Should I use 7.1 or Brine?

Dear forum members

The last time I was here, v7.1 was fairly new and there was some 'push back' relative to some features. I don't quite remember the details but I have two questions.

1. Is v7.1 a good option for a new site now, do any kinks remain?
2. Which v7.1 template is recommended?
3. Should I just use Brine?
4. Is Brine v7.1 ready?
5. Which Squarespace page do I visit to view only the v7.1 templates in isolation?

I apologize for these basic but I haven't visited in a while now and the changes that the forum has gone through has made it difficult for me to easily find info. Thanks for your patience and I look forward to your reply. I realize I have some forum documentation to read through, with that thank you for your patience.

Cheers!
—Alex

On 11/6/2019 at 10:56 PM, kerstinmartin said:

Colin, I just did this for myself and a blog post I am working on. Does not cover everything but is what jumps out to me right now.

You should post this on Circle Forum. 😂

On 1/31/2020 at 6:39 AM, AlexSantos said:

• Is v7.1 a good option for a new site now, do any kinks remain?
• Which v7.1 template is recommended?
• Should I just use Brine?
• Is Brine v7.1 ready?
• Which Squarespace page do I visit to view only the v7.1 templates in isolation?

Hi Alex! Good to see you again 🙂 

I will be building new sites in 7.1 from now on and I am also in the process of redesigning my own on 7.1. It's still not perfect but quite a few improvements have been made (color management is definitely better now) and the more I get to know it the more I love it!

Since all 7.1 templates have the same architecture it doesn't really matter which one you choose. I usually start on Bailard because that reminds me of good old Bedford 🙂 Hester looks like Brine.

7.1 was released into GA in January so all new trials start on it now. The URL is https://www.squarespace.com/templates

On 2/2/2020 at 5:11 PM, kerstinmartin said:

I will be building new sites in 7.1 from now on and I am also in the process of redesigning my own on 7.1. It's still not perfect but quite a few improvements have been made (color management is definitely better now) and the more I get to know it the more I love it!

Hello Kerstin, I am as delighted as you are. So far I haven't seen anything that I don't like. It's easier to use with a very simple yet interesting user interface and this version is really built for ease of use. I think clients will be able to cope easier with 7.1.

Squarespace made the bold and wise decision to pin all their templates to a single code base, a brilliant strategy. Metaphorically, it's like one single operating system with each template behaving like an app. This can help development focus on stamping out bugs, adding features and integrations at a much faster pace, thereby expanding the scope of the platform. It may even give them an opportunity to contemplate specific technology packages — layered parallax scrolling, animations and other considerations such as how to deliver a proper SVG import mechanism and maybe even a proper method to create recurring calendar events.

I look forward to this new version with a keen eye.

v7.0 templates are still available at the end of the templates page you mentioned.

Thanks for providing your perspective.