DEV Community: Dilshod Gaipov

What is the most annoying part of sharing a small frontend prototype?

Dilshod Gaipov — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:01:31 +0000

I Built a Small Browser Workspace for HTML, CSS and JavaScript Prototypes

Dilshod Gaipov — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:42:33 +0000

I have been working on a small tool called Orivo.

The idea came from a very simple problem I kept running into: sometimes I do not need a full project setup just to test a small frontend idea.

Sometimes I only want to build a quick UI section, try a layout, make a small HTML/CSS/JS prototype, and send it to someone for feedback.

For bigger projects, using a full local setup makes sense. VS Code, Vite, GitHub, Vercel and all the usual tools are great for that.

But for small prototypes, the setup can sometimes feel bigger than the actual task.

So I built Orivo as a simple browser workspace for frontend prototypes.

It is not meant to replace VS Code, CodePen, StackBlitz or any other tool. Those tools are already good at what they do.

I wanted Orivo to focus on a smaller use case:

building and sharing small frontend prototypes quickly.

What it does

Right now Orivo includes:

HTML, CSS and JavaScript editing
live preview
project-based workspace
shareable links
snapshots
export to HTML, JSON and ZIP

The goal is to keep the workflow simple:

Create a project.
Write some HTML, CSS and JS.
Preview it.
Share it.
Export it if needed.

That is basically the whole idea.

Who I think it could help

I think it could be useful for:

frontend developers testing small ideas
freelancers creating quick client previews
students learning HTML, CSS and JavaScript
designers experimenting with UI sections
small teams that need to show a simple frontend concept

It is not built for large production apps.

If a project needs routing, backend logic, authentication, testing, deployment pipelines, or a full framework setup, then a proper development environment is still the right choice.

Orivo is more for the smaller moments when you just want to build and show something quickly.

One thing I learned

While building it, I realized that adding features is easier than removing them.

It is tempting to add everything: frameworks, npm packages, AI, database support, team features, deployment and more.

Some of those ideas might be useful later, but I tried to keep the first version focused.

The question I kept asking was:

Does this make small frontend prototyping faster?

If not, I tried not to add it yet.

I would like feedback

I am still improving the product, so honest feedback would help a lot.

If you work with frontend prototypes, how do you usually share them?

Do you use CodePen, StackBlitz, CodeSandbox, GitHub Pages, Vercel previews, screenshots, Loom videos, ZIP files, or something else?

And what usually annoys you in that workflow?

If you have a minute, you can try Orivo here:

https://orivo.dev

I would especially appreciate hearing what feels confusing, unnecessary, missing, or slow.

That kind of feedback is more useful to me than just positive comments.

Thanks for reading.

— Dilshod

Why I built Orivo — a browser workspace for frontend prototypes

Dilshod Gaipov — Sun, 03 May 2026 16:22:50 +0000

I'm a freelance frontend developer. For years my "client prototype" workflow looked the same:

npx create-... something
Wait for node_modules to install
Configure tailwind / vite / whatever
Write 30 lines of HTML
Realize the client just wanted to see a button move

Most of the value lived in step 4. Steps 1–3 were tax I paid every time.

So I built Orivo — a browser workspace for frontend prototypes.

What it actually does

HTML, CSS and JavaScript editor with instant preview (no build step, no waiting)
Share links so the client can review without me sending a zip
Export to HTML / JSON / ZIP when work needs to leave the tool
Snapshots so I can roll back when a client says "actually, the previous version"
Project structure that doesn't pretend a quick prototype is a full app

Who it's for

Not for full production apps — VS Code is fine for that.
Not for one-off snippets — CodePen is fine for that.

It's for the commercial middle: paid client prototype work that needs to move fast, stay organized, and look credible in front of a client.

What I learned shipping it

The hard part wasn't the editor. It was deciding what to not include. Every "what about X" feature I cut made the rest sharper.
Free tiers attract the wrong users. I made Free intentionally narrow — enough to test the tool, not enough to live there forever. Surprisingly that increased trust, not lowered it.
Sharing is the killer feature. Once a freelancer realizes they can send a review link instead of a screenshot, the workflow shift is immediate.

I'd love your honest reaction

If you've got 60 seconds, here's what would actually help me:

Open orivo.dev (no signup needed for the playground).
Try to recreate any tiny UI you've built recently — a card, a form, a hero section.
Tell me the first thing that annoyed you in the comments below.

I'm not asking for compliments. I'm asking for the friction. The thing that made you go "ugh, why doesn't it just…" — that's the gold I'm looking for.

Bonus question for freelancers / studio devs reading this:
How do you currently send a frontend prototype to a client for review? Loom video? CodePen? Vercel preview? A zip on Google Drive? I'm collecting answers and the patterns are fascinating.

Thanks for reading. If the post resonated, a ❤️ or 🦄 reaction helps it reach other devs working in the same messy middle.

— Dilshod (@DilshodGaipov)