Having already done a review of Elementor Under Duress just 2 months ago, it hardly seemed timely to do another More Elementor Duress. But having tried to create a container with attached Motion Effects and then an Elementor Popup – both using the new Elementor 3.72 with full Flexbox container implementation abruptly changed plans. There is a slight problem creating a Popup with elementary styling – it turns out to be Mission Impossible. Here is the proof:
Every container object failed to display both Style and Advanced CSS/JavaScript options. The net result was the need to use a different Popup plugin to fill in the gap. And that is not the only Flexbox deficit. A strong WYSIWYG UI has been a key selling point for Elementor but like the styling problems, Flexbox is also effecting WYSIWYG completeness of the Elementor UI which has been a traditional pillar of strength. Here is one of many possible samples of Flex WYSIWYG gone AWOL:
Using the new default Flex Containers there are three problems 1)flex containers don’t work as expected so users have to spend time verifying that they are right and Elementor is malfunctioning; 2)users have to spend even more time getting support and/or working out an alternative solution; 3) users have to contemplate using other PageBuilder/Theme Builder tools like Beaver Builder, Bricks Builder, Thrive and others that have managed to to preserve WYSIWYG UIs while adding new layout and design capabilities.
Others have picked up on the nature of the basic UI interface problems and broader strategy questions:
This Flexbox problem in Elementor peaked in the period from April to June Spring 2022 but the the flexbox problems continue to appear in the literature. Just follow this query to find the current state of Elementor. But what is interesting is that 3 new ThemeBuilder- Oxygen, BreakDance, and Brickbuilder all have adopted Flexbox with Bricks and BreakDance starting wiithin the last year with fewer reported Flexbox problems.