Why We’ve Embraced Relume for All Future Website Builds

The web development landscape has changed drastically over the past few years. Agencies all over the world are grappling with tighter deadlines, higher client expectations, and the constant pressure to deliver websites that work flawlessly across every device.

Many development teams are finding themselves caught in an endless cycle of building the same web components over and over again, essentially starting from scratch with each new project.

Because of this, we made a strategic shift at ThinkStory. We were tired of starting from square one every single time, so we decided to move to Relume for all our client website builds, including our own. The decision wasn't about cutting corners or saving costs. Instead, it's about delivering faster, more robust, and efficient websites that serve our clients better.

The Problem with Starting from Zero

Building custom websites from scratch might sound impressive, but it's a much messier way of achieving the same outcome in double the time. Every project begins with the same fundamental challenges: creating responsive navigation, designing mobile-friendly formats, building contact forms that actually work across browsers, and ensuring it meets the accessibility standards.

The traditional custom approach means spending weeks on foundational elements before even getting to the aspects that make the client's brand or business unique.

Dev teams find themselves debugging the same cross-browser compatibility issues, tweaking the same responsive breakpoints, and solving the same user experience challenges they've run into countless times before.

For clients, this means longer project timelines, higher costs, and often inconsistent quality depending on which developer handles their project. The irony is that whilst every website feels "custom", the underlying structure and functionality requirements of websites are pretty much the same across industries.

Why Relume Changes Everything

Relume fundamentally shifts how we approach website development, but not in the way you would think. It's not a drag-and-drop website builder or a one-click solution that magically produces finished websites. Instead, it's an extensive library of professionally designed, robust components that serve as the foundation for truly custom websites.

Think of it this way: Relume provides the architectural framework rather than the finished building. The sections, components, and layouts already exist, but they're designed to be styled, rearranged and customised to match any brand's specific requirements. This means we can focus our creative energy on what makes each client special rather than rebuilding basic functionality from scratch.

The system includes everything from simple text blocks and image galleries to more complicated e-commerce integrations and interactive elements. Each component is built with responsive design principles, accessibility standards, and cross-browser compatibility already worked in. This foundation gives us confidence that every website we build will perform consistently, regardless of how much we customise the visual elements of the site.

The Developer and Agency Perspective

From a development perspective, Relume solves several annoying issues that we experience often with custom website projects. The component library is built with clean, descriptive code that makes it easy to understand and modify. When we need to adjust spacing, colours, or typography, the changes automatically update through the design system logically rather than requiring manual updates to dozens of individual elements.

The real benefit becomes apparent when clients request changes (as they always do!). With traditional custom builds, seemingly simple requests like "can we make the testimonials section look more like the hero section?" often require significant restructuring, which takes a considerable amount of time and effort. With Relume's component system, we can quickly swap layouts, adjust styling, or implement entirely new sections without breaking existing functionality.

Version control becomes much more manageable too because we're working with standardised components rather than completely unique code for every project. This means less time spent on debugging, fewer compatibility issues, and more predictable project timelines.

For agencies, this allows for better resource allocation. Junior developers can confidently work with Relume components while senior developers can focus on complex custom functionality and integrations. The learning curve is more manageable, and the consistent structure means team members can easily jump between projects without needing to decode someone else's custom framework.

What This Means for Clients

Faster delivery times are just the start! The level of reliability that Relume provides can't be overstated; every component in the Relume library has been tested across devices, browsers, and real-world usage scenarios. This means fewer post-launch bugs, better performance out of the gate, and more consistent user experiences.

The efficiency frees up time to focus on strategic elements like user journey optimisation, conversion rate improvements, and brand storytelling rather than troubleshooting basic functionality. Clients end up with websites that look professional and actually perform better because we're building on proven foundations.

Site maintenance becomes significantly easier as well. When updates are needed, whether for security patches or feature additions, the standardised component structure makes changes more straightforward and less likely to introduce unexpected issues elsewhere on the site.

The Reality of Implementation

Choosing Relume doesn't mean cutting corners or delivering the same website over and over again to different clients. The implementation process requires just as much strategic thinking, design consideration, and technical expertise as traditional custom development (sometimes more!).

Each project begins with the same thorough discovery process, understanding client goals, target audiences, and other unique requirements. The difference is that instead of starting with a blank canvas and building every element from scratch, we're working with a sophisticated toolkit that accelerates the development process while maintaining quality standards.

The styling and customisation work is substantial. Relume components serve as the structural foundation, but achieving a truly branded, unique appearance requires careful attention to typography, colour systems, spacing, animations, and countless other design details. The components need to be configured, combined, and styled to create cohesive user experiences that align with each client's brand identity.

Moving Forward with Confidence

The move to Relume represents a maturity in how we approach web developments. Rather than viewing pre-built components as limitations, we've embraced them as time-savers that free us up to focus on what really matters: creating websites that achieve business objectives and deliver exceptional user experiences.

This approach is about delivering better websites faster because we're not wasting time rebuilding solutions to problems that have already been solved effectively. The result is more reliable, more responsive, and ultimately more successful websites for our clients.

Ready to experience the difference? Contact us to discuss how our approach can deliver a robust, custom website that serves your business goals without the traditional hassles.