How To Get Started With Framer Web Builder For Designing Your Website
Learn how to use Framer web builder for designing your website. Get step-by-step instructions for a smooth start.
Building a website is a common way to establish an online presence for your business or project. Yet, as you begin to create your site, you may quickly realize that this process goes far beyond just a few clicks. There's much to consider, from the information architecture and layout to the visual design and user experience. If you're looking for a better way to manage the website design process, Framer web builder can help you tackle these challenges more efficiently. In this article, we'll explore how Framer can help you create a stunning website with a smooth design process.
Framer web builder, or Framer for short, is a powerful tool that combines the best aspects of design and code to help you build a website from your vision. With Framer designs, you don't have to sacrifice creativity for functionality or vice versa. Instead, you can create a fully customizable site that looks exactly how you want it to without getting bogged down in the technical details.
What is Framer Web Builder?
Framer is a no-code platform popular among designers for creating sleek websites and high-fidelity prototypes. It's easy to use and features a clean interface, making it approachable for anyone, whether you’re a pro or just getting started. Think of it as a tool that lets you design and build without worrying about coding.
Create Functional Prototypes Before Development
With Framer, designers can create interactive prototypes that mimic the look and feel of a finished product. This capability is especially handy because it lets you preview and share the final experience before fully diving into development.
Whether designing a website, mobile app, or any other digital product, you can simulate user interactions and get a lifelike feel for how your designs will function in the real world.
Collaborate with Teams and Clients
One of the reasons Framer has become so popular is that it doesn’t just stop at design and prototyping. It’s packed with features that make it a go-to tool for UX and UI designers. Collaboration is a breeze, with built-in tools for team projects, version control, and easy sharing with clients. The integration of Framer AI takes things to the next level, allowing users to design, build, and even host websites without coding knowledge.
Get Sites Up Faster with AI
If speed is a priority, Framer is perfect for getting websites out the door faster. Thanks to its AI capabilities, many users love how quickly they can go from an idea to a fully functioning site. Whether you’re an individual or part of a business, Framer helps you create polished, professional results in a fraction of the time it used to take, making it a top choice for designers today.
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All Of Framer's Features and Functionalities
Framer's interface is designed to be user-friendly, with a learning curve that’s much shorter compared to more complex platforms like Webflow or WordPress. It shares similarities with design tools like Figma and Sketch, allowing designers to easily transition from creating mockups to building functional websites. The interface streamlines the workflow, enabling users to start building within a few hours of use.
Framer's CMS is a Flexible Powerhouse
Framer’s Content Management System supports scalable content management, making it perfect for websites with a consistent structure but varying content, such as blogs, job listings, and marketing pages. The CMS also offers advanced features like conditionals, filters, and transforms, allowing users to easily build highly dynamic and customized sites.
Speed Performance
Framer is built with optimized, modern technologies that ensure high-speed performance out of the box. The platform’s infrastructure is engineered for fast load times, even on large websites. While mobile devices might introduce some challenges, Framer’s strong optimization can still deliver excellent Core Web Vitals scores, making it a strong choice for performance-conscious developers.
Solid SEO Capabilities
Framer takes care of most technical SEO aspects, such as:
- SSL certification
- Hosting
- XML sitemap generation
So you don’t need to worry about these manual tasks. For any additional SEO needs, Framer provides tools to tweak and optimize elements for better search engine ranking, making it a solid platform for SEO-driven websites.
AI-Powered Tools Simplify Website Building
Framer leverages AI to simplify the web-building process, offering:
- AI Website Builder: You can generate a complete website from a simple prompt, allowing you to start quickly and make adjustments as needed.
- AI Text Rewrite: If the AI-generated website copy isn’t quite right, the AI can rephrase text until it matches your desired tone and style.
- AI Translation: This tool enables easy content translation into multiple languages, expanding your reach to international audiences without hassle.
Stunning Animation Effects
Framer motion, the platform's proprietary animation library, provides a simple interface for building complex animations. It stands out as one of the most powerful animation tools in the market, allowing users to create dynamic, visually stunning effects without deep coding knowledge.
Personalization and Localization for Global Audiences
Framer’s localization tools allow you to tailor your site's design based on the user’s region beyond translating text. This feature ensures that websites are visually and contextually relevant to a global audience.
Community Support
Framer boasts a highly engaged and active community where users can quickly seek help, share projects, and get feedback. This community-driven support adds an extra assistance layer, with multiple channels to connect with other users and the Framer team.
Additional Features Make Framer Stand Out
- Pre-built Elements and Components: Framer offers pre-built design elements and components that speed development.
- Privacy-First Analytics: On the Pro plan, Framer provides built-in analytics focusing on user privacy, giving you insights into traffic without sacrificing data protection.
