October 14, 2017 · JoomlaDay Italia · Milan
Are template frameworks really necessary?
A critical look at Joomla template frameworks such as Gantry, Warp, T3 and Helix: when they help rapid prototyping and when they limit performance and SEO, with a focus on custom templates built from scratch.
At JoomlaDay Italia in Milan I asked an uncomfortable question: do template frameworks — Gantry, Warp, T3, Helix — really help, or are they a convenience we pay dearly for? It is a deliberately critical talk, because at the time reaching for one was almost a reflex.
The answer is “it depends”, but with nuance. Frameworks are great for rapid prototyping and for anyone who has to ship fast without touching code. The cost comes later: layers of unnecessary markup and CSS, heavier performance, and reduced SEO headroom exactly where it matters most. When a project has real ambitions for speed and ranking, a custom template built from scratch repays the time invested.
The message is not “frameworks are evil” but “choose consciously”: knowing what they add and what they take away is the difference between using them as a tool and being stuck with them as a default.
The slides are in Italian.