Last night, the Finsweet teams announced the release of a new version of the Client-First development framework for Webflow: version 2.1.
As a long-standing ambassador of this development methodology, we’re sharing in this article the new features, our opinions, and our speculations for the future of Client-First.
1. New Guidelines & Resources
To start, we are excited about the announced updates: the system effectively incorporates the latest features from Webflow, minimizing the use of combo classes and custom CSS. New guidelines aim to reduce the (over)use of divs within the Navigator, a point that has been criticized in the system before.
1.1 Variable Integration
Variables are at the heart of the new Client-First version. They complement several CSS classes such as .text-color and .background-color.
1.2 Reducing Div Usage and Updating CSS Classes
- Added section padding directly in combo classes for global padding
- Recommendation to use Grid and Flex Size to create gaps (vs Spacer)
- Removal of custom code Pointer-Event (replaced by Webflow CSS)
- Addition of Aspect Ratio classes
1.3 New Cloneable on Made in Webflow
All of these new features have been incorporated into the Client-First cloneable, available for free from the Made in Webflow page ↗.
1.4 Visual Updates with the New Webflow Interface
Remarkably, the Finsweet teams have updated all their visual content with the new Webflow user interface (UI).
But that’s not all... the Finsweet teams also took the opportunity to refresh Client-First with a new branding and logo!
2. Client-First Rebranding!
Certainly, to align with Webflow's repositioning on October 5, 2023, Client-First has been revamped!
- New website
- New design
- New logo!
And they didn’t forget to update all of their visuals along the way. Well done!
(Now it's our turn to do equally well with some resource updates...)
Our Thoughts on Client-First 2.1
We are pleased to see the framework adapting swiftly to the changes in Webflow. This is true both in terms of UI—updating its environment following Webflow’s rebranding—and from a technical standpoint—taking advantage of new features in the tool to enhance its system.
This new version highlights the efforts of the Finsweet teams in the continuous improvement of Client-First, striving for a cleaner and easier-to-maintain development approach. But, perhaps, it's becoming increasingly technical? Especially with the new need to explain to clients how variables work.
And... What’s next for Client-First V3?
Is it just 2.1? According to Sergey’s latest tweet, this update is just a small part of the many new features expected in Client-First soon. The entire system is set to evolve further with the introduction of various breakpoints for Webflow variables.
Then, once the "responsive variables" are released, I think we can already expect a redesign of the spacing systems? 😉 Follow all the updates for Client-First directly from the Client-First Changelog ↗.
