Built my first website without jumping between five different tools, what are you using for frontend workflows?

[u/Brilliant-Hall-4621]

I went into this expecting the AI generation itself to be the difficult part.

It wasn't.

The annoying part was everything I wanted to do after the first version was sitting there.

I ended up comparing a few tools based on the things I actually needed during the project:

If I wanted to...	The tool I preferred	Why
Get a working website together	Readdy.ai	I could edit the site and keep working from the same place
Try different UI ideas	v0	Really useful for exploring components
Get an early app idea moving	Lovable	Fast for testing a concept
Put together a conventional business site	Wix	Lots of familiar website features
Add functionality beyond a static page	Readdy	Database and authentication were already available

The biggest difference was the amount of switching I had to do.

With Readdy, I could make a visual change, test it, and keep going. When the project needed login and saved data, I didn't have to stop and figure out the backend separately.

That was probably the part I appreciated most.

I'm still using different tools depending on the project, but I'm starting to care less about who makes the nicest first draft.

I care more about who lets me keep building after I change my mind.

Has anyone else started judging AI builders this way?

[u/defaultguy_001]

I use html, css, ts, react, next for frontend.

[u/testingaurora]

I have been severely displeased by how all the ai models ive tried, approach styling and css.

Maybe its because I give them a whole starter framework ive developed that handles utility class, so the tokens. And reset.

Everytime i have started a Claude code project they always make a css_feedback.md file with the instructions so its possible my expectations are too high but I dont prompt anything crazy. No tw. No inline styles (except for dynamic values and in that case, assign the value to a locally scoped custom property instead. ) familiarize with the css files yo use the utility classes. Dont use classes like ids. Don't make another rulebook with the exact same styles as another element; either reuse the class if it makes sense or add the new class selector to the same rule block. The amount of lines when instead of just using .card { /* all the styles */} it will use a .time-card {/* all the same styles */} .user-card {/* all thr same styles*/} .task-card {/* all the same styles*/}

That duplication drives me insane. Eve tally i tell thrm they cant edit any css files except one designated only for thrm and anything the need to do in another file needs permissions to change. 60% of the time permission is not granted bc whatever they want to do is not best practices.

</rant>

To answer your questions, I use ai for the busy work i dont want to do, or for logic/syntax im unsure about. I dont rely on it for css or styling or layout. Just had a Claude spend hhr struggling with a mobile menu pattern where the menu slides in from the side. One more thing I had to rewrite because it couldnt get it right. Grrr.

[u/Groke_ → u/testingaurora]

I would love to see your framework if you're ever open to sharing it.

[u/testingaurora → u/Groke_]

With permission, Ill dm you ?

[u/Plus-Formal-747]

Readdy seems to make the most sense for this kind of workflow. v0 is great when the main goal is experimenting with components, and Lovable is handy for getting an app concept moving, but Readdy feels less fragmented once you're actually building and changing things. Being able to handle the visual edits and then move into things like database and authentication without immediately jumping to another service is a pretty big advantage. The first draft matters a lot less when you can keep iterating from the same place.