Introducing the latest version of Minimalist Library, the most popular add-on for Blocs 6 website builder. This update adds a new Socials category and several other exciting features.
The last officially tested and supported version of Minimalist Library for Blocs 5 is 2.2.
Starting from version 2.3, I’ve been adding Blocs 6 powered features, such as transform animations, transitions, and others. So, ideally, you need Blocs 6 to take the full advantage. However, you can still install the latest version of Minimalist Library on Blocs 5, but the aforementioned features won’t work.
Are there no further updates for B5? I'm hesitant to upgrade due to some issues that have left me feeling disappointed with the platform. How is the development of your website builder app progressing? Any updates to share?
Yes, I’ll always develop for the latest version of Blocs, but as I mentioned, you can use this version with Blocs 5. It won’t have the additional features, though. I don’t think it’ll be a major issue for you.
I’m not developing a website builder app. I’m learning another app and plan to create the Minimalist Library for it. However, it’s still in the early stages of development, and for the foreseeable future, I’m focusing solely on enhancing the library for Blocs 6.
By the way, could you share what disappointed you about Blocs?
I had been using RapidWeaver for many years and was accustomed to creating my pages with Joe Workman's Foundation 1 Stack. I invested considerable money in Stacks and was successfully developing numerous websites for my clients without issues. When Joe introduced Foundation 6, I purchased it immediately based on my positive experience with F1 and the promising features it offered for creating impressive websites.
However, Joe changed the approach to using Foundation. Instead of selecting components and adjusting settings in the sidebar, every element placed inside or outside components required individual assignment of classes and properties through what Joe called 'Swatches.' Despite the learning curve, once I managed to create websites with F6, I realized I disliked having to create different customization sections for each element or group of elements. As someone who is more visual than technical, this process became tedious and complicated.
I began exploring alternatives, with Sparkle and Blocs seeming promising. Both were marketed to designers who preferred minimal coding involvement, which appeared to address my concerns. Sparkle proved enjoyable, feeling similar to designing in Illustrator and exporting to HTML. However, when clients requested features like password-protected member areas involving SQL, implementation became problematic. In contrast, RapidWeaver had stacks that allowed me to accomplish this easily and quickly. After confirming with the developer that Sparkle had limitations for complex functionality, I decided against purchasing the professional version.
When I tried Blocs, I immediately felt comfortable. Building pages and using bricks was reminiscent of Foundation 1 and its stacks, allowing me to quickly recreate the same pages I had developed in RapidWeaver. This motivated me to purchase both Blocs and Blocs Plus licenses. With your assistance and community support, I gradually understood the logic behind creating pages, but became disappointed when I couldn't implement certain client requirements.
I found myself creating pages according to client specifications and linking them to Blocs-created pages, which wasn't the intended workflow. When implementation wasn't possible with my existing tools, I reverted to RapidWeaver. If purchasing additional bricks or add-ons was necessary to meet client needs, budget constraints often prevented this approach, leading me back to RapidWeaver.
Static pages can now be easily created with ChatGPT—I'm currently using VS Studio with Codeium and getting immediate design results. What I need is a solution like Blocs that allows me to create interactive tables, database-driven sections that dynamically alter page content, forms that send information to email and servers, and the ability to develop web app or SaaS sections within the application.
For example, a recent client with a used car dealership wanted each vehicle listing to have interactive features allowing visitors to modify information and images by clicking options—changing colors, removing parts—with each modification affecting price and offers. This was difficult to implement in Blocs but straightforward in RapidWeaver.
The issue is that RapidWeaver will eventually cease to exist, and I need an equivalent or superior alternative. Based on my experience with Blocs, I'm hesitant to continue investing if it only enables creating visually appealing static pages with animations, as I already accomplish this using artificial intelligence. Tools like Cursor AI, Tabnine, GitHub Copilot, and Intellicode demonstrate that if you can design with Figma, AI can implement it—but that's not what I'm seeking. I want a tool that fulfills my clients' needs.
Do you think Blocs 6 offers enhanced capabilities now? Please be honest, because if you say "yes," I'll purchase it without hesitation.
Hi Albert, thanks for sharing this! I agree with your points. To answer your question, yes, Blocs 6 does offer much enhanced capabilities, primarily due to the new Custom Interactions feature. However, it’s unlikely to provide everything you need (based on your requirements). While it’s significantly better than Blocs 5, Blocs remains my go-to tool for creating very fast and visually appealing STATIC websites. If you need something more complex, there is no guarantee that it will suit your needs.
That being said, I don't think I know any other tool on the market that does that, at least not at the moment.
I came across information suggesting that the developer of Stacks is creating an app to utilize your purchased Stacks. If this turns out to be true, it would be fantastic to preserve all the stacks I have acquired over the years. I plan to continue using Blocs 5 and master it because, ultimately, Blocs will stand out among all the available options, making it a valuable addition to my toolkit. Do you believe there's a user-friendly CMS option that customers can easily manage?
