This post is about me trying to get new work. I think WordPress might be a good stop-gap for me. Not about saying development should be xyz 🙂
I’ll be honest with you, I use a different CMS, but I’m having a hard time finding new work in this budget driven world.
I hand code modules & blocks with HTML/Sass & vanilla JS, build tools like Node, Composer & a webpack layer. I’m freelance but having a hard time finding new work atm. I think this is because; although I’m talented in some areas of front end, I lack experience in an advance JS framework (eg. React) & confidence to implement complicated APIs. It’s all quite overwhelmed sometimes when I think about what it takes just to begin a build, but once it’s setup I do quite like this process.
I thought, ‘maybe if I get into WordPress I’ll find more work, due to the market share’, while I try and level up these missing skills.
….
The above is what I’m used to & I’m confused with WordPress. I’m seeing things like ‘**Elementor**’ & ‘**Gutenberg**’. To me these look like block builders built into the GUI where a user can manipulate the front end by updating CSS settings on a block. (Much like Hubspot page builders).
I went for a gig and they said they want me to use Elementor. I had a look and thought, ‘How the hell can I build their design using this??’.
When people are asking for a WordPress developer, are they asking for someone to install a block builder & interact with the GUI until it matches a design look and feel? Is there a clean (but modern) workflow where I can still hand code and if there is, is this what people are even looking for, or do they want a website up and running quickly with the ‘new’ GUI building techniques? Is there a happy medium where people use both? If so; what stops a user breaking the front end?
I’m sure the GUI builders are really powerful for someone who understands them well, but I’m worried about custom, bespoke websites with specific requirements.
This is a long post, thanks!!
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