- Integrations Library: The platform supports integrations with popular services like YouTube, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Calendly, and more.
- Templates: With over 1,000 free and paid templates, Framer’s growing library offers high-quality options to jumpstart your website design.
- Real-Time Collaboration: Framer supports multiple designers working on a project simultaneously, making it ideal for team-based workflows.
- Accessibility: The platform provides the tools to ensure your website is accessible to all users.
- Staging and Versioning: Mistakes happen, but Framer’s versioning feature allows you to effortlessly revert to previous versions.
- Code Overrides: For those needing more customization, Framer allows custom code overrides to expand its capabilities beyond the built-in features.
One-Stop Shop for Design Needs
NUMI is a framer web design agency that world-class framer developers and product designers power. Backed by Y Combinator, NUMI handles all of your startup's sourcing/vetting/hiring needs for design.
Our fabulous design team ensures all your design work is done well. NUMI helps with:
- Product design
- Web design
- Framer development
- Webflow development
- Mobile design
- Prototyping
- UX design
- All of your startup's design needs!
Subscribe to a guild of world-class designers ready to embed on your team today. Schedule a call with us today to learn more!
Advantages of Using Framer for Your Design Projects
When you’re a designer, you want the world around you to bend to your vision. That
makes the life of a web designer hard. Every new screen size and media type means something we must consider while designing.
It can limit your creativity, but what can we do? Using Framer as a designer is a best-case scenario. It gives you the tools and freedom to design the way you want without being blind to the fact that, at some point, you’ll have to think about responsiveness, interactivity, and what you have.
Limitations of Framer Web Builder
E-Commerce Functionalities: Why Framer Web Builder Falls Short
Framer is not built for e-commerce. You can technically make it work, but it takes work. Setting up an online store often involves navigating complex configurations and incurring additional costs.
You’ll pay for Framer’s subscription and any third-party service you use. If your primary goal is to establish an e-commerce platform, tools like Webflow would be a more straightforward and efficient option.
Membership Functionalities: The Framer Web Builder Limitation No One Wants to Talk About
Framer does not currently offer built-in features for managing memberships. You can utilize third-party tools to achieve this functionality, which adds complexity and inconvenience. If your project requires a membership site, opting for a platform like Webflow would serve you better, as it provides more integrated solutions for membership management.
Plugins: Why Framer Web Builder is Less Flexible Than Other Options
Another notable shortcoming of Framer is its need for more support for plugins. This limitation can restrict your ability to extend functionality, as you won’t be able to leverage the wide array of plugins that other platforms offer. Although this could change in future updates, it currently poses a limitation for users looking to enhance their sites with additional features or integrations.
Code Overrides: Why You Should Avoid Them If You Can
If you encounter limitations within the Framer interface, you do have the option to use code overrides. Implementing these overrides can be quite challenging due to Framer’s underlying architecture.
Unlike traditional web design environments that utilize straightforward HTML and CSS, Framer employs React components, which require a deeper understanding of coding principles. As a result, creating and managing code overrides can be complex and daunting for users unfamiliar with React or advanced coding techniques.
Which is Better, Webflow or Framer?
Webflow and Framer stand out as powerful tools offering unique features and capabilities. The choice between Webflow and Framer will depend on the user’s specific requirements and preferences, whether seeking a robust all-in-one solution with a wealth of resources like Webflow or a forward-thinking platform with AI capabilities like Framer. Evaluating your specific project requirements, design preferences, skill set, and budget is crucial. Choosing the right tool is essential to delivering projects efficiently.
Popularity and Industry Adoption
Webflow has established itself as a leader in the industry and is widely regarded as the more popular choice among designers and developers. Its extensive user base, intuitive interface, and comprehensive features have contributed to widespread adoption.
Webflow’s emphasis on user-friendly design tools and vast educational resources has helped solidify its reputation as a go-to platform for creating professional-grade websites. As a result, many developers, individuals, and businesses alike turn to Webflow for its reliability, versatility, and proven track record in delivering high-quality web experiences. From this Reddit thread, most developers think Webflow is the safer bet.
Which is Better, Figma or Framer?
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Figma and Framer are powerful platforms for designers to create website prototypes. Their distinct features make each tool suitable for different design tasks. Let's see how these tools compare. Figma is more versatile for general tasks, while Framer is better for advanced prototyping.
Figma: The Versatile Prototyping Tool
Figma is a web-based UI/UX design tool that collaboratively helps teams create website prototypes. Its versatile feature set makes it easy for designers to create and test prototypes before moving on to development. With Figma, you can create anything from simple wireframes to complex interactive prototypes with advanced animations.
The tool is especially great for general tasks, like creating user interfaces, and helps teams work together seamlessly on design projects. Figma’s intuitive interface minimizes the learning curve for new users. The tool also has an extensive library of templates, plugins, and integrated design systems to help you get started quickly.