Are users of Blocs 5 unable to take advantage of these updates?
The last officially tested and supported version of Minimalist Library for Blocs 5 is 2.2.
Starting from version 2.3, I’ve been adding Blocs 6 powered features, such as transform animations, transitions, and others. So, ideally, you need Blocs 6 to take the full advantage. However, you can still install the latest version of Minimalist Library on Blocs 5, but the aforementioned features won’t work.
Are there no further updates for B5? I'm hesitant to upgrade due to some issues that have left me feeling disappointed with the platform. How is the development of your website builder app progressing? Any updates to share?
Yes, I’ll always develop for the latest version of Blocs, but as I mentioned, you can use this version with Blocs 5. It won’t have the additional features, though. I don’t think it’ll be a major issue for you.
I’m not developing a website builder app. I’m learning another app and plan to create the Minimalist Library for it. However, it’s still in the early stages of development, and for the foreseeable future, I’m focusing solely on enhancing the library for Blocs 6.
By the way, could you share what disappointed you about Blocs?
I had been using RapidWeaver for many years and was accustomed to creating my pages with Joe Workman's Foundation 1 Stack. I invested considerable money in Stacks and was successfully developing numerous websites for my clients without issues. When Joe introduced Foundation 6, I purchased it immediately based on my positive experience with F1 and the promising features it offered for creating impressive websites.
However, Joe changed the approach to using Foundation. Instead of selecting components and adjusting settings in the sidebar, every element placed inside or outside components required individual assignment of classes and properties through what Joe called 'Swatches.' Despite the learning curve, once I managed to create websites with F6, I realized I disliked having to create different customization sections for each element or group of elements. As someone who is more visual than technical, this process became tedious and complicated.
I began exploring alternatives, with Sparkle and Blocs seeming promising. Both were marketed to designers who preferred minimal coding involvement, which appeared to address my concerns. Sparkle proved enjoyable, feeling similar to designing in Illustrator and exporting to HTML. However, when clients requested features like password-protected member areas involving SQL, implementation became problematic. In contrast, RapidWeaver had stacks that allowed me to accomplish this easily and quickly. After confirming with the developer that Sparkle had limitations for complex functionality, I decided against purchasing the professional version.
When I tried Blocs, I immediately felt comfortable. Building pages and using bricks was reminiscent of Foundation 1 and its stacks, allowing me to quickly recreate the same pages I had developed in RapidWeaver. This motivated me to purchase both Blocs and Blocs Plus licenses. With your assistance and community support, I gradually understood the logic behind creating pages, but became disappointed when I couldn't implement certain client requirements.
I found myself creating pages according to client specifications and linking them to Blocs-created pages, which wasn't the intended workflow. When implementation wasn't possible with my existing tools, I reverted to RapidWeaver. If purchasing additional bricks or add-ons was necessary to meet client needs, budget constraints often prevented this approach, leading me back to RapidWeaver.
Static pages can now be easily created with ChatGPT—I'm currently using VS Studio with Codeium and getting immediate design results. What I need is a solution like Blocs that allows me to create interactive tables, database-driven sections that dynamically alter page content, forms that send information to email and servers, and the ability to develop web app or SaaS sections within the application.
For example, a recent client with a used car dealership wanted each vehicle listing to have interactive features allowing visitors to modify information and images by clicking options—changing colors, removing parts—with each modification affecting price and offers. This was difficult to implement in Blocs but straightforward in RapidWeaver.
The issue is that RapidWeaver will eventually cease to exist, and I need an equivalent or superior alternative. Based on my experience with Blocs, I'm hesitant to continue investing if it only enables creating visually appealing static pages with animations, as I already accomplish this using artificial intelligence. Tools like Cursor AI, Tabnine, GitHub Copilot, and Intellicode demonstrate that if you can design with Figma, AI can implement it—but that's not what I'm seeking. I want a tool that fulfills my clients' needs.
Do you think Blocs 6 offers enhanced capabilities now? Please be honest, because if you say "yes," I'll purchase it without hesitation.
Hi Albert, thanks for sharing this! I agree with your points. To answer your question, yes, Blocs 6 does offer much enhanced capabilities, primarily due to the new Custom Interactions feature. However, it’s unlikely to provide everything you need (based on your requirements). While it’s significantly better than Blocs 5, Blocs remains my go-to tool for creating very fast and visually appealing STATIC websites. If you need something more complex, there is no guarantee that it will suit your needs.
That being said, I don't think I know any other tool on the market that does that, at least not at the moment.
I came across information suggesting that the developer of Stacks is creating an app to utilize your purchased Stacks. If this turns out to be true, it would be fantastic to preserve all the stacks I have acquired over the years. I plan to continue using Blocs 5 and master it because, ultimately, Blocs will stand out among all the available options, making it a valuable addition to my toolkit. Do you believe there's a user-friendly CMS option that customers can easily manage?