Summary
Steel Croissant attended a full day of expert-led, hands-on workshops where we learned firsthand from some of the best in web design and development.
The Webflow Conf Workshop 2023 was a treasure trove of information for designers and developers looking to supercharge their skills and enhance their Webflow capabilities. In this article, we'll delve into the key takeaways from the workshop, highlighting some of the most exciting announcements and insightful presentations.
2023 Keynote Announcements
The keynote session of Webflow Conf 2023 was packed with exciting announcements. Here's a recap of some of the most significant features and updates:
- New Features: The Webflow team unveiled a host of new features designed to elevate your design and development experience in Webflow. These updates promise to make your workflow smoother and more efficient. For an in-depth look at these features, you can check out the official Webflow Blog post.
Working with MAST Framework
One of the standout moments at the workshop was the presentation by No Code Supply Co on their CSS Framework called MAST. MAST is a developer-first framework that offers essential classes and strategies to help you build efficiently for any brand and scale your projects with Webflow.
The key advantages of MAST include:
- Reduced CSS Size: MAST boasts a significantly smaller CSS size (32Kb) compared to other frameworks, making it an excellent choice for performance-conscious developers.
- Relative Spacing: MAST incorporates relative spacing considerations, making it easier to maintain consistent design across different screen sizes.
For more details, you can explore the official MAST framework documentation.
Mast <> A CSS Framework for Webflow
Mast Docs <> A CSS Framework for Webflow
Mast Cloneable <> A CSS Framework for Webflow - Webflow
RiveFlow (2D Animation Platform)
Jeff McAvoy introduced RiveFlow, a powerful platform for integrating interactive 2D animations into Webflow. RiveFlow stands out for several reasons:
- Continuous Animation: Unlike Lottie, Rive allows animations to continue playing (loop) while they're idle, providing a dynamic user experience.
- Beginner-Friendly: Rive is considered more beginner-friendly than alternatives like After Effects, which underpins Lottie.
- Efficient and Versatile: Rive offers small file sizes, a "State Machine" feature, a bones system, mesh warping, and robust graphic and curve capabilities.
For more details on RiveFlow, you can visit the official Rive website.
Native integration with Spline
Webflow is making it easier than ever to add interactive 3D scenes to your Webflow site. The Spline integration lets you add your Spline scene and all of its events straight to the Webflow canvas. You're then able to animate your Spline objects using Webflow's interactions panel.
Localize (Language Translation) is coming to Webflow
Joanna Wong presented the Webflow native Localization beta, a feature that promises to make your website globally accessible. With Localization, you can:
- Customize for Specific Locations: Make design and content changes for specific regions without the need for coding.
- Translation Options: Utilize machine-powered translations or integrate with translation management systems.
- SEO Benefits: Maximize global traffic with SEO improvements, including customizable subdirectories and localized sitemaps.
Localization is currently available for Enterprise customers and will be accessible to all customers soon. To learn more, check out the official Webflow Localization page.
We will be participating in the Beta release of Localization to test out its features in depth.
Features we're looking forward to testing:
Working with Variables
Variables let you store size, color, and font styles so you can reuse them for a consistent design experience. When someone updates a variable value, that change will update everywhere it’s used on the site. And they’re available in a central location for more visibility into your site’s styles. To learn more about variables view Webflow's documentation.
Spline Animations Are Native
Spline is how designers visually build complex 3D animations. Now designers can natively bring those 3D assets into the Designer and showcase them on any site without the need for custom code. To learn more about how Spline integrates with Webflow, check their documentation.
Summary
The Webflow community can expect exciting opportunities to develop apps that enhance the Webflow experience, potentially including features like booking systems, calculator builders, form routing, and ecommerce enhancements. While these opportunities are invaluable to the community, it's essential to remember that the monetization aspect is still being explored.
The Webflow Conf Workshop 2023 was a fantastic event, packed with insights and updates that promise to empower designers and developers in their Webflow journey. Whether you're looking to level up your CSS skills with MAST, create captivating animations with RiveFlow, or expand your reach with Localization, Webflow has you covered. Stay tuned as we cover these exciting developments, and get ready to take your Webflow projects to the next level!
