high-contrast color scheme help this site stand out, but the visual choices also reflect a commitment to accessibility. Using brand elements from the logo icon (we especially like the “hello” emblem in the footer) makes the experience more cohesive.
This site “feels” impressive on all screens, but the magic doesn’t end there. Zag also focused on delivering trusted security to support Suffolk’s online banking – one of its most vital services. Along with improved SEO and other integrations, technology helped enhance the experience.
Many financial websites rely on predictable stock images and tired templates to build their digital brand. But Suffolk has bucked the trend with an inspired design you can bank on.
<h2>Good design is never a commodity</h2>
After reviewing the 2022 “Site of the Year” winners, it’s abundantly clear that unique, high-quality web design continues to thrive. To bring custom ideas to life, web agencies and brands leverage Kentico’s complete range of DXP capabilities – from its customizable CMS to its breadth of marketing capabilities and integrations.
Boasting a network of <a href="https://www.kentico.com/partners/find-a-partner" target="_blank">1,000 digital agencies</a> globally, Kentico’s partners are a critical factor in the success of these projects. Their expertise delivers beautiful UX with secure and scalable performance while utilizing Kentico’s industry-leading features. Partners also receive technical support, training, and certifications that help ensure quality implementations.
As an annual event, we can anticipate the 2023 call for entries before the end of this year. And if the use cases are anything like 2022, we’re preparing to be blown away.

Kentico ‘Site of the Year’ Competition Proves Custom Web Design is Alive – and Thriving

cms-critic-staff

No. It's not just a "figma" of your imagination. 
<a href="https://www.figma.com/blog/a-new-collaboration-with-adobe/" target="_blank">Adobe has agreed to spend $20 billion</a> – that's billion, with a "b" – to buy <a href="https://www.figma.com/" target="_blank">Figma</a>, the popular web-based collaboration and UI design platform. 
We'll give you a minute to pick your jaw up off the ground. 
Adobe said it expects the transaction to close sometime in 2023. That said, the deal has not yet been approved by Figma stockholders and must proceed through customary closing. The dollars are a mix: about half the total will be paid in Adobe stock, with the balance paid in cash. 
If you're not familiar with Figma, you will be now – but it's worth noting how awesome a platform it really is. It offers a deep set of collaboration options for joint software development, as well as its popular FigJam collaborative whiteboarding environment. If you haven't used that wipeboarding feature before, we highly recommend it. 
By now, we’re accustomed to Adobe spending big bucks to expand its copious monolith. These tasty acquisitions have bolstered its stronghold on the digital experience category – and while there may not be an Iron Throne to claim, it has certainly earned the crown as the King of the <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3995917" target="_blank">Gartner Magic Quadrant for DXPs</a>.
But forget all that. Forget the fact that <a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3673934/adobes-20b-figma-acquisition-highlights-web-based-collaboration-trends.html#:~:text=The%20%2420%20billion%20figure%20is,a%20dedicated%20following%20among%20developers." target="_blank">Figma was valued at around $10 billion</a> at its last funding round in 2021 (meaning this purchase doubled the bounty). And let's not overlook that the market has been in a bout of turmoil lately, especially for tech stocks.
No – what's been really interesting is how this acquisition triggered such an emotional response from the market. Despite Adobe's enthusiasm about the deal, the Figma fanbase seemed a little less enthusiastic…
<img style="max-width:800px" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2022/09/luke-skywalker-meme-no.jpg" alt="Luke Skywalker meme" />
And just like that, the Empire Strikes Back.
<h2>Why Figma? And why the pushback from fans?</h2>
The Figma acquisition speaks volumes about the growth of web collaboration software and the central role of design. But for its users, Figma represented everything Adobe wasn’t. In fact, Figma was a sort of the anti-Adobe. 
The fanbase has reason to be concerned: Adobe could bring Figma aboard the mothership under its expensive subscription model. There could be some poor integration or uncomfortable bloat. Even worse, it could become the kind of bolted-on utility that's prone to crashing – kind of like the Millennium Falcon with a broken hyperdrive.
Or, Adobe could do wonders with this amazing platform, building deeper functionality that expands the frontier for web-based collaboration within its toolsets. Figma's flexibility could be a game changer for the company and removes one of its digital experience rivals from the chessboard. 
One thing both companies have in common is the commitment to design. Founded by Dylan Field in 2016, Figma has held to the mantra that design should be collaborative, web-based, and real-time – with the mission to “open up” and move from the solitary design process. Figma has crystallized the concepts of sharing ideas and working collaboratively, something that Adobe’s UI design products like Photoshop have struggled to embrace. 
As for the fans, that's a product of Figma's heavy emphasis on community, which they have nurtured and grown over the years. This was likely a big driver of <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/figma/company_financials" target="_blank">Figma’s unicorn valuation</a>, which skyrocketed from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-24/software-design-startup-figma-is-now-worth-10-billion" target="_blank">$2 billion to $10 billion</a> in just a year. With more than 4 million users, including giants such as Microsoft, Slack, Google, Dropbox, and Twitter, the company has achieved the kind of presence and loyalty that are the envy of the tech world.
 
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2022/09/nothing-great-is-made-alone.jpg" alt="Figma - Nothing Great is Made Alone" />
<h2> </h2>
<h2>Adobe XD vs. Figma</h2>
So let's get down to brass tacks: Adobe XD and Figma are currently the most popular design tools on the market, both with similar features. For the past 5 years, Figma has been the biggest rival and competitor to Adobe XD, but Figma has managed to with the hearts of the design community. 
Figma believes the acquisition will help the Figma platform benefit from Adobe’s technology, expertise, and resources in the creative space. Figma has big ambitions for its products, with plans to improve its <a href="https://www.figma.com/design/" target="_blank">Figma Design</a>, <a href="https://www.figma.com/figjam/" target="_blank">FigJam</a>, and the <a href="https://www.figma.com/community/" target="_blank">Figma community</a> platforms while expanding into new areas.
“We will have the opportunity to incorporate their expertise in imaging, photography, illustration, video, 3D, and font technology to the Figma platform," said <a href="https://twitter.com/zoink" target="_blank">Dylan Field</a>, Co-founder &amp; CEO of Figma. "Additionally, we will have the opportunity to reimagine what the best creative tools could look like within the Figma technology stack.”
Top-down leadership is key in these kinds of earth-shattering transitions. Taking designers’ concerns into account, Field reassured the Figma community that he will remain CEO and that Figma will keep operating autonomously – without compromising its culture, the way it runs its business, and (perhaps most importantly) its pricing. 
<h2>Growth by Acquisition</h2>
The news from Adobe is huge – but maybe not that surprising. Adobe has been driving growth by investing in tools and products to execute complex workflows across teams. As part of this evolution, it <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2020/Adobe-to-Acquire-Workfront/default.aspx" target="_blank">acquired Workflow</a> – a leading work management platform for marketers – for $1.50 billion in 2020. Last year, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/adobe-acquires-video-collaboration-platform-frame-io/" target="_blank">Adobe also acquired Frame.io</a>, an industry-leading collaboration platform, for $1.275 billion. 
In its <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2022/Adobe-to-Acquire-Figma/default.aspx" target="_blank">press release</a>, Adobe stated that Figma’s web-based, multi-player capabilities will accelerate the delivery of Adobe’s Creative Cloud technologies on the web, making the creative process more productive and accessible to more people.
With this acquisition, Adobe once more solidified its position in the creative industry. With responsive design taking over about a decade ago, other apps such as <a href="https://www.omnigroup.com/omnigraffle/" target="_blank">Omnigraffle</a> and later <a href="https://www.sketch.com/" target="_blank">Sketch App</a> were born – and embraced by designers by offering a better solution for creating wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes suited for the responsive web. This was a huge departure from Photoshop and Illustrator and their respectively rigid structures. 
Figma is not alone in the web-based collaboration and UI design space. Platforms like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/uxpin-merge-review-sync-react-components-with-prototypes/">UXPin</a>, another subscription-based wireframing and prototyping tool, are effectively <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/uxpin-merge-review-sync-react-components-with-prototypes/" target="_blank">bridging the gap between designers and developers</a>. 
As Figma zeroes in on $400 million in revenues at the end of 2022, it's safe to say that there's ample potential in this growing market space – and we'll have to see how Adobe's mindboggling acquisition brings imagination to life. 
<h2>About Figma</h2>
Figma is the open design company founded in 2012 by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace. With Figma’s cloud-based screen design tool, teams achieve a shared understanding around design without worrying about syncing, exporting, or installing software. Anyone involved in the product development process can always share up-to-date files with a link. That makes it easy to collaborate on the latest designs and prototypes and see their code attributes. Figma has simplified collaboration across the entire design process for thousands of companies like Microsoft, Slack, and Uber and millions of users, including designers, developers, product managers, marketers, and others.

