My friend who just released a website builder

[behzad]

My friend just released a website creator Hocoos which looks amazing with AI. He is a very talented and creative guy with many other achievements.
I just wanted to share an article that was written about him at the college I went to.

Link

[gwpriester]

Pretty cool. Though I think you know what I think about websites that build themselves without web designers.

[behzad]

Yes I do Gary. I think there is an audience and market for everything out there. AI is a big thing now and possibly it will have its own user market. I am on the same page as you but what if the AI designs it and then us designers go in and touchup things?

[Boy]

... but what if the AI designs it and then us designers go in and touchup things?

A reversal of roles. It used to be that designers designed and used technology to touch up (etc.) things.

[handrawn]

... the AI designs it and then us designers go in and touchup things?

looking at it this way is either:

a logical fallacy; unless the AI is sentient and instructing you to make changes, it is still you in charge - even if it constructs it's reply in psuedo-sentient terminology, if it not sentient then these replies have no more weight than 'hints' that current computer programs provide, be they good or bad

or:

it's a tool that has got you off to a flying start; but you are not touching things up, you are finishing them off... this is no different in principle to photography; the spectrum is far far wider, but the principle is the same

[Acorn]

@behzad, it produces designs that are moderately useful but particularly poor in performance.
The number of JavaScript file calls is over 20. There is no pre-fetching. All fair for a dynamic preview but for a jobbing website, no.

The AI front-end is pure gimmick. You could zero in on a Xara or XaraTemplates design just as adroitly.
You have a web front end that enables quick global scheme changes that Xara does and in Xara Cloud that you have eschewed.

Xara has always pre-processed its designs but the extensive use of post-processing colour schemes through CSS Variables is something Xara could quickly adopt.
It almost did in Pro+ as all your Theme colours are exported in xr_main.css as ClassNames (e.g., .xr_c_Lighter {color:#AAFFC0}; Xara should similarly have exposed them as CSS Variables.

The one thing going for it is the ability to set up a Custom Domain or buy a new one, such simple integration is something Xara needs to consider.
The next one thing going for it is the easy integration of a Blog.
The next, next one thing going for it is the integrated Store. [Sadly, you have to go Premium @ $150/y for this]
These three alone will have me exploring deeper.

Acorn

[behzad]

Glad to hear you guys out. Thanks for the feedback.