Framer: The Advanced Prototyping Tool
Framer is a prototyping tool that helps designers create highly interactive prototypes. The platform was initially launched as a JavaScript library for building interactive prototypes but has since evolved into a full design tool with advanced animation capabilities. Framer is still best known for its ability to help designers create complex, interactive prototypes, and the tool excels at handling advanced animations and transitions.
Framer’s unique feature set makes it easy to create lifelike prototypes that look and feel like the final product. While you can create simple prototypes in Framer, the tool is specifically built for advanced design tasks. As a result, it might take a little longer to learn compared to Figma. Framer doesn’t have the same extensive design toolkit as Figma, but where it really shines is in its ability to handle complex interactions and animations.
10 Stunning Websites Built With Framer Web Builder
1. Global Predictions: Transforming Investment Platforms Through Design
Global Predictions is a multi-asset net worth management platform that empowers everyday people to become better, smarter investors. Investors can view all their assets, understand exposures, minimize risks, and act on personalized recommendations based on their investment preferences, all powered by Global Predictions’ proprietary modeling engine.
NUMI designers worked with the Global Predictions team as they transformed a basic application into something that live users found powerful and delightful. NUMI designers set up Figma systems to organize product rollouts.
2. Orange DAO: A Design Refresh for the Future of Web3
Orange DAO features nearly 1,200 Y Combinator alumni as members. An active investor in crypto projects, it maintains the $50M Orange Fund. Through its strong founder network, the DAO supports its portfolio of 140 startups and maintains a fellowship program of 40 Web3 builders.
Orange DAO engaged NUMI to design the portal, one of the first of its kind in Web3. NUMI improved the design of Orange DAO's existing product surface area, and we then helped the DAO design its portal.
3. Beautility Exhibition: Interactive Art Experiences in a Digital World
An art exhibition called Beautility Exhibition has been created with the help of Framer to provide an immersive digital experience. The website includes simulated galleries, artwork that may be interacted with, and interesting descriptions of the artists. Beautility Exhibition provides visitors with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to engage with art in a digital world and form more meaningful connections with artists through Framer.
4. Chris Lund: A Designer’s Portfolio with Substance and Style
Framer is utilized on Chris Lund's website, a designer who showcases his creative portfolio to offer substance in an outwardly engaging and intuitive style. This website offers constantly refreshed, powerful material, liquid-looking over, and easy-to-use intelligent media parts. Using Framer, the Christ Lund can introduce new things in a drawing in a vivid way, so it is both educated and happy to guarantee that guests.
5. Bajgart Office: Immersing Visitors in a Captivating Portfolio
Bajgart is website utilizes Framer to provide an immersive and interactive portfolio experience. Visitors are taken on a voyage of discovery, during which they are presented with various service options and experiences. Bajgart offers consumers a captivating browsing experience by utilizing Framer's interactive features.
6. Pasteapp.io: A Seamless Transition to Framer
Paste is a productivity tool developed by an international team. It is designed to integrate seamlessly with the Mac operating system. Paste aims to enhance daily workflow with intuitive and efficient functionality. It has gained popularity among professionals, including designers and developers, for its simplicity and effectiveness, making it one of the world’s favorite productivity tools for Mac and iOS users.
Paste transitioned to Framer and integrated some seamless and beautiful animations and transitions. Scrolling through Paste shows how innovation and user experience in web design are essential for Paste.
7. Dribbble: An Inspiring Transition to Framer
If you need inspiration for web design, elements, tables, and much more, Dribbble is the one-stop website. Dribbble is a leading platform for creatives worldwide to share their work, find inspiration, and connect with opportunities. It was launched in 2009, and users can post “shots” of small screenshots of their designs or projects.
The site helps millions find design inspiration and feedback, serving individual creatives and teams, including those from top brands. Pages like For Designers show the use of Framers animation library Framer Motion. When moving to Framer, Dribbble experienced shipping new landing pages ten times faster, and the designers were in charge. Not all of Dribbble is on Framer, but they are converting landing pages to Framer page by page. Framer is also popular among startups.
8. Contra: A Smooth and Simple Careers Page
Contra is an all-in-one freelancer platform offering tools to launch, build, and grow freelance careers. It features AI tools to generate portfolio content quickly, job discovery and client management functionalities, and commission-free payment options.
Moving on to the actual page, something about the Contra Careers page appeals to me: the floating text that smoothly transitions at the start and the glass visuals that seem right. Contra has made a simple yet smooth page for its Careers section. It can report a 65% increase in branded clicks.