Shock and Awe: Adobe to Acquire UI Design Platform Figma for $20 Billion

paris-tuzun

<a href="https://www.wix.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wix</a>, one of the industry's leading website builders, announced its first-ever developer conference, <a href="https://www.wixdevcon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wix DevCon 2022</a> – which will take place September 7 - 8 in New York City.
Wix DevCon will present a unique opportunity for the broad developer community to learn about the company's growth as a cutting-edge developer platform and ecosystem. The two-day event will consist of talks from a range of Wix experts and leadership, including CEO Avishai Abrahami.
Attendees will also hear from Yoav Abrahami, Head of Code and Chief Architect for Velo – Wix's full-stack development platform that empowers users to build, manage, and deploy professional web apps rapidly.
According to Wix, DevCon will enable attendees to learn and exchange ideas, elevating and extending their development skills by exploring the newest Wix developer-centric products, tools, and technologies. 
And the icing on the cake: event attendees will also be the first to hear about new Wix product announcements.
“Wix DevCon 2022 will bring our community of developers together for a unique insight into how Wix tools were created, how to get the most out of them, and offer the community a chance to interact and learn from one another,” said Abrahami. “An immersive, differentiated, and exclusive experience, attendees will have unparalleled access to the heart of development at Wix, enabling them to confidently create the business capabilities they need. Furthermore, at the event, we’ll unveil an exciting new product innovation that will change the future of web development at Wix.”
<h2>Offering both a no-code website builder and a full-stack development platform</h2>
Wix – which is best known for its incredibly popular drag-and-drop website builder – has become a go-to platform for artists, freelancers, and small business owners looking to establish brands online without the hassle of coding and complexity. 
While it competes with well-known brands like <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/squarespace-a-diy-website-builder-1/">Squarespace</a>, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/duda-snaps-up-snipcart-to-boost-e-commerce-capabilities-qa-with-ceo-itai-sadan/">Duda</a>, and <a href="https://www.weebly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Weebly</a>, Wix has carved out a competitive advantage with its array of rich templates, its progressive <a href="https://www.wix.com/blog/2016/06/wix-artificial-design-intelligence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wix ADI</a> (Artificial Design Intelligence), and solid user support. 
Two years ago, Wix introduced <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/wix-introduces-editor-x-offers-designers-advanced-tools-for-building-custom-websites/">Editor X</a>, its new drag-and-drop web builder for web designers and digital agencies that are seeking to push the aesthetic limits without the hassle of coding from scratch. From there, the company continued to enrich its customization features. 
With the introduction of DevCon, Wix seems poised to transform its customer base by attracting more developers to the flock. By providing a more expansive platform that offers both a no-code website builder and a full-stack development platform, Wix is also upping the ante on how "custom" a website or app can be when built with its technology. This means users are no longer limited, regardless of their goals as a small business, agency designer, or advanced developer. 
<h2>How to Attend Wix DevCon 2022</h2>
As mentioned, Wix DevCon bites into the Big Apple in early September. The sessions will include groundbreaking product reveals, live tours through the Wix developer ecosystem, engineering talks, programming workshops, fireside chats from the industry experts, and community showcases of the best websites built on Wix.
Wix DevCon 2022 will be held from September 7 - 8 at <a href="https://lavan541.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lavan541</a> in New York City. Sessions begin at 8:00 AM and last through 4:00 PM (EST). 
Wix DevCon is completely free. However, space is limited, so the company recommends registering early to ensure your spot. If you can't make it to NYC, no worries – you can see the entire program virtually via the event website.
For tickets, session schedules, speaker lineups, and more, visit Wix's beautiful DevCon website at <a href="https://www.wixdevcon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.wixdevcon.com</a>
<h2>About Wix</h2>
Wix is a leading platform to create, manage and grow a digital presence. What began as a website builder in 2006 is now a complete platform providing users with enterprise-grade performance, security and a reliable infrastructure. Offering a wide range of commerce and business solutions, advanced SEO and marketing tools, Wix enables users to have full ownership of their brand, their data and their relationships with their customers. With a focus on continuous innovation and delivery of new features and products, anyone can build a powerful digital presence to fulfill their dreams on Wix.

