My friend who just released a website builder

**behzad** · 03 November 2023, 10:13 PM

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** · 03 November 2023, 11:46 PM

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

**behzad** · 04 November 2023, 02:36 AM

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** · 04 November 2023, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by behzad

... 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** · 04 November 2023, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by behzad

... 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** · 04 November 2023, 03:48 PM

@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** · 04 November 2023, 07:44 PM

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

**Acorn** · 04 November 2023, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by behzad

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

Glad. Now, my ask. Would you go for Hocoos Premium as effectively it's a Subscription model that you detest?

Acorn

**behzad** · 05 November 2023, 01:01 PM

I would not pay for any subscription as of now. I have paused my business and taking a break to figure out if I want to join Xara again. I am still managing my past clients needs now and then with xara that I own. Getting close to 60 and having worked for 30 years in the design field has worn me out and times are different now and clients are cheaper.. I may just open a branding/print studio and not deal with web design at all.

**behzad** · 05 November 2023, 01:04 PM

My biggest challenge with my last client after I told her that I am taking a break was that she freaked out on me and even though I said there is a small community of xara users, she decided to go to wordpress. Xara did not serve her well, specially with SEO and other features that xara still lacks. I do not want to go through that again. Can I ask you to write a separate post detailing all the stuff that xara is missing to stand out and compete with the other platforms out there? With time we can cross out those features that have been implemented cause I promise you that, they will not add them. They are in the basic drag and drop business, simply drag and drop. No database, no blogs, no ecommerce, etc...

My mouth has foamed over the years from asking, and others who have asked for similar features. Even basic drawing features are ignored.