Often times I will come across a website which just doesn’t seem to look very visually pleasing. These websites are usually small business websites, like restaurants and bars. Usually, all I am wanting to do when I visit these websites is to simply look up a menu, view the business hours, or even find contact information. Websites that use an effective UI framework not only make them look nice, but also makes my quick visit to the website that much more pleasing. But, when I visit a website that uses nothing more then HTML and CSS, it makes me want leave that much quicker. So what can you do to make your website not only look good, but works the way you want it too? The answer is UI frameworks.
Websites of today are almost completely focused on being visually appealing. These website are meant to pop out and keep the user on the page as long as possible. To build these cutting edge websites a UI framework is often the key component. UI frameworks are in a sense the small customization needed to clean up and make a website look good. An example of one which I have some experience in is Semantic UI. Semantic UI is a great tool in the sense that not only is it easy to use, but by default, it makes your website slick. I have only just begun using Semantic UI but with the little knowledge I have in it, I can already make a clean looking front-page for a website in about 30 minutes.
So what is the point of UI frameworks? The amount of time and effort you need to put into learning them can be strenuous for most individuals, but it is completely worth it. Even though you may never become a web developer, as a software engineer, the ability to build a website for yourself is a skill that is extremely important. I feel that there is two choices in going about building your own website. You can build your website using strictly HTML and CSS styling, but your website is going to look like it was built somewhere around ten years ago. Or you can build a website using a UI framework, that looks like it was built in the last ten weeks. As a software engineer, being able to adapt and evolve with the times is key. Since your website is a direct reflection of your abilities as a software engineer, why would you ever make your website look outdated, which in turn makes your skill set look outdated.
So what is the verdict on UI frameworks? UI frameworks are not so much as an option, but a requirement for todays website design in my opinion. As websites continue to evolve and grow more complex in the visual department, so does the way they are designed and implemented. I have only begun to explore the possibilites of Semantic UI. I feel that mastering it will make my software engineering repertoire that much more diverse. And for any other software engineers still undecided on using UI frameworks, it’s not a matter if you will use a UI framework, but when you will use a UI framework.