Wix to Host First-Ever Developers Conference, Wix DevCon 2022

UXPin Merge Review: Sync Your Design Libraries with React Components in Git

UXPin and Merge logos against a highway with merge sign

If you asked today’s web designers which wireframing or prototyping tool is best, you’re likely to get a few different answers. Well, maybe more than a few.As you might have guessed, there are plenty of choices out there: free tools, SaaS apps, and even some that aren’t purpose-built for the job (think <a target="_blank" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/powerpoint">PowerPoint</a>). With so many options to choose from, it may prove challenging to find a single tool that meets your needs.While most platforms offer similar features, few bring the entire design process into a unified experience. That’s where UXPin is changing the game. In this review, we’ll explore the benefits of their all-in-one wireframing and prototyping tool, which offers some slick, integrated capabilities – and is designed to work across every device.<h3>Wireframing and prototyping: what’s the difference?</h3>Building a website or mobile app without wireframes is like building a house without blueprints. Wireframes save significant time in the design process and help bring ideas and concepts into laser focus.But what exactly is a wireframe? Quite simply, it’s a low-fidelity “skeleton” of a website. Wireframes show the general layout of web pages, the elements on those pages, and the size and placement of those elements. Since it is meant to convey a website’s architecture, it is intentionally devoid of any colors or graphics.Wireframes are lightweight and fast to produce, allowing for ample design thinking, lean UX development, and iterative feedback. A lot of designers still start their wireframing on paper, sketching out digital components and entities in the most analog way.Prototypes, on the other hand, are medium-to-high fidelity views of a website or application. They offer more detail, showcasing visual elements such as colors, graphics, and font types. In essence, a prototype is a preview of what a working website or mobile application will look like to a user.<h3>A brief history of wireframes and prototypes</h3>Wireframes and prototypes have certainly been around the block. Wireframing has its roots in magazine mockups for galleys and layouts, while prototyping evolved from software product development with visual UI requirements – and a need for rapid testing and feedback.While wireframes are elemental in nature – using simple shapes and objects to detail the flow and structure – designers have often relied on different tools when moving into prototyping. The first ones emerged in the 1980s with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator.html">Adobe Illustrator</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html">Photoshop</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/visio/flowchart-software/">Microsoft Visio</a>.But it wasn’t until IBM introduced RAD (Rapid Application Development) in the 90s that the concept of minimum viable prototypes (MVPs) took off – and so did the focus on design experience. By the early 2000s, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.omnigroup.com/omnigraffle/">Omnigraffle</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gliffy.com/">Gliffy</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://balsamiq.com/">Balsamiq</a> were changing the way designers think about wireframing and prototyping by giving them more options to choose from. By 2010, UXPin and other solutions were hitting the market. The rest, as they say, is history.<h3>What is UXPin?</h3>UXPin is a comprehensive cloud-based design prototyping tool that works on any operating system. It brings developers and designers together even if they use Mac and Windows – because UXPin is fully powered by the cloud.With UXPin, you can move seamlessly through every phase of your project – from low-fidelity wireframes to high-fidelity prototypes – with access to rich features like interactive elements and animations. In addition, UXPin allows you to add conditional interactions, variables, and expressions to get your prototypes closer to real, coded apps.One of the best things about UXPin is that it's designed with both individual designers and teams in mind. It's flexible enough for a freelancer working on their own – or a squad collaborating to develop new products or experiences. UXPin offers some dynamite capabilities for enterprise customers to manage their teams and libraries with advanced permissions, making it an awesome platform for an ecosystem of users.<h3>Features</h3>Components<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/uxpin-components.jpg" />Components save you plenty of time by minimizing repetitive and tedious work – allowing you to reuse existing parts across your designs. A button, a footer, an icon, or even a cell in a table can be a Component. UXPin comes with a handy library of pre-made components, but it also allows you to create your own components. You can also share them across your projects through UXPin’s Design System Libraries.Built-in Design Libraries<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/uxpin-expressions.jpg" />Apart from your own libraries, UXPin offers built-in iOS, Material Design, Bootstrap, Foundation, and User Flows libraries – each with interactive elements, colors, text styles, and icons.Design system libraries are the place for shared design patterns (such as colors, text styles, assets, and Components) that allow teams to build high quality, consistent prototypes. This empowers users to save time while keeping projects steadily on-brand. With DS libraries, you can also create a fully-documented Design System.Data For a lot of designers, Lorem Ipsum is still a go-to placeholder for text. Still, for some projects, Latin copy isn't preferable – even at the mockup stage.Another great feature of UXPin is that enables users to add real content to their wireframes and prototypes using the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.uxpin.com/studio/blog/replace-lorem-ipsum-with-real-data/">Data</a> feature. Upload JSON, CSV or URLs and demo a prototype that's even closer to the finished product. If you're early in the process and want to use filler for placement, UXPin also has a database of placeholder components, from mock names to dummy credit card numbers.One other notable feature is stock photography. Most platforms don't provide direct access to image libraries, which can be essential to developing a finished prototype. UXPin lets you upload photos directly from their partner, <a target="_blank" href="https://unsplash.com/">Unsplash</a>. This integration may seem like a small thing, but it can accelerate the entire design process from idea to execution by enabling users to work fluidly in a single, unified platform.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/uxoin-unsplash-integration.gif" />Make Your Designs Interactive Once you build the static version of your prototype, you can use states to add interactive elements such as text fields, checkboxes, and radio buttons.In UXPin, each element can have several states with a different set of properties and interactions. For example, you’ll be able to create a single button that has a default, hover, active and disabled state – and then switch between these states once a specific action is triggered. States also let you build complex components like drop-down menus or navigations.For each state, you can determine an alternative set of properties. In the case of a button, it could be a different fill and content. The important fact is that you’ll still have the same elements, just with various styling options.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/uxpin-element-states.gif" />Import from Sketch One cool feature of UXPin is its ability to import from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sketch.com/">Sketch</a>, which is an incredibly popular design tool. It seems like the UXPin team really understands the value that other applications play in the design ecosystem, and they’ve made it easier to build meaningful connections.Importing designs from Sketch to UXPin is just a simple drag-and-drop. UXPin keeps all of your layers intact, so you can pick up exactly where you left off and turn them into fully interactive online prototypes.Easy Collaboration UXPin is a cloud-based tool that works on any operating system – so you and your teammates can collaborate in real-time. As we've already mentioned, it effectively "unites" designers and developers, even if they use Mac and Windows systems. You can even take your collaboration to the next level with in-app commenting, allowing you to tag your teammates in comments and keep them in the loop when you're working on the same prototype.You can also make the most of your collaborative design process and invite your team, stakeholders, and reviewers to work with you. It's incredibly simple to set their permissions via User Management and control what they can see and do.Preview Designs on Mobile With the UXPin Mirror app, you can effortlessly preview your prototypes on mobile devices to see how they look and behave. As you make changes in the editor, the prototype on your mobile device will update on the fly.Another nifty feature: you can download the UXPin app from <a target="_blank" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.uxpin.mirror">Google Play</a> or <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/uxpin-mirror/id1446596008?ls=1&amp;mt=8">App Store</a> and see exactly how your designs look on mobile devices.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/uxpin-preview.png" /><h3>Pricing</h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/uxpin-pricing-annual.jpg" />UXPin offers two types of pricing: monthly and annual. There are four tiers:Basic Plan Get everything you’ll need for wireframing and prototyping, including animations, interactions, and states. Basic also offers:<ul><li>Version history for saving iterations of your designs and retrieving them at will.</li><li>Export function for moving your designs to PDF, PNG, and HTML.</li><li>Stakeholder approval for sharing your prototypes with your team or customers, gathering feedback, and obtaining the all-important "OK" to proceed.</li></ul><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/uxpin-custom-workflows.png" /><ul><li>Comments and assignments for keeping your team and stakeholders connected around feedback and assigning specific tasks.</li><li>Password-protected views for securing your prototypes with a password.</li></ul>The Basic Plan is $24 per month but offers a discounted rate of $13 per month with an annual plan.Advanced Everything from the Basic plan, plus:<ul><li>Contextual documentation to set up guidelines or leave notes – and pin them to specific elements on your prototype.</li><li>Conditional logic for setting rules around custom interactions.</li><li>Expressions, which use Javascript to create computational components like shopping carts or validate user inputs such as emails.</li><li>Variables that dynamically update text elements, capture data from inputs, or store user preferences for later use on your prototype.</li></ul>The Advanced Plan is $39 per month. But like the Basic Plan, it offers a discounted rate of $29 per month with an annual plan.Professional Everything from the Advanced Plan, plus:<ul><li>Design systems: package your design, code, and other elements to create reusable Components and style guides.</li><li>Roles &amp; permissions: define what team members can do and what projects they have access to. Each team member has one role – “creator”, “manager”, “owner”, or “collaborator” – and you can control the state and privileges.</li><li>Priority support: get help when you need it via email, phone, or Zoom.</li><li>Advanced security: trust that anything you design is securely encrypted and fully backed-up by UXPin.</li></ul>The Professional Plan is $89 per month with a discount to $69 per month with an annual plan.Enterprise UXPin’s Enterprise plan is perfect for large organizations with dedicated design teams and product development squads. Used by Fortune 500 companies, Enterprise provides unlimited users, unlimited design systems, and advanced security – all of which allows you to facilitate the design process at scale.The Enterprise Plan has custom pricing based on the size and needs of your organization.<h3>Conclusion</h3>UXPin really earns the “UX” part of its name by focusing on the user experience. It’s the perfect blend of features for both wireframing and prototyping, and it brings team collaboration to the next level by working across platforms and operating systems. It definitely feels like an enterprise-grade product, but it’s also a solid tool for freelancers with its affordable Basic Plan.If you’re curious how UXPin stacks up against their competition, check out their “tale of the tape” comparison on their website. They proudly display how they rate against other similar platforms such as Figma, Invision, Framer, Adobe XD, Sketch, Axure, Balsamiq, Zeplin, Marvel App, and Proto.io. They even provide a <a target="_blank" href="https://get.uxpin.com/uxpin-vs-sketch/">checklist of differences</a>.One of the biggest advantages of UXPin is that it’s cloud-based. This allows users to design, prototype, and test ideas together – whenever, wherever. This is a big advantage over Sketch (for example), which only works on macOS. Someone using a Windows system can’t use Sketch, nor do they have access to files sent by other team members using it. Still, with Sketch being such a popular design tool, UXPin lets you import Sketch files and templates directly into their app – so you can get the best of both worlds.There is one con with UXPin: as a SaaS product, you’re on the hook to pay in perpetuity. With tools like Sketch, you only pay for the product once and renew when you’d like to upgrade. Your files belong to you – and aren’t locked into a third-party system. But what if you want to cancel your UXPin subscription? Well, if you want to maintain your libraries and components, you’ll need to “park your account” and keep an active profile. That costs $5 per month and only lets you preview your projects or export them. You can reactivate at any time, but it might be worth considering when you decide to sign up.If you’d like to see some examples of projects done with UXPin, they have a prototype showcase: <a target="_blank" href="https://showcase.uxpin.com/">https://showcase.uxpin.com/</a>You can also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.uxpin.com/sign-up">try UXPin for free</a> for 14 days without a credit card. You’ll be limited to 2 projects, but it’s still a great way to take it for a test drive and experience it yourself as a user.<h3>About UXPin</h3><a target="_blank" href="https://www.uxpin.com/">UXPin</a> is a design platform that for building mockups and wireframes, interactive prototypes, UX document creation, and collaborating with both design and development teams. Features include variables, conditional interactions, expressions, interactive states, and a data generator integrated with Unsplash to get free stock photos directly in UXPin.Unlike in other image-based design tools, anything you create in UXPin is based on html, css and js code. Since it's the same technology developers will work with, their code will match your design perfectly.Why code-based design? Since 2010, UXPin has been on a mission to enable the best user experiences by merging design and engineering into one world of better, faster product development.

