Hi all,
This might be off-topic, but feel free to move or delete it
I am curious how everyone here handles the very first client meeting, before a single page gets built in Elements.
My own process used to be pretty loose — notes on paper, maybe a rough sketch, then straight into the app to start blocking things out. Lately I’ve been experimenting with a lightweight wireframing tool I put together myself, using pure HTML-code. Something I bring to the first sit-down on an iPad, where the client and I can literally drag blocks around together (header, nav, hero, image placeholders, forms, pricing cards, etc.), sketch directly on top with the pencil to point things out, flip between desktop/tablet/mobile layouts live, and walk out with a rough site structure — plus exports (PNG, PDF, even a basic HTML/CSS starting point) instead of a page of scribbled notes. The tool is currently in Dutch, but I am in the process of translating it into English.
It’s made the intake conversation a lot more concrete — clients react to something visual much faster than to “so, tell me about your business,” and I skip a fair bit of back-and-forth later because the structure was already agreed on together.
A couple of things I’m curious about:
How does your own intake/first-meeting process look? Paper sketches, an existing wireframing app, straight into Elements, something else entirely?
Would a tool like this add real value to your workflow, or is this solving a problem most of you don’t really have?
Your tool sounds really cool. I like how collaborative and consultative the process is—nice work.
Thinking about it, I can’t even remember the last time I actually sat down with a client to map out their website before we started building it.
Over the years, we’ve found ourselves working with the same types of businesses repeatedly, so I began creating a library of homepage concepts using generic logos and placeholder content. During the discovery process, clients review those layouts and tell us which sections and blocks they like. It’s evolved into a really useful starting point that helps us identify their preferences quickly without beginning from a blank page.
Your approach is interesting because it takes that collaboration a step further by letting the client build the structure alongside you. I could definitely see that being valuable, especially for projects that need more custom planning upfront.
That’s a smart approach — starting from a curated library of proven homepage concepts instead of a blank page is a great way to speed up discovery, especially once you’ve seen the same patterns work across similar business types.
It does make me think it might be worth offering more starter templates in the tool as well, so clients have something concrete to react to right from the start instead of a fully blank canvas.
Another thought: something like this could actually work well as a public tool on my own website too — letting a prospective client sketch out their own idea before we even have that first meeting. Could be a nice way to get the conversation started even earlier.
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate the perspective!
Hello, thanks for your feedback. I’m considering making this tool available on my website, where visitors will be able to create wireframes. However, I first want to be sure that it provides enough value. I’m also exploring ways to integrate AI into the tool.
Please note that I don’t intend to commercialise it. If I do complete its development, it will be freely available to everyone through my website.
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