9. Whereby: A Light and Cheerful Approach to Remote Work
It positions itself as a flexible and inclusive workplace, emphasizing a remote-first approach that allows its team to work from anywhere. The platform is a central hub for team collaboration, offering resources on company values, flexible working policies, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Whereby is a light yet informative landing page. Their font matches the website’s feeling of a light and cheerful theme. The website isn’t transition-heavy, but that is not a bad thing. Their strength is simplicity, which plays out pretty well.
10. Superhuman: Reducing Clutter to Enhance Productivity
Superhuman is a modern email client designed to enhance productivity with a minimal and clutter-free interface. It reduces distractions by hiding labels and folders until needed and unbolding unread messages to prioritize important tasks. Superhuman is the first Framer website on this list that is in dark mode by default.
The dark palette gives the landing page a modern yet exclusive feel. When scrolling through the page, you see some elements where the Framer animation library is genuinely stunning. Superhuman is a favorite of these amazing Framer website examples.
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How to Get Started With Framer Web Builder
1. Log in to Framer
Start by visiting the Framer website and clicking the login button on the top right. If you don’t already have an account, you can create one for free, which gives you access to basic features and allows you to test the platform.
2. Welcome to the Website Builder
Once you log in, you’ll see a dashboard with four main options on the left side. These include:
- App Tour: A helpful video walkthrough of how to use the platform.
- Templates: A library of pre-made designs to start your website.
- Figma Paste: If you have a design created in Figma, import it here.
- Tutorials: Additional guides to help you get started.
If you don’t have a design, you can start building your site from scratch or select a template.
3. Choose a Template
Click on the Templates option to explore a variety of website designs tailored to different niches and categories. Some templates are free, while others are paid. Once you find the right template for your project, select it, and it will be applied to your website.
4. Make Edits
Now that you have a template, you can begin customizing it:
- Text Edits: Double-click on any text element to replace it with your content.
- Menu Bar: Double-click to open the menu bar and modify or delete buttons to match your navigation needs.
- Images: Click on images to swap them for your graphics or photographs.
This step lets you personalize every template aspect to fit your branding and messaging.
5. Add a New Page
To expand your site, you can easily add new pages. From the left panel, click on a new page option, like a contact page, and make the necessary edits. You can adjust layouts, text, and images as you did with the homepage.
6. Link Pages
Once your pages are ready, you’ll need to link them. For example, click on a button like Learn More on the homepage, and in the right-hand panel, you’ll see a Link attribute. Type in the relevant URL (e.g., /contact) to link the button to the appropriate page.
7. Publish the Website
When you're happy with your site, click the Publish button in the top right corner. If you’re using Framer’s free plan, the site will be hosted on a Framer subdomain. Framer can connect your custom domain during publishing if you want to use it.
Domain Connection
Custom Domain Setup:
- In your Site Settings, navigate to the Domains page.
- Select "Connect a domain you own" and enter your custom domain name.
- Update your DNS records with the Framer settings (usually adding A and CNAME records through your domain registrar).
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate, after which your site will be live on your custom domain.
Publish and Grow
Once published, your website will be accessible online, and you can continue to make edits and improvements as needed. Framer’s ease of use and design flexibility make it a great tool for quickly building a professional site.
Additional Features
- Staging: Framer allows you to stage changes before publishing them live, which helps prevent unapproved content from going live.
- Rollback Options: If you need to revert to a previous version of your site, Framer provides versioning and rollback features to manage deployments easily.
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FAQs On Framer Web Builder
Framer is a website builder that allows users to design and publish modern, responsive websites. It offers an intuitive interface that combines design and functionality, enabling users to create visually appealing sites without extensive coding knowledge. Framer supports various features, including:
- A built-in CMS
- Responsive design tools
- Collaboration capabilities
What is the Framer Tool Used For?
Framer is primarily used for designing and building websites. It provides tools for creating custom layouts, adding interactive elements, and optimizing sites for performance and SEO.
Framer can prototype web applications and landing pages, making it a versatile tool for designers and developers. Its features cater to individual users and teams looking to collaborate on web projects.
Can You Build Web Apps With Framer?
Yes, you can build web applications with Framer. While primarily known as a website builder, its flexible design capabilities and integration with various tools allow users to create interactive web applications.
Framer's support for dynamic content and user interactions makes it suitable for developing more complex web solutions beyond traditional static websites.
Subscribe To A Guild of World Class Framer Developers with Our Framer Web Design Agency Today
NUMI is a framer web design agency that world-class framer developers and product designers power. Backed by Y Combinator, NUMI handles all of your startup's sourcing/vetting/hiring needs for design.
Our fabulous design team ensures all your design work is done well. NUMI helps with:
- Product design
- Web design
- Framer development
- Webflow development
- Mobile design
- Prototyping
- UX design
- All of your startup's design needs!
Subscribe to a guild of world-class designers ready to embed on your team today. Schedule a call with us today to learn more!