UXPin Review: Elevate Design with All-in-one Prototyping and Wireframing

It’s impossible to deny Wix.
Just ask supermodel Karlie Kloss, the star of their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4meDcOLeWSs">2019 Super Bowl ad</a> – and founder of a <a href="https://www.kodewithklossy.com/">code camp for young women</a>.
In 30 seconds, she shared her personal Wix website with millions of viewers, highlighting features like the Wix Pro Gallery and SEO Wiz (both catchy names for an event that involves a lot of catching). 
Needless to say, it was a touchdown.
Kloss isn’t the first celebrity to promote Wix as the world’s premier website building and content management platform. A quick YouTube search will bring up the likes of Jason Statham and Gal Gadot in a 2017 Big Game spot. And it’s no surprise they can foot the bill for these heavy hitters and massive media buys: at last count, Wix is host to 160 million websites.
That’s worthy of a Super Bowl ring. Or five.
Wix has certainly established itself as the go-to solution for small, do-it-yourself entrepreneurs (think local florist or photography studio), competing with other “pre-fab” solutions like <a href="/squarespace-7-review/">Squarespace</a> and <a href="/weebly-review-2016/">Weebly</a>.
Like these platforms, Wix has always lead with simplicity. Basic templates and attractive themes allow for mobile responsiveness and limited control over images, color, content, and other dimensions. You can easily add features like photo galleries or browse the Wix App Market for some nifty integrations. It’s also one of the only platforms that allow you to animate elements and offers an AI-driven design bot that (sort of) assists with simple tasks.
When it comes to offering more advanced designers the freedom to explore and customize – while still delivering a low-code experience – Wix has generally fumbled the ball. But the game might be changing with Editor X.
<h3 id="introducing-editor-x">Introducing Editor X</h3>
Previously available as a closed beta program, Wix recently launched its new Editor X, specifically built for web designers and digital agencies that are seeking to push the aesthetic limits without the hassle of coding from scratch. Much of the emphasis has been on adopting drag-and-drop feature sets, which has been the main focus of many CMS platforms – the most popular being <a href="/gutenberg-2-years-later-is-wordpress-better-off/">Gutenberg</a>.
Wix has now entered the competitive field with Editor X, combining advanced drag-and-drop capabilities with cutting edge responsive design, flexible grids with full breakpoint control, and advanced CSS editing and control (in fact, you don’t even need to know CSS). For designers who are seeking to create more bespoke, hand-crafted experiences, Editor X could be a win.
“Gifted and talented creators have the ability to see the invisible and create the unimaginable,” said Wix Co-founder and CEO, Avishai Abrahami. “Until now these creators’ only option was platforms with restricted design freedoms or limited business web infrastructure that demanded code and multiple plugins. With Editor X, we’ve built the world’s best CSS editor and designed a radical new creative landscape for designers and web professionals, one in which the technology keeps pace with designers’ visions and enables them to swiftly create breathtaking websites, applications and digital experiences that continually raise the standard of the web.”
Here's a short video introduction to Editor X:
<figure class="kg-card kg-embed-card kg-card-hascaption"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bpEHKYd51cY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe><figcaption>Introducing Editor X</figcaption></figure>
<h3 id="what-features-come-with-editor-x">What Features Come with Editor X?</h3>
<a href="https://www.editorx.com/">Editor X</a> is made with designers and agencies in mind. It offers advanced layout capabilities that allow you to create more complex website designs for any device – all without using code.
While that’s the main selling point of Editor X, it actually comes with a number of additional features and capabilities for development, business solutions, digital marketing, and SEO.
Main Features
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/HVzjSdXdJCfiAg_T3SxrcCqzypCRDEhp2tyjBcSsc9noz5agWsbPDz5Jx8FF9TM1NZdXVsjScpkEqT0kGvdA5uavmE79DPZWq34zUt8xXy-RAd2MAG142nDy-xCZGKxv_qdnwBMwZA8GNJUPng" alt="A picture containing electronics, table, monitor, deskDescription automatically generated" /><figcaption>Editor X Responsive Views</figcaption></figure>
Editor X manages to solve some of the biggest challenges facing modern designers and web professionals – from custom code to no code. The core <a href="https://www.editorx.com/features">features</a> include:
<ul>
<li>Breakpoint Precision: Create custom breakpoints, rearrange layouts, choose what to show or hide, and fine tune sites at every viewport.</li>
<li>CSS Grid: Design with CSS – without even thinking about CSS! Editor X brings a truly accessible, easy-to-use gateway to CSS.</li>
<li>Flexbox Technology: Let your content automatically adjust to every screen in single, multiple, and repeating layouts.</li>
<li>Custom Code: Integrate custom code and connect to internal/external APIs.</li>
<li>Integrated Business Infrastructure: Access Wix’s expansive range of business solutions to manage multiple sales channels, set up online bookings and scheduling, improve SEO performance, and more.</li>
</ul>
Design &amp; Layout
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/2F6sAkhXXmMn6_jYC4rKjBcvMrQfnsK-lqI1ACjWUfHJL-aKce6TkUJ-tfyqBaSf4RcVQ_v5grWu8mHz_YnusRc_VjLQ0V_BJhbVQU7vjQu36VQ0GZ3Od_aY9ya29C-dnFy3DWliYPFzrbGzow" alt="A screen shot of a computerDescription automatically generated" /><figcaption>Editor X Aligning Elements</figcaption></figure>
Editor X was built to expand the Wix design potential. It offers granular layout capabilities that allow you to create complex website designs for any device, all without using code. Some of the coolest design features include:
<ul>
<li>Grid Layouting: An advanced two-dimensional layout system based on CSS grid.</li>
<li>Docking: Anchors elements to a specific position as the viewport changes.</li>
<li>Stack &amp; scale: Reorient media for seamless responsive behavior.</li>
<li>Text scale: Create scalable font sizes as part of a design solution.</li>
<li>Flex Layouter: A smart layout system that relies on Flexbox technology for automatic reorganization of content while resizing.</li>
<li>Custom Breakpoints: Tailor designs to any viewport, not just classic devices.</li>
<li>Flexible canvas: Leverage resizing handles to instantly see and customize your design across viewports.</li>
<li>Advanced sizing control: Define your element as fixed or fluid, using wide support for modern CSS units.</li>
<li>Wix Design System: Features sections with built-in responsive behavior matched to the color palette of your site.</li>
</ul>
Development
Editor X also provides plenty of tools for developers who want to add custom code and build data rich websites. Some of these features include:
<ul>
<li>Dynamic Pages: Design one-page layouts or create unlimited pages – each with their own content, URL and SEO.</li>
<li>Database APIs: Use data APIs in your website’s front-end or backend code to manage and organize data.</li>
<li>Built-in IDE: Make coding more productive using the built-in IDE, equipped with syntax highlighting, code completion and more.</li>
<li>Custom Interactions: Create unique user interactions by triggering events when visitors perform specific actions.</li>
</ul>
Business Solutions
Running an online business always requires a few third-party applications. With Editor X and the Wix platform, you can have all of it in one place. Add an eCommerce store and accept payments, or a member section where customers can sign in and manage their personal accounts. You can also offer live chat, set up automations to collect leads, and <a href="https://www.editorx.com/features/business-ecommerce">so much more</a>.
The Wix App Market offers a wide range of integrations like form generators, social plugins, marketing tools and more. But builder beware: like open source marketplaces, many of the apps are made by third parties – and aren’t guaranteed by Wix.
Web Solutions
On Wix, every website you build is completely hosted – and includes an SSL certificate (which is being deprecated and replaced by TLS). Wix provides automatic updates, so your websites stay secure without any hassles or concerns over managing your own security requirements.
You can also search, purchase, and register domains directly through Editor X.
Marketing &amp; SEO
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/19u-wog6LhGCOi3lLpgMVChee4T3Kcx2xuCEK1NLbBzoDAUZrbNpoGNFI0jlt6xL1zv5LZM0ne1hPlxoBP-KpJVvx6a8ajhu_nkAP0MLsJvuDrAKl4XPe3FVk7Ba8lwxR5lpklq4BxR3ZZiCdA" alt="A screen shot of a clockDescription automatically generated" /><figcaption>Editor X SEO Settings</figcaption></figure>
In addition to providing basic SEO tools such as XML site maps, structured data, canonical URLs and 301 redirects, Editor X offers custom SEO plans and email marketing. Every website comes with a tailor-made SEO package that helps ensure your websites rank decently on Google. You can also drive traffic with professional email marketing campaigns, and review how visitors interact with your client sites by tracking visits through their built-in analytics tools.
<h3 id="performance">Performance</h3>
So far, Editor X looks a bit like “Weapon X.” It’s got everything that’s been missing from Wix and gives designers and agencies a more customizable platform to build on. Why choose anything else?
One word: performance.
When testing the <a href="https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.editorx.com%2F">page speed</a> of <a href="https://www.editorx.com/">editorx.com</a>, the score is staggering 34 out of 100 – almost exactly the same as the Rotten Tomatoes score for “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” That’s not good.
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/nsje8VvBnPAjtAcOsfn-F19_BGM9JgOsUeJs4MOxkeNski7caip-zddZcI1bb1brGYdJlwChaywa25b1oTQ69St5e7LN_nL6mZAAK-4QP79S128N8e4orDa6JNhvT62ri_R6IX7iO4w1IAK4qg" alt="Editor-X Page Speed Screenshot" /><figcaption>https://www.editorx.com's Google Page Insights Score</figcaption></figure>
This is not a problem unique to Editor X, of course. All website builders since Dreamweaver have been plagued by the code bloat problem. In case you’re not familiar, code bloat is unnecessarily long or wasteful code that slows down websites. A lot.
When Squarespace pioneered code-free website building and attracted millions with its style and aesthetics, it seemed like everyone could build websites with no working knowledge of HTML and CSS. Over time, as it became more complex and conflated, the entire platform evolved into a page-loading nightmare.
If performance really matters, you might want to think twice about Editor X. 
<h3 id="conclusion">Conclusion </h3>
Editor X was conceived with designers in mind. And it tends to deliver with a richer, more complete set of tools and greater domain over the design experience. Even a small business or solopreneur that craves more control could get a lot of value out of Editor X. The problem lies with performance: if page speed and loads times are critical – and you have a larger, more expansive website – you might want an enterprise-worthy solution that can handle the demands of a content team.
Ready to try it out? Click <a href="https://users.editorx.com/signin?sendEmail=true&amp;view=sign-up&amp;originUrl=https:%2F%2Fwww.editorx.com&amp;loginCompName=Signup_H&amp;referralInfo=Editorx_Signup_H&amp;postLogin=https:%2F%2Fmanage.editorx.com%2Faccount%2Fsites&amp;overrideLocale=en&amp;forceRender=true">here</a>. 
<h3 id="about-editor-x">About Editor-X</h3>
<a href="https://www.editorx.com/">Editor X</a> is an advanced creation platform for designers and web professionals. The platform combines cutting edge responsive design with smooth drag and drop. Those that want to can add custom code and use a powerful CMS to build data-driven sites and complex web applications. Editor X offers an unparalleled range of integrated business solutions from a leading eCommerce infrastructure to professional marketing and SEO tools. Editor X is part of <a href="https://www.wix.com/">Wix.com Ltd</a>.
<h3 id="about-wix">About Wix</h3>
<a href="https://www.wix.com/">Wix</a> is leading the way with a cloud-based development platform for over 170 million registered users worldwide. Wix was founded on the belief that the Internet should be accessible to everyone to develop, create and contribute. Through free and premium subscriptions, Wix empowers millions of businesses, organizations, artists and individuals to take their businesses, brands and workflow online. The Wix Editor, Wix ADI, a highly curated App Market, Ascend by Wix and Corvid by Wix enable users to build and manage a fully integrated and dynamic digital presence.

