5 Webflow features Edgar Allan is most thankful for
Webflow agency Edgar Allan is thankful for Webflow — and especially these 5 awesome features — this Thanksgiving, and all year round.
Oh, what a year it’s been.
In these final few weeks of 2022, we at Edgar Allan reflect on the changes, challenges, and triumphs we’ve faced as a growing — and now award-winning — Webflow agency.
- Our international team has expanded exponentially, tapping into the tech talent of the Spanish-speaking Webflow community around the globe.
- Our social media accounts have exploded (in the best possible way), thanks to our new initiatives of “building in public” with Webflow, including groundbreaking projects like Letter Run.
- Client-side, we’ve produced some of our best Webflow websites to date, including the transformations of NCR, Ghost, Tonic, and Sequoia Arc.
What’s the “flowing” thread connecting all of these achievements?
Webflow, of course!
All in all, we couldn’t think of a better way to enter and embrace this season of thanksgiving than to share the top 5 Webflow features that Edgar Allan is most thankful for.
5. Webflow is changing the no-code game with DevLink.
Announced at this year’s Webflow Conf, DevLink is coming, and we couldn’t be more excited.
The idea behind this feature is that, upon its release, DevLink will seamlessly connect components built in Webflow with any React JavaScript framework project in development, so that we can start designing right in Webflow.
Development “linking” design… even in theory, it’s already a favorite of Edgar Allan developers!
4. Variable fonts will add an interactive UX dynamic to a Webflow website.
Webflow really pulled out all the stops with this one. Previously (and until this feature is live), each font style on a Webflow website needed to be implemented as a separate font file within Webflow. But with variable fonts, all styles of a font family, including weight and inclination, will be contained in a single file. (The joy. THE JOY!)
Thin to regular, medium to bold, this change will be not only a huge timesaver for developers, but also become a creative playground for developers and users alike. Want to change the weight and axis of a font? How about changing the weight and axis of a font… on hover by a user on the live site? While we wait for this awesome new feature to become a reality, you can see a preview of variable fonts in action here.
3. New app access gives Webflow developers a chance to create.
Webflow Marketplace is open for business! The idea behind this feature is that there are apps to install into your Webflow website (to use an Apple analogy, it’s kind of like the App Store). Previously, developers had to do this by adding custom code to a Webflow website. But now there’s a variety of apps to choose from, and — wait for it — developers can even create their own apps using Webflow’s new API!
So whether you’re looking to add a feedback layer to your Webflow website (like our friends at Punchlist, where you can add notes for things that your team is going to be working on) or a search and filter tool (like Jetboost), these apps, or third-party integrations, can add value and functionality to a site.
While the app library is still fairly limited (at least, at the time of publishing this article), the establishment of a Marketplace is the first inkling of how something like an App Store will work for Webflow. We’re certainly looking forward to seeing the app selection grow, but what we’re most excited about about this feature is what its implementation starts to signal: That is, all the new ways the Webflow platform will continue to evolve and change for the betterment of users and authors.
2. What’s in a name: Webflow symbols are now called “components”!
Basically, with this updated feature, Webflow has made it even easier for developers to edit Webflow websites.
Previously called “symbols,” components allow us to have a drag-and-drop interface that can be configured to function however they need to function for a client’s particular needs. In essence, components create the building blocks for their marketing layer.
With this refresh, we’ll be able to implement style overrides and modify component content straight from the canvas with one click. We can also use components on Webflow’s content management system (CMS) templates pages, and we’re excited to be able to use it in the CMS collections (coming soon)!
1. The Webflow community puts its money where its “mouse” is.
The Webflow community is by far one of the best features of the entire platform.
Now, we know what you’re thinking: “How is that a feature?”
But while it’s not necessarily a technical feature, it’s a very human feature.
With $10 million in Webflow community grants to be awarded to a variety of individual groups, no one can argue the impact that Webflow has made — on the no-code community and beyond.
And in a lot of ways, this community-centered aspect of Webflow has even influenced how we’ve shaped our own community here at Edgar Allan, as well as how we’ve grown into the Webflow agency we are today.
In fact, without these Webflow features — and of course the many more reasons why we love Webflow — we ultimately wouldn’t be where we are today: in this moment, in this year.
So thank you, Webflow; we’ll continue to be right here, like we have been for nearly the past decade, actively watching and waiting for 2023… and for everything that comes next!