Coming up with game-changing ideas is the dream of almost any programmer out there, many achieve this feat spontaneously, meaning that they create something game-changing without really thinking about it, it’s the little things that really make those big waves of change, and Bootstrap was one such change that has transformed the ecosphere of developing and prototyping websites. The biggest adaptation purpose, of course the integration with all devices regardless of their type, something that’s crucially important to a successful, modern website. The designs coming out of this framework have been utilized by some of the most highly regarded startups.
The components of Bootstrap 3 (the version 4 is still in an alpha phase and is being actively developed), have been one of the iconic reasons why people rely so much on this frameworks, the components include (but not limited to): icons, buttons, navigation bars, input forms, breadcrumbs, pagination, labeling, badges, thumbnails, page alerts, progress bars, media related objects, lists, responsive media, and plethora more. There are individual CSS and JavaScript components that every gets access to, which is also the defining structure of the framework, and why such robust and highly-scalable websites can be built.
But, there is one tiny little problem, well..problem for those who see it that way, perhaps limitation is a better word. Bootstrap relies on a single design, which means that anything that you are going to be building, is going to look almost exactly the same, as far as appearances and colors go. It’s not a surprise that some experienced developers are making fun of the framework, most recent example being this website — a parody of how every single Bootstrap website looks exactly the same. We won’t disagree, because in many ways it is true, a lot of Bootstrap websites do look the same, but we also know that this can be solved through simple means: UI kits.
UI kits, or User Interface kits, are a collection of components and elements that use a specific framework as the core — in this case Bootstrap — but build on top of the style of elements with different color choices, different shapes, different objects, and custom items. All this can significantly enhance your Bootstrap experience, because suddenly you’re getting access to more elements that you can play with, but still maintain the known Bootstrap structure.
Bootstrap 3 UI Kit
The Bootstrap 3 Vector UI Kit is the big brother to Bootstrap. This kit features some additions that extend the normal Bootstrap functionality with exciting new features and web elements that are surely going to spice things up in your designs. All the UI elements within the kit are ready for publishing. The download of the kit is available in three different formats: PDF, Sketch, and AI. The UI Kit begins with the default set of components that you find in Bootstrap already, with a few modifications here and there. The kit includes Glyphicons that are ready to use. As for additional components, the package begins with tables and forms — both components are getting a full revamp and additional extendability options in the form of dynamic options.
There’s an Advanced Forms component that will help businesses and agencies to conclude in-depth interview processes even before the user sends out their first email. There’s also an integrated dashboard available to make your Bootstrap website come alive instantly, and one of the last things that really caught our attention was the Chat component; a fully functional chat layout/concept to use in your Bootstrap site.
Get Shit Done Kit
This UI kit is approaching 20k+ downloads fast. Frameworks, and also UI kits of course, are all about getting things done more efficiently, without the need to ponder and brainstorm each part of the design individually. With a framework/uikit, we have access to a grid-style design that can be plugged with components and custom snippets. The Get Shit Done UI Kit is a modern, clean, and features a stunning user interface that so many have fallen in love with. The good news is, the pro version of the kit has more than 150+ components, the bad news.. the free version has only 20+. But, all of them are built organic, so they’re completely unique to anything else you’ve seen on the market. The quality of design is truly smooth and authentic.
Metro Vibes
PixelKit is a premium UI Kit platform that features more than a dozen unique UI kits with a variation of styles, dynamics, and component choices. Because PixelKit also has a couple of free downloads available, we will try and cover the most prominent ones to give you more choices. The first kit we want to cover, is Metro Vibes. Everyone’s familiar with Metro design, but nobody really ever sees the Metro Design to be taken out of its traditional color set, which is what is happening here. Metro Vibes uses a more relaxed, mellow color scheme which in itself creates for a unique design experience. Components include things like a in-depth menu navigation, a widget for analyzing the stock market, a profile widget with a profile header image, a profile picture, space for name and description, and iconized profile views, comments and likes. There’s a dynamic charts widget to showcase any important data, social sharing widget, a widget for displaying the weather forecast, solid calendar, slider, progress bars, author box with information, even pricing tables. There really are some truly unique choices to pick from within the Metro Vibes pack, explore the demo to get a good feel for it.
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