Wix Introduces Editor X, Offers Designers Advanced Tools for Building Custom Websites

Reid Hoffman, the serial tech entrepreneur and founder of LinkedIn, once said: “If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you've launched too late.”
Of course, in the world of open source software like WordPress, it’s hard to know exactly when anything will launch. And when it does, there’s certain to be a lot of bugs.
That was the case with Gutenberg, the long-awaited upgrade to the WordPress visual editor that was first introduced in late 2017. At the time, the WordPress editing experience had grown stagnant, and content managers were hungry for new page building capabilities. There’s no question that the impetus to develop a more robust editor was a reaction to the rise of authoring platforms like Medium and easy page-building competitors like Wix and Squarespace.
But as is often the case in software, things don’t always go according to plan. And when they don’t, end users are the first ones to let you know.
Time flies, and it’s hard to believe that it’s already been over two years since Gutenberg’s launch. Much like the printing press of its namesake, the first edition was fraught with issues and drew a lot of negative feedback. Nonetheless, it brought the promise of more modular page building capabilities within a modern, React-based UI. This helped circumvent some of the massive tech debt and backward compatibility challenges that exist with WordPress, favoring a more forward-leaning solution over fixes to the core software.
Over time, users have adapted to the good, the bad, and the unpredictable. Now, Gutenberg has graduated to a core role in the WordPress platform. In fact, the WordPress 5.0 release in 2018 <a href="/the-first-release-candidate-for-wordpress-5-0-is-now-available-and-sadly-it-brings-gutenberg-with-it/">featured Gutenberg as the default editor</a>, cementing its place in version history. But fear not: the WordPress Classical Editor is still available and supported, although it should be officially sunset on December 31, 2021.
Change is always scary – especially for long-term users. While some of the early adopters have grown to prefer (or even love) Gutenberg, the general reaction continues to be tacitly negative.  So far, Gutenberg has amassed more than 3,000 reviews with an <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/gutenberg/reviews/">average rating of 2/5.00</a>. Considering two years have passed since Gutenberg was released, the reviews indicate the major issues with Gutenberg – specifically the UX – have yet to be resolved.
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutenberg-reviews.png" srcset="/wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/size/w600/2020/07/gutenberg-reviews.png 600w, /wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/2020/07/gutenberg-reviews.png 626w" /></figure>
When it comes to WordPress reviews, users seldom hold back (just read a few of the posts and you’ll see more rants than raves). While Gutenberg hasn’t garnered a lot of stars, the picture isn’t all bad. The most common reactions are that it’s slow, not intuitive, and requires a lot of extra mouse clicks to get where you’re going. But many users agree that it’s heading in the right direction and addressing persistent issues like accessibility.
After two years of pressure-testing in the real world of web development and CMS, we’ll look at what Gutenberg gets right – and where it misses the mark.
A Brief Overview of Gutenberg
If you’re not at all familiar with Gutenberg for WordPress, it’s a visual editor with a dynamic drag-and-drop interface. It fully replaces the WordPress TinyMCE editor (aka the Classical Editor) as the default editor within the package. Most of this is being spearheaded by <a href="https://automattic.com/">Automattic</a>, the open source development company behind WordPress.com
Unlike the Classical Editor, Gutenberg uses “blocks” rather than text fields to manage content. In fact, everything in the experience is represented as a block: the paragraphs, buttons, images, quotes… everything. By using the inherent drag-and-drop functionality in the editor, you can arrange the order of your blocks around your specific content needs.
The block-based model is nothing new. Visual editors such as Wix and Squarespace are similarly designed, helping users create and manage content faster and easier. In addition to these platforms, there are also page builder plugins for WordPress such as Divi, Elementor and Beaver Builder, which use drag-and-drop functionality with a simplified UI. All of these feature embellishments have empowered content editors to be more productive with less coding.
With more than 74.6 million websites using WordPress, including major brands like Disney, TechCrunch, BBC America and more, the platform’s pervasiveness is undeniable. But this level of market penetration is understandable: content managers and editors want to focus on content, not code – and from the beginning, one of the main selling points of WordPress has been its low-code/no-code experience. It abstracted most of the complexity with building and managing websites by relying on libraries of pre-programmed themes and plugins. These widgets, both diverse and abundant, enabled any user to add functionality to their website – from schedulers to lead forms to shopping carts – with just a few clicks.
There was, however, one big exception: the TinyMCE editor. It still required editing HTML for deeper customizations. 
Open source platforms struggle to provide a roadmap that is both complete and reliable, and WordPress is no exception. While the market waited for improvements to the visual editor, other plugins emerged to address the challenges. When assessing the pros and cons of Gutenberg, it’s easier to compare it to these alternatives to see where the opportunities and issues exist.
How does Gutenberg differ from the Classical Editor &amp; How it Compares to Page Builders
So how does Gutenberg stack up against the Classical Editor and other page builder plugins? Well, the rise of these new block-based options has certainly stoked innovation. That said, it’s important to keep in mind that while Gutenberg is quite similar to these other WordPress page builders, it’s currently not a good replacement. In fact, WordPress doesn’t even classify Gutenberg as a “page builder” per se. While it might evolve to one in the future, WordPress more appropriately refers to it as a “block editor.”
Let’s compare just a few of the more notable features between Gutenberg and other page builders:
1.     Drag &amp; Drop Capabilities
Traditionally, to type text, insert content, or write code using the Classical Editor, you would have to manually shift your content around by cutting and pasting. With Gutenberg, you can assign each content component as its own block – such as a paragraph – and re-arrange the order of your blocks by simply dragging them up and down. 
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutenberg-dragging.png" srcset="/wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/size/w600/2020/07/gutenberg-dragging.png 600w, /wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/2020/07/gutenberg-dragging.png 737w" /></figure>
Paragraphs aren’t the only content blocks types. With Gutenberg, you can define headings, rows, columns, images, buttons, symbols, custom boxes, and even templates as blocks – and use the same drag-and-drop features to reorder your content. 
Although Gutenberg offers this slick drag-and-drop block feature, you’ll be compromising on customizations. For example, you can’t adjust the height and width of elements or add custom margins and padding, and elements can only be aligned to the left, right, and center. You can get around some of these limitations with additional CSS classes, but that means more coding and complexity. It all comes down to how much control you want over the details. 
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/gutenberg-image-aligning.png" srcset="/wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/size/w600/2020/07/gutenberg-image-aligning.png 600w, /wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/size/w1000/2020/07/gutenberg-image-aligning.png 1000w, /wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/2020/07/gutenberg-image-aligning.png 1499w" /></figure>
2.     Front-end Visual Editing
There’s no question that Gutenberg does a better job than the Classical editor of displaying your front-end styling within the visual editor. That said, it doesn’t provide the same level of accuracy as when you’re using a page builder like Elementor or Divi. With other page builders, you can see all of your changes rendered in the back-end – so you know exactly what your page will look like when published. With Gutenberg, you still need to manually click on the “Preview” button to see a draft page, which can be limiting from a content management perspective. For example, here is how a page looks in back-end editor versus in the preview mode:
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/preview.png" srcset="/wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/size/w600/2020/07/preview.png 600w, /wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/2020/07/preview.png 650w" /><figcaption>Back-End view of the page</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/backend-editor-2.png" srcset="/wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/size/w600/2020/07/backend-editor-2.png 600w, /wp-content/themes/cmscritic/img/cmscritic/content/images/2020/07/backend-editor-2.png 885w" /><figcaption>Preview of the page</figcaption></figure>
3.     Design and Styling
While Gutenberg is a big step up from the TinyMCE Classical Editor, it still falls short of page builder plug-ins when it comes to customizing styles. The Gutenberg editor will reflect any specific theme you’re using, which is quite useful – but that’s the extent of it. Page builder plug-ins not only offer complete control over styling from the ground up, but you also have the ability to override your theme’s visual settings.
We’re just scratching the surface on the pros and cons, but does this mean you should ditch Gutenberg for a page builder? Not necessarily. It all depends on what you want to accomplish. If your website has a simple layout and you want your content to fit harmoniously into a theme, going with Gutenberg might be a good idea. But if you crave more control over your page layouts and styles, a page builder is likely your best bet.
To Gutenberg… or not to Gutenberg?
That is the question! The answer? Well, that’s a little more complicated…
The real Gutenberg could never have imagined the evolution of his printing press. If only he could marvel at the invention of four-color digital presses that can instantly print thousands or even millions of impressions – all with a few mouse clicks. Sadly, innovation is sometimes slower than we would like it to be, and mistakes are all part of the process.
Much like these digital presses, the Gutenberg editor is a milestone in the evolution of the WordPress platform. It continues to demonstrate the commitment of the open source ecosystem to serve the needs of millions of web developers and content creators, each with their own set of goals – from managing a basic blog to crafting a custom experience.
Making things more “user friendly” is key to any software’s growth, and that’s where Gutenberg is endeavoring to shine. Unfortunately, it’s still not at a point where page builders like Divi or <a href="/elementor-hits-3-million-sites/">Elementor</a> compete. But that’s the beauty of WordPress and its ecosystem of plug-ins: there’s an incredible amount of choice, and that only seems to be expanding.
Custom is always the costliest commodity, and even the real Gutenberg knew that. That’s why his first books were simple and limited in their scope. But over time, the block components became more elaborate and decorative, and font styles more abundant. Eventually, it all felt “custom.”
The same might happen for the modern digital incarnation. The real question is: when?

