Templates vs UI Blocks

Starting out in the front-end development can be quite complicated with so many different options out there. They range from selecting a base framework to choosing between different CSS Libraries. But one thing remains constant. To get work done as fast as possible, most of us do lean towards the use of pre-made templates or ui blocks. So the question arises here, which should be used for the best productivity? Templates or UI Blocks?

Templates

Web Templates are pre structured web pages that allow developers to create full-fledged websites by injecting them with their own content. Templates are usually sold as complete web pages or websites and they follow a single structure across all pages. Developers can fast track their workflow by using templates since they don’t have to start anything from scratch. They help those developers a lot who are on tight deadlines and want to please the clients.

Pros:

• It can save a huge amount of time
• No need to spend a lot of money on building everything from scratch
• There’s a huge market out there so you’re probably covered with whatever idea of the website you have in mind
• Easier to switch to a new template since not much time and effort was spent on the first one

Cons:

• Affects the learning curve
• Not good for the brand identity
• Very restricted in terms of your creative decisions
• Code quality is not always up to the mark
• No unique identity, your website can be similar to several other Brands
• Host a lot of useless code if a section is not being used

UI Blocks

UI Blocks are basically snippets of code that make up a specific component that builds up a specific section. Unlike templates, code snippets are mostly used for just one section of the website. Developers can use these UI blocks within their existing projects just for one section that they do not want to develop from scratch. Let’s look at some of the Pros and cons of using code blocks:

Pros:

• Easily customisable
• Do not affect the learning curve as much as templates
• Mostly Free
• Not as restricting as templates
• No redundant or useless code
• Easy to integrate into existing projects
• Less set up time

Cons:

• Difficult to find the perfect code block
• Market is lesser than Templates
• Hard to find supported frameworks

Conclusion

Coming from the perspective of a beginner, I would personally take the side of UI blocks. It gives me the chance to develop new components from scratch that will help me in learning development, all while fast tracking my workflow. I can easily integrate a UI block into any of my projects so I can be done with my task. I can set up the easier sections myself and use the UI blocks for complex sections until I’m better equipped to tackle those. The only problem I was having with UI blocks was that it's hard to find the perfect code snippet online that supports the framework I’m currently using. Even if I found a UI block that fits my design preferences, it would not be in the current framework I’m using. Fortunately this problem was solved by blox since it gives me access to many different ui blocks within vs code and each of that ui block is supported for different frameworks including React, Angular and Vue. But I'd love to hear what's your take on this topic. Comment down below what you think about Templates VS UI Blocks.

Happy Developing!