You've decided Webflow is the right option for you. Now it's time to learn. How should one learn Webflow?
Short answer: It depends.
It depends on you.
ONE: It depends on what you want to build.
Are you looking to build brochureware? An ecommerce store? A membership platform? An online publication? Focus on articles, videos, and courses focused on the types of sites that you want to build.
TWO: It depends on your existing design and development skills.
Since Webflow is a visual development tool, no existing programming experience required. The interface is more akin to say a design tool, like Photoshop, than a code editor, like Visual Code.
THREE: It depends on how you enjoy learning.
Do you learn best by tinkering? By reading detailed articles? Look for sources that fit with your natural learning style. Even if a source is highly recommended, it may not be for you if the format doesn't align naturally with how you learn best.
With those disclaimers out of the way -- and the caveat that I am still learning Webflow -- these mostly free resources have helped me or have looked interesting to me (but were not my style or not a fit for me at the time):
Webflow University: I HATE tutorial videos. More often than not, they are thinly disguised marketing videos with long intros and lacking "how to" detail. Webflow University videos are the exception.
The videos respect you and your time.
The videos are concise.
The videos are funny.
The videos do not need to be watched in sequence.
Webflow Showcase: Spend time browsing the Showcase, especially the Cloneables. See a site you like? Duplicate it. Open it up and examine how it was built. Try changing it. Would you create it the same way? What would you do differently? Is there a better way? What could you add to the cloned project to give it your unique point of view?
BONUS TIP: Use Webflow Showcased to search by category.
After completing a few projects, share your work to the Showcase. No separate domain purchase required. Not sure what to build in Webflow? Look to sites like Dribbble or awwwards for inspiration. Or -- your personal bookmarked list of favorite website designs.
Webflow Meetups: Attend a Meetup to meet and learn from others. Attendees range in abilities from beginners to experts. (I'm partial to the Webflow Sarasota Meetup. I may or may not be biased.)
Webflow Forums: Browse the forums. See an interesting solution? Bookmark for later reference. And take one more step: Search for the person's profile in the Webflow Showcase and give the person a follow.
PixelGeek Livestreams: Ever approachable, Nelson Abalos Jr.'s videos and livestreams show how to build popular designs in Webflow. A community is also in the works.
This is why I like live streaming rather than making edited videos. Showing real struggles in web design shows that it's not magic and never straight forward.
— pixelgeek (@thepixelgeek) July 19, 2020
It's just a lot of failing and learning. pic.twitter.com/t4g3UXLzaO
Online Courses: Mackenzie Child is developing Flowmingo. Another popular course is Ran Segall's Webflow Masterclass.
Today's the day! After a few months of planning, designing, building, recording, editing, etc, Flowmingo now is open for anyone wanting to learn how to build impressive @webflow sites 🦩
— Mackenzie 🦩 (@mackenziechild) August 13, 2020
1 full-course & 3 mini projects available now (w/ more on the way)https://t.co/LNMkKU7okL pic.twitter.com/uDVG9qIeUa
Additional Resources:
- Webflow for Teams from Edgar Allan: Don't skip over this meaty resource if you are working solo. I learn something new each time I read it.
- Video tutorials from Finsweet: They've also released free libraries to extend what's possible in Webflow.
- The Easiest Guide to Webflow for Beginners by Jan Losert
- Webflow Designers Facebook Group
- Webflow Flexbox Game: A fun interactive way to learn how to use flexbox in general and within Webflow in particular
One final tip: Invest in learning HTML and CSS fundamentals. Don't spend too much time -- In Webflow, you won't be coding HTML and CSS from scratch (unless you need to for a specialized use case), but a general understanding can speed up the time it takes you to learn Webflow.
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