Gutenberg, 2 Years Later: Is WordPress Better Off?

As religious organisations and churches have grown and evolved, the processes involved in running them have become even more complex. Managing a church now requires a much more comprehensive approach than simply relying upon a church leader to run everything. And this is where <a target="_blank" href="https://sites.faithlife.com/?utm_source=superbwebsitebuilders&amp;utm_medium=partner&amp;utm_content=partner&amp;utm_campaign=sitesreviews">Faithlife Sites</a> comes in. Faithlife Sites wants to take all of the work involved in running a church and make it easier. Let's see how they do it with a Faithlife Sites Review.Using a church CMS, users can create and customize their church websites using a variety of automated tools designed to take the background work out of running a church so that ministers can focus on their community priorities.Let’s look at how and if Faithlife Sites CMS has accomplished this goal.<h2>Getting Started</h2>Many website builders and content management systems make the initial integration part of their service quite difficult to get on board with, but with Faithlife Sites the initial pathway is pretty straightforward. Upon signing up (for free) you’re asked for the usual basic details of name, email and phone number before continuing on to the main dashboard.  <img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot-2019-05-09-at-15.png" />It’s from the dashboard that the real power of Faithlife Sites as a hub for any and all church needs is revealed. It’s seriously impressive. After you claim your church group, you’re taken to My Faithlife, which is where you can manage all aspects of a church community in one place. The transition from signup to dashboard, to actually getting started with the site design, is intuitive and well laid out.<h2>Design</h2>The website design is clean and easy to navigate. Nothing important is hidden away and there is a clear demarcation between My Faithlife, which is more of an end user part of the site, and the website/community manager sections.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot-2019-05-09-at-15-1691093724549.png" />The themes available for the site CMS are limited and there are only six in total, but they are perfectly suited for the needs of this target audience. There is also a selection of stock images that are free to use in the website builder itself.<h2>Usability and Support</h2>The support on Faithlife Sites is outstanding. They have an extensive help section which covers almost every part of the site and they are contactable via phone, email, and web chat via their help portal. There are also dozens of informative videos to talk through almost any query you could have.The usability of the site is a key part of the appeal of this CMS and you can tell that they’ve invested a lot of time researching their target demographic. Nothing in the site – from the initial sign-up and community management section, to the website builder – seems out of reach to even the most technophobic end user. The design of the site helps enormously, as it is clean, well-labelled and intuitive to the point of basic. This is a good thing, though, and I found myself getting up to speed with their system very quickly.<h2>Key Features</h2>The excellent website builder is the key selling point here. Some content management systems make website building and structuring seem like a labyrinthian process, but Faithlife Sites makes it incredibly easy. All of the pages are laid out on the side of the window in simple layers. Want to edit the home page? Just click on the home tab. Want to edit sermons or your about page? Just click on that page and then click on the piece you want to edit.The process of building a site using this CMS is incredibly simple and could be quickly picked up by almost anyone, in my opinion. The design aspects of the pages are limited but easily customisable in an intuitive way. You can also view your prospective site as it appears on a desktop screen, mobile, and pad. This is a small thing but it adds a lot of value.The community management software in Faithlife Sites is also incredibly powerful. With a minimal amount of work, you can start building an online church community that has a forum, combined calendar, group chat, and bulletin boards in easy reach that are easily controlled by a team of admins.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/bulletins_gofy9g.png" />There is also an excellent structure in place for taking and processing online donations that will be extremely useful to any church group. This is easily navigated and seems reliable.<h2>Pricing</h2>Faithlife Sites pricing is scaled depending on the size of your congregation. You can set up a basic site free of charge and premium packages start from $16.67 a month (when paid annually).All packages allow users to collaborate online with unlimited team accounts, run different presentations in multiple rooms concurrently, build presentations from any computer, anywhere, get over 5,000 free church graphics, and interact with the congregation by sending alerts directly to their phones, among other features.Higher value packages include free stock imagery, pro Media library, over 16,000 motions, stills, and mini-movies from Graceway, Church Motion Graphics, Dan Stevers, FreeBridge, Igniter, and Playback.This is a competitive pricing structure that incentivizes users to get a custom domain for their church rather than sticking with the basic free package that uses a subdomain structure.<h2>Pros</h2><ul><li>Incredibly easy to use</li><li>Vast support system to help almost anyone to complete their website</li><li>Free multimedia for a professional look</li><li>Competitively priced</li><li>Powerful community management dashboard that’s easy to navigate</li></ul><h2>Cons</h2><ul><li>Getting access to the initial page can be a little confusing as you have to find your church group on a map or via search.</li></ul><h2>Final Verdict 4/5</h2>Faithlife Sites is an excellent CMS that is incredibly easy to use and I highly recommend it for any church group that wants to go online. It’s such a powerful and simple CMS that there may even be a market for it outside of the church sphere, if they ever choose to go in that direction.

Faithlife Sites Review

grainne-logue

CMS Kickoff 26

Find out at CMS Kickoff 26, January 13 - 14, St. Pete FL

What's the future of CMS in the AI era?

#ffffff

You may fail to justify the time and resources invested in developing a good website design or redesigning your business web. However, the benefits you reap from a well-designed website are worthwhile. It ensures a good user experience, improves brand loyalty, and increases traffic as well as revenue.
Most branding and marketing strategies depend on web design to succeed. Your website is the first place where users establish contact with your business. The layout of your site will influence users to either use/buy a product from it or leave for another better one. Poorly designed websites affects the initial perception of your brand and UX of potential customers.
A terrible design will also affect your rankings on search engines making it difficult for visitors to find you. Read on to find out the most common mistakes in web design and their influences on users:
<h2>1. Poor first impression</h2>
If the first page of your website is ineffective and unattractive, you will experience high bounce rates thus affecting your ranking on search engines. A user will take at most 10 seconds to decide whether to stay or leave a site. Yours should create an excellent first impression to ensure it grabs the attention of users so that they remain on site and have time to convert them.
<h2>2. Non-responsive website design</h2>
A poorly designed website does not respond well on small devices such as smartphones. With eCommerce becoming a part of daily life, most online transactions are being completed by the use of mobile devices. Thus if your site is not mobile device-friendly, then you are losing a lot of opportunities to those with responsive sites. Besides, the number of users who would leave a website if it is not responsive is over 40%.
<h2>3. Takes too long to load</h2>
The best user experience is achieved when a website loads quickly. Businesses that do not invest in optimization of their site for speed risk providing poor UX, low search rankings and low conversion rates. 40% of website users will leave a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.
<h2>4. Cluttered homepage</h2>
Providing all there is to know about your business on your homepage is an overkill and a red flag to rank your site among those that have a terrible web design. An overcrowded site is not pleasing to the eye and makes the site lose its credibility. Your homepage should only carry the information that is valuable for your business. Even so, such information should be arranged in attractive layout that respects the white space rules. Ensure the page looks orderly and easy to navigate. Having a website with too much information will increase your bounce rates as users leave to look for other clean, professional, and simple websites designs. Here is a great example of non-cluttered homepage.
<h2>5. Fails on content</h2>
Poorly designed websites provide users with content that is irrelevant, provide no frequent content updates and content format is incorrect. If a user lands on your page but lacks the information they expected to find, they will leave to look for more search results that will provide them with the information they were looking for.
<h2>6. Mystery Meat Navigation (MMN)</h2>
MMN appeared mostly on websites in the past but is still prevalent in some modern designs. It refers to links that are invisible unless the user clicks on it or points the cursor at it. What is the point of creating links on your website if they are not visible? It is not a recommended practice for web designs. It leads to users abandoning your site to find an alternative one with clearly labelled links and call-to-actions.
<h2>7. Uses too much animation</h2>
Animations serves a professional purpose and are known to improve UX and UI on a site when used in moderation. But when you place animations everywhere that are mostly out of topic, you make your site look unprofessional and hilarious. This causes users to lose the credibility of your brand and leave for alternative website design.
<h2>8. Uncalled for pop-menus</h2>
Many websites users will not tolerate some pop-up menus that appear on their screens immediately when they enter the site. Pop-ups are confusing, annoying, and results to slow load speed which leads to increased bounce rates since a user cannot access the homepage directly thus lacking the information they wanted.
The impact a web design has on the users should not be taken for granted. Terrible website design is bad for your business. Ensure your users are getting the best experience by cleaning the above messes on your website. Always perform regular testing on your site to confirm users are enjoying the site. Read feedback and comments from your users frequently to determine if they are having problems using the website and address the difficulties if any.
Do everything in your site with moderation to avoid losing the credibility of your business and in the worst case scenario, destroy your reputation. If you build your website right, it can be your greatest asset to your brand's success, so invest in it.

