15 comments

  • John PJohn P, almost 4 years ago

    If you need to know React to use your tool, then you didn't create a tool for designers.

    If you disagree, then look at 3D software.

    6 points
    • Mikael StaerMikael Staer, almost 4 years ago

      This has always been my issue with Framer. You might as well just learn real Javascript and React. I'm not sure who this is really for.

      4 points
    • Du HoangDu Hoang, almost 4 years ago

      Their whole thesis from the beginning is designer should code.

      Which is a fine thesis, but if I'm gonna code I will do it in the production code base, not in their sandbox pseudo coding/design environment.

      I wonder how long they will stick with this thesis because clearly it isn't working. It has been at least 10 years.

      IMO, they should have build tools to facilitate design implementation on top of real dev environment. That's something coding designer would actually use.

      1 point
      • John PJohn P, almost 4 years ago

        Their whole thesis from the beginning is designer should code.

        It's not augmenting your workflow with coding concepts that I have a problem with, it's the belief that designers are expected to pick up the less respected and tedious slack of developer jobs and work using the toolset of developers.

        I bring up 3D software because in 3D software you can use code in many ways.

        • Low level : writing compiled plugins using C++ that extend the entire system, e.g particle engines, rendering engines.
        • Medium level : Using languages like Python to automate or script within the engine,
        • High level : Extremely powerful node based systems or Expression based systems allowing you to wire up multiple components together in a very interactive, interactive and artist driven way.

        Now.... it seems to me the majority of what these prototyping apps are aiming to do could be done with the high level methods, more accessible and more artist/designer driven and doesn't require designers to take on sweeping up developer crumbs.

        and I say all this as a designer who is extremely comfortable coding, I just don't believe other designers should be expected to learn React just to make some buttons change state or panels animate.

        2 points
    • Andrew C, almost 4 years ago

      I actually like that about it. Getting a production environment spinned up and keeping it up to date with several development squads is a recipe for devops hell. If your goal is to whip together an MVP and see how something feels? That's okay IMO because asset management is much quicker than if it were a folder in HTML (I'm not in the designers should code camp).

      This is something different than what Sketch is offering, at least. The animation stuff in Framer is pretty slick for presenting concepts.

      1 point
  • Eric Chu, almost 4 years ago

    I feel Framer has fallen off the radar. Do any of you use Framer X?

    3 points
    • Hayden Dobson, almost 4 years ago

      I'm curious to understand what you mean? What are you measuring this against? Have you seen the latest seven Framer session videos?

      1 point
      • Eric Chu, almost 4 years ago

        "Buzz" from the community. I feel there was much more before Framer X came out.

        Everything they're making is slick and well polished; the latest Playground video looks beautiful, their Framer Sessions are in depth, but who around here is actually using Framer X?

        I'm genuinely curious because I love Framer and used it extensively before they went down the React path.

        3 points
        • Dexter W, almost 4 years ago

          Framer X was really popular until everyone found out how painfully hard it was to use. It was easier to learn real React than how to get React to work in Framer X. But I do expect Playgrounds to be a huge overhaul.

          0 points
    • Matt C, almost 4 years ago

      They've always marketed themselves as a mobile design solution which honestly just isn't that interesting. Peeking at it now after a year or so I see they're doing more than that, but they've really hindered themselves with their terribly boring marketing.

      1 point
      • joe andersonjoe anderson, almost 4 years ago

        Curious what you feel is terrible/boring about their marketing?

        3 points
      • Jrtorrents Dorman , almost 4 years ago

        I agree with you ! They seem to forget that not ever designer works on mobile.

        1 point
      • Justin Fraga, almost 4 years ago

        I'm doubly confused-- why do you think Framer was geared towards mobile? React is not very relevant to mobile at all (React Native ≠ React), and if Framer X is going to be a game changer for anyone, it's web designers who work on a team that uses React in their tech stack.

        1 point
        • Matt C, almost 4 years ago

          Google "Framer x" ... 90% of the designs you see are mobile. Their entire thing has been mobile for like the past 3 years. Have you ever used Framer?

          0 points
    • Weston VierreggerWeston Vierregger, almost 4 years ago

      My problem with Framer X is that I feel it lacks a true POV. As a design tool, it's reasonably featured and makes creating basic interfaces a breeze. I personally designed a multi-page website in Framer last winter, and it slowed down considerably with around a dozen content-rich full-page artboards BUT I did enjoy working in Framer for the most part (the "Graphic" workflow, to create an icon for instance, took some getting used to but was great conceptually once I got it... similarly the "Stacks" are INSANELY powerful when designing UI, and I like Framer's approach here better than Anima's stacks in Sketch, personally)

      However, on the prototyping side, it's also only "reasonably" suited for the task. The code-driven workflow here, to me, was actually a step back from the original Framer Studio -- which I felt was actually a more straight-forward product.

      As it is now, I'd prefer Framer X did one of these VERY well rather than do both of these "good". If anyone remembers Pixate, I would much prefer prototyping and motion control tools like that amazing product featured. On the flip side, if Framer X were more like Framer Studio on steroids -- e.g. fully fledged design-centric React IDE that relied used a Sketch file as input -- then it'd also have a welcome place in my workflow.

      As it is now, I feel like the Framer's code persona too obtuse and it's design persona too limited.

      1 point