5 favorite Semplice features you might have missed

I use Semplice nearly every day to create landing pages and websites, from hiring announcements to mini-portfolios for a pitch, to marketing pages for my various products and projects.

And I’ve noticed that it’s the little things that help me work faster, and make my websites better, every time.

You can take Semplice as far as you want it. If you want to launch a single page with a simple gallery of your work, you can do it in a few minutes. If you want to customize the hell out of your portfolio or website and make it feel unique from top to bottom, you can do that too.

For those that want to speed up their workflow and make their site a bit more special, I highly recommend these features.

1. Set your global styles once & you’re 10x faster

Most people customize their typography directly on the pages and projects they design inside Semplice. It's the most natural way and makes sense. The downside is, you have to manually make any changes directly on the page every time.

If you spend just a bit more time thinking it through beforehand, the Global Typography feature in Semplice will make you way more efficient and save you time. You define your styles and sizes once, and then apply to all pages at one time. Set your h1, h2, h3 etc. for all breakpoints and you're done.

Now if you decide to redesign your site and change your typography later, you don’t have to go back and manually update each page. Just update your global styles and you're good to go.

Nobody cares about typography like Semplice →

2. Add a custom navigation for every case study

You’re not limited to one global navigation in Semplice. You could use a different nav on every page, if you want. You can brand these differently for different client projects, use different logos on each nav, change their color or layout. This means every case study or project can feel like its own complete experience, from top to bottom.

I’m assuming if you use Semplice, it’s because you don’t want to settle for the default, standard options. It’s features like this that allow you to do the unexpected for your website and make it truly yours.

See more navigation possibilities →

3. Custom page transitions that change the whole feel of your site

This is perhaps one of the easiest and best features in Semplice.

With just a few clicks, you can upgrade the feel of your website by adding beautiful page transitions. Make new pages slide in for a snappy feel almost like using an app. Or add a branded transition for each case study using the client’s logo. It’s one of those little extra touches that people always notice and appreciate.

See how page transitions change the feel of your site →

4. Reveal your final result with the Before/After module

The 90s movies knew it best: Everyone loves a good Before and After moment. We are suckers for a satisfying transformation.

The same is true for branding work, illustrations, photography editing, UX wireframing, 3D designs – basically any type of work where you can reveal the early phase compared to the final result. Especially when someone might not notice the subtleties behind the work as much otherwise.

It takes literally a second to implement the Before / After feature within one of your case studies, and it’s much more interesting than a static image.

See the big reveal →

5. Adding some personality and keeping it fresh with the Instagram Live feed

This is a hack for keeping your website updated without even touching it.

Add the Instagram module to your homepage or About page and all your latest Instagram pictures will feed straight onto the page. Your website updates as you update your Instagram feed.

You could even launch a page with solely your bio and Instagram feed, with links to other platforms or works online. Just like that, you instantly have a portfolio.

See the Instagram module in action →

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