Terrible Graphic Design Fails Not to Follow

dylan-menders

Web developers working abroad can benefit from several apps that improve their productivity, efficiency and overall capacity. They face many challenges when working abroad, from being in a new country and culture to dealing with region locking for web resources.
<h2 id="autohotkey"><a href="https://www.autohotkey.com/">AutoHotKey</a></h2>
This power user tool is a web developer's best friend. They can create custom hotkeys and make automated scripts that reduce the time they spend on repetitive tasks. The application is user-friendly and has complete documentation that makes it simple for users to harness its power. While it takes some time to configure for the web developer's specific needs, it's well worth the time and effort.
<h2 id="trail-wallet"><a href="http://voyagetravelapps.com/trail-wallet/">Trail Wallet</a></h2>
Tracking expenses can be difficult when a web developer is operating abroad. Currency conversion rates can change on a frequent basis and figuring out costs in that situation can be difficult. Things become even more complex when the web developer is taking a digital nomad approach to their work. They travel to new countries multiple times per year, which may involve different currency and cost of living. Trail Wallet is designed to take these factors into account. It gives web developers working abroad a full understanding of their cash flow and funds.
<h2 id="if-this-then-that"><a href="https://ifttt.com/">If This Then That</a></h2>
If This Then That connects applications to create powerful integrations between them. Unlike some automation and integration tools, If This Then That streamlines the process and makes it as user-friendly as possible. It has a broad range of support for integration without needing to work directly with an application's API, which cuts down on the time that's needed for integration. Since it's a popular service, it also has a lot of documentation and third-party information on automation ideas that are helpful for a web developer working abroad.
<h2 id="slack"><a href="https://slack.com/">Slack</a></h2>
Client communication is key and sometimes email and phone calls don't cut it. The time zone difference between a web developer and their clients can also make discussions difficult. Slack is a group chat application that has many useful features and integrations. The product is in active development, so improvements happen on a regular basis. The base set of features are powerful and make it simple for web developers to share project updates, files and other resources. It's supported on a wide range of platforms, so they can check Slack on their mobile devices to ensure that there are no client emergencies waiting while they're out.
One particularly useful way that web developers working abroad can use Slack is by setting up chat bots that can address common client inquiries even when the developer is away from the computer or their phone. This option cuts down on the amount of customer service that the developer has to worry about, which allows them to better focus on their primary task at hand.
<h2 id="surfshark-vpn"><a href="https://surfshark.com/vpn-free-trial">SurfShark VPN</a></h2>
A web developer may face the dreaded region-lock when attempting to access content from their home country or other locations. This situation can make it difficult or impossible to move forward with a project that requires that information. SurfShark VPN eliminates this problem by providing a virtual private network with servers in many countries. The web developer can route their traffic through the VPN and make it appear as though they are trying to access the resources from an approved country. It also makes it difficult for anyone to monitor their web activities, which is useful for improving privacy.
<h2 id="asana"><a href="https://asana.com/">Asana</a></h2>
A lack of clarity can lead to the web developer and their clients having different expectations of a project. The client may be confused about the project scope, status or other details. Asana is a project management solution that keeps clients in the loop at each stage of the project. This application is particularly useful if the web developer works with a team and needs to coordinate with multiple people to get the job done.
<h2 id="worldtime-buddy"><a href="https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/">WorldTime Buddy</a></h2>
Deadlines can be confusing when working abroad. The web developer may be used to converting the time from their own country, which doesn't work when they're thousands of miles away. If they miss too many deadlines, then they can lose projects and even clients. WorldTime Buddy is a simple application that shows the time around the world. It's the perfect companion app for web developers working abroad, especially when they need to time conference calls and other real-time communication.
<h2 id="canva"><a href="https://www.canva.com/">Canva</a></h2>
Sometimes pulling out Photoshop or another graphic design tool for a project is overkill. Prototypes need placeholders, and Canva is a quick and easy application for putting together simple images. It has many templates for common web elements like blog post images and advertisements. The service also has many free to use design assets already included with the subscription fee. Graphic designers may not always have the time to put mockups together, and this application allows web developers to get what they need to move the project forward.
<h2 id="rescue-time"><a href="https://www.rescuetime.com/">Rescue Time</a></h2>
Rescue Time is a time tracking application that makes it possible for web developers to track exactly what they're doing throughout the day. If they face productivity issues, they get a weekly report from the application that details their schedule. The premium version also includes tools that help improve their focus at work with website blocking and offline task tracking.
<h2 id="calendly"><a href="https://calendly.com/">Calendly</a></h2>
Playing phone or email tag to get meetings set up is quite frustrating. It becomes even more difficult if the web developer is working with someone from an inconvenient time zone. Calendly gives web developers the opportunity to create appointment blocks that the client and choose from. They don't need to sign up for anything to access the appointment booking schedule. The web developer can simply share a link. It's even possible to embed it on their portfolio website for a truly seamless experience. Once they pick a good time for them, it gets placed on the web developer's calendar.
Working abroad is an excellent opportunity for web developers, but it does come with its challenges. These applications decrease the potential frustration of this situation and help make web developers more productive and efficient.

Top Suggested Apps for Web Developers Working Abroad

mike-johnston

<a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/cc-sitejet">Sitejet</a> is a comprehensive website builder that combines web design, content management, and project management into one complete platform. The brains behind the operation are a group of friends from Germany who initially developed the product as an in-house tool to support their own web design agency before deciding to launch it to the public in 2018.In this review, we will give you an overview of how Sitejet actually works so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.<h2>Getting Started</h2>Setting up your Sitejet account is a simple process of filling in a few fields with your name, email, and company details. It’s as easy as that. You’ll start off with a 14 day free trial which gives you full access to “try before you buy”.<h2>Usability</h2>As soon as you log into Sitejet you’ll notice that it appears much more advanced than the standard website builder. This indicative of its primary market of designers and agencies.There are an extensive range of customization options available which could be overwhelming for newbies and the WYSIWYG editor uses some technical terms that may initially confuse the less experienced user. However this shouldn’t be an issue for the professional market that Sitejet is targeting.For the web design pros who aren’t interested in the drag-and-drop feature, manual coding is also available with HTML, CSS, or Javascript coding options.It’s also worth noting that new users are presented with a checklist guide to help navigate the website creation process step-by-step, so the learning curve is manageable regardless of your level of experience.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen-shot-2019-02-11-at-12.png" />Editing the website is pretty intuitive once you get started and everything is very cleanly laid out. When you’ve chosen your template (see next section below), its added to a list in your dashboard where you select the “edit” button to view your site. At this point you can add/replace images and/or text blocks, move elements, change backgrounds, and more, in just one click.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screen-shot-2019-02-11-at-13.png" />I did notice one particular issue with usability which was the menu font size. The font is very small and might be difficult to read for some users.<h2>Templates</h2>To begin building your site, you can select a template out of the selection available or choose a blank template to work from. I’ve heard people say that the range of templates isn’t great, but I thought there was a good selection of high quality options. Personally, I’d rather be given the option of 70+ top-notch templates than have to navigate through 1000s of often dubious options on WordPress.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sitejet-review---5.png" />If you’re not happy with the selection available or need help with building your own custom site, you can work with one of the Sitejet design team by contacting them directly.<h2>Dashboard</h2>The Sitejet dashboard will take you from start to finish on each of your website design projects. This is an impressive system that facilitates collaboration, project management, and site maintenance all in the same place.You can work with multiple websites at once, manage the status of each project, create a to-do list that checks off each stage of development, and monitor the progress of each project you’re working on.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sitejet-review---3.png" /><h2>Collaboration Features</h2>Sitejet makes client management a breeze for web designers. There are three collaboration options available depending on your requirements:Collaborate With Colleagues: This function is allows design teams to work together on projects by leaving notes for each other, etc. without the need for individual logins.Collaborate With Customers: With this function, customers can follow your workflow through each stage and leave project feedback as needed during construction.Customer Self-Service Portal: Using the self-service portal, designers can hand the website off to the client whilst retaining control of the account and limiting any potential damage by restricting the access the client has to site elements.<h2>Customer Support</h2>The customer support available to users is better than I’ve seen in many other website builders. The Sitejet support system includes a wide range of tutorials (including video), a comprehensive FAQ section, and a step-by-step onboarding system. The support team is also on hand 24/7 on live chat.<h2>Pricing</h2>There are three plans to choose from after your 14 day free trial has ended: Professional, Team, and Agency.Professional: Manage 1 website with free hosting and an automatic website generator. $5 p/mTeam: White label tools, all professional features, and multi-user permissions for up to 3 users. $19 p/mAgency: White label tools, all professional features, multi-user permissions for up to 10 users, and an additional website export option. $89 p/mThe Professional plan is a good starting point but you’ll need to upgrade to the Team or Agency plan if you want to avail of the collaborative features available.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sitejet-review---4.png" /><h2>The Final Verdict</h2>Score: 4/5<a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/cc-sitejet">Sitejet</a> is a refreshing alternative to WordPress and an excellent tool for any designer or agency to have in their kit. The interface is clearly designed with its target market in mind and offers powerful customization tools that really set it apart from the rest. The high quality templates also demonstrate that this product was developed by designers for designers.Sure, there’s a bit of a learning curve in comparison to less comprehensive website builders on the market. But this is more than just a website builder. It’s a CMS, website builder, and project management system combined. So the extra bit of time it takes to get used to navigating the platform is definitely worth it.I highly recommend <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/cc-sitejet">checking out Sitejet</a> if you’re in the web design game. Have you tried it out yet? Let us know in the comments section below.

