I’ve spent the better part of my career building things the traditional way: hand-coding components, managing state, and meticulously translating Figma files into code. However, for a recent project, we decided to try a different workflow to build and ship a production level website using an AI tool.
We used Lovable to see if we could bridge the gap between design and production faster. It was an eye-opening experience. In this post, I'll break down our process, where the tool truly surprised us, and the specific areas where an engineer’s touch remains non-negotiable.
The Workflow: Designer in the Driver's Seat
In a typical sprint, a designer would hand me a file and I’d spend days or weeks recreating it. With Lovable, the roles shifted significantly. The designer was able to handle most of the actual UI implementation directly within the tool.
- Faster Iterations: Instead of waiting for me to "code it up" to see how a layout flowed, the designer could iterate in real-time.
- Rapid Feedback: We could look at a live URL within minutes of an idea being sparked.
This shift allowed us to focus on the user experience rather than the implementation details during the early stages.
Where the Developer Comes In: Guiding the AI
There’s a misconception that AI-driven tools make developers obsolete. In reality, they just change our focus. While Lovable handled the bulk of the UI, I had to step in as the architect to ensure the site was professional, functional, and scalable.
1. Responsive UI Fixes
AI is powerful, but it doesn't always account for every edge case. I guided Lovable through specific responsive fixes to ensure that complex layouts didn't break on tablets or ultra-wide monitors. This required a solid understanding of CSS Flexbox and Grid to tell the AI exactly how to restructure elements for those tricky breakpoints.
2. Global State Management
This is where the difference between a "working" site and a "well-engineered" site becomes clear. Initially, the AI wanted to duplicate modal code across multiple pages. I stepped in and instructed it to implement a Global State Management pattern using React Context.
I specifically chose React Context because I wanted to keep the codebase lean and simple without the overhead of heavier state management libraries. By managing the modal state at the Layout level, we prevented code duplication and kept the app performant and easy to maintain.
3. API Integration
A production site needs to actually function. I handled the heavy lifting of connecting the UI to our backend services, which involved structuring data fetching logic, handling loading states, and ensuring secure communication between the frontend and our APIs.
4. Hardening SEO for Production
AI tools often provide the "bones" of a site but rarely give you the necessary visibility. To make this site production-ready, I manually guided the implementation of:
- Meta & Open Graph Tags: Ensuring the site looks professional on social media with custom OG images.
- Schema Structured Data: Helping search engines understand the content hierarchy.
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Technical SEO Assets: Generating a
sitemap.xml, arobots.txtfile, and asite.webmanifest.
The Professional Bridge: GitHub & CI/CD
The last and most important step was the GitHub sync. For this to be a professional project, it couldn't live in a silo.
I synced the Lovable project to a GitHub repository, which allowed me to review the generated code for quality, add custom logic, and set up GitHub Workflows for automated deployment. Now, every significant change triggers a proper CI/CD pipeline to keep our production environment up to date.
The Verdict: The Tool vs. The Craftsman
Lovable is an absolute game-changer for websites and straightforward web apps. It allowed us to ship at a speed that would have been impossible just a few months ago. It empowered the designer to be more involved in the build and allowed me to focus on high-level engineering.
A Note on Stack & Constraints
One caveat I had with Lovable was the stack limitation. Given the choice, I would have preferred to use Astro for this project. Astro’s SEO-friendly architecture, faster deployment build times, and high level of customizability make it an ideal choice for content-heavy sites. However, Lovable doesn't support it currently, so we optimized within the React ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
While this worked perfectly for this project, more complex applications still demand intricate knowledge of state management and component architecture. As an engineer, you still need to know:
- Component Strategy: Determining what should be a reusable component to avoid duplication.
- Complex State: Knowing how to structure data flow beyond simple contexts.
- Optimization: Preventing unnecessary re-renders in data-heavy environments.
The takeaway is clear: AI builds the house, but the engineer ensures the foundation is solid. You still need to know what you’re doing to achieve the best results.
Have you tried building with Lovable yet? I’d love to hear how your workflow changed in the comments!