Sitejet Review - A Website Builder for Designers

Brandcast is the only end-to-end web design platform for professional designers, allowing users to design, host, manage, and publish custom websites without being limited by code and generic templates.
It’s full of professional-grade tools, allowing you to make your design vision a true reality. The streamlined workflow makes it possible to have multiple projects open and going at the same time, boosting your design time and efficiency, so you can publish to a custom domain right away with just one click. 
I decided to check out Brandcast for myself. Keep reading for my full review of the platform. 
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
Signing up with Brandcast is definitely simple. It’s easy to sign up, log in, and get started. Here’s how it went:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_1.png" />
Once you are signed up and logged in, you are presented with a helpful tutorial that walks you through all the processes and steps necessary to design your website.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_2.png" />
You can enter in a custom domain for your website, and then enter a description about your website. From there, you can publish your website, upload a favicon and social images, add a password to make your site private, and add in your meta tags for your SEO.
<h2>Building Your First Website</h2>
The tutorials and lessons offered by Brandcast for new users are remarkably straightforward and helpful. You can watch the videos, and then try it yourself.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_3.png" />
The tutorials walk you through each step, from picking your background image to adding text. It’s a very basic drag-and-drop format, which makes it fast and easy for both the professional and amateur designer.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_4.png" />
Designers can add video and images, either from their own library or the provided Media Library offered by the platform.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_5.png" />
The platform is very easy to use, and you can have a great website designed in a short amount of time. You can also have multiple website projects going, so you can tab back and forth to work on them all at once.
<h2>Usability</h2>
If you watch the tutorials first, it’s SUPER easy to find what you need, and to use all of the features. Simply drag the image/video/text box onto the page, and then double-click the area to begin working.
If you have an image to add, drag and drop it, and then click the Match Browser Height button to have it automatically formatted for you.
You can also copy different sections, pages, or websites to use as a foundation for new designs or to create templates. This significantly boosts design efficiency and saves time!
Users can also instantly publish a live version of the site they have created at any time. They can batch website changes, and then publish with just one click of the mouse.
If you do get stuck, and aren’t sure how to proceed, the tutorials will prompt you and walk you through it. If you prefer to get help from a live person, there is customer support readily available to help you.
Without the tutorials, it can be overwhelming and a bit difficult to figure out if you are not a designer.
<h2>Optimization and Responsiveness</h2>
Brandcast lets you see how your website will appear across all devices, and is automatically responsive.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_6.png" />
The platform’s advanced web infrastructure and accelerated mobile device compatibility allows your sites to load as fast as possible, while still looking fantastic on any device.
This is a big problem with a lot of websites, and Brandcast has found a way to circumvent this issue so designers don’t have to worry about coding and optimization.
<h3>Features</h3>
Brandcast definitely has no shortage of features!
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_7332x0-is.png" />
The list of features available for the basic account is comprehensive, and covers every aspect of website design and functionality you could need. If you upgrade your account, you gain access to a whole host of special features that are most definitely worth paying for, including automatic SSL protection for your custom domains.
Even with a basic account, they offer a high level of security that is nothing to scoff at. Brandcast regularly updates their database systems and stores your data across multiple AWS availability zones. With Brandcast, data loss is never an issue you need to worry about.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_8788x0-is.png" />
The Designer Edition, which is best if you just have one or two websites to work on and you work independently, is completely free. You have access to the full design studio, as demonstrated in the previous sections. You also get free hosting and that convenient one-click publishing.
If you work with teams, have clients, or need to juggle multiple projects at once, the Team Edition is the way to go. It starts at $99 per month, and has a HUGE list of features that definitely make it worth the investment.
Here’s a comparison of the features:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_9564x0-is.png" />
<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>
Regardless of whether you’re new to website design, or have been doing it for years, Brandcast is an easy-to-use, versatile platform that I highly recommend.
<a href="https://brandcast.com/contact/">Request a FREE TRIAL</a> and check it out for yourself!

Brandcast: A Web Design Platform Worth Investing In

<img title="Responsive Design" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/responsivedesign.jpg" alt="Responsive Design" />
 
There’s no arguing about this fact:  Responsive Design is really important. No doubt you’ve heard of it. Maybe you know a little bit about it. Perhaps you even have a responsive site already. Whatever the case, responsive design is the new must-have of website design. Here’s why.

<h2>The Importance of Responsive Design – A Word from the Pros</h2>
The tech oracles have spoken on the importance of RWD. Neil Patel (<a href="http://www.quicksprout.com/2013/03/04/how-to-optimize-responsive-design-for-conversions/">QuickSprout</a>) wrote that “ responsive design is “ a standard that’s taking everything you know about web design and turning it on its side.” He claims that responsive design influences everything about a site, including conversion rates. He’s right. John Polacek’s masterful treatment of the subject declares that it’s a “fundamental shift in how we’ll build websites for the decade to come.” <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/12/11/responsive-web-design/">Mashable</a> prophesies that 2013 is “the year of responsive design.” .net Magazine placed responsive design at number two of their <a href="http://www.netmagazine.com/features/15-top-web-design-and-development-trends-2012">Top Web Design Trends</a> for 2012.
This is kind of a big deal.
There’s more to responsive design that just tweaking CSS or adding bits of code to a site. Responsive design is all about how the web is maturing.
<h2>Responsive design is important because mobile is dominating.</h2>
Responsive design was born because of mushrooming mobile statistics. When the market became saturated with mobile users, we all finally realized that tiny screens weren’t optimal for traditional websites. UX stunk. Responsive design was the answer. The growth in mobile is where every discussion of responsive design must begin.
<h2>Responsive design fills in where apps left off.</h2>
Apps are not the answer to a mobile-saturated society. As mobile devices grew in popularity, so did the demand and appetite for apps. Remember Apple’s slogan,  “there’s an app for that”? That was so 2010. We’ve reached a point now where apps have plateaued. Plus, the iPhone isn’t the only big player in the mobile market. There are more platforms that need to be appified. Savvy companies don’t feel the need to rush out and make a fancy app. Instead, they unleash the power of responsive design. It’s better, smarter, cheaper, and way more 2013. Besides, if conversions are the goal, why create an app? An app can often be a distraction or barrier to conversions. Responsive saves the day by allowing a businesses website to do what it’s supposed to do rather than get bogged down in app building.
<h2>Responsive meets the need of multiple devices.</h2>
Today, we've got desktops, notebooks, netbooks, tablets, and handhelds of every size, dimension, and resolution. With all these net-accessing devices, there is no way that a static site design will please everyone. The variety of devices demands responsive design.
<h2>Responsive design is a design necessity.</h2>
We can’t forget that responsive design is at its core a design phenomenon, despite its far-reaching implications. As a design feature, it is designed to take away the unnecessary aspects of a web presence. After all, when you access a responsively designed site on your mobile device, you don’t see everything that you would see if you were to visit from your desktop browser. Responsive design is about simplicity. In order to meet the scaled-down sizes of tablets, minis, and mobiles, responsive sheds the excess, and offers the beautiful and simple core. This is a design trend that’s not going away soon.
Regardless of what CMS you use, what industry you’re in, or what your role in your company is, responsive design is important. Now, it’s time to do something about it.  If you are on WordPress, check out our list of where to get <a href="/where-to-get-responsive-wordpress-themes/">Responsive WordPress themes</a> to get started in your transition to a responsive design.

Why Responsive Design is So Important

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