I keep thinking about the direction of the @Framer marketplace and I say this because I want Framer to succeed and stay synonymous with great design.

Framer has fundamentally changed the marketplace's character.

The old one felt like an Apple Store: not perfect but curated and trusted. Today it feels more like an open street market (not the good one), anyone can put something on the table and sell it.

That's not bad in itself. Opening the gates is great for creators. But it raises a bigger question: who is the Marketplace actually for? Designers who want to publish and monetise, customers who just want something good or both?

And if customers are part of the equation, how do they know what to trust? A designer can judge good work. A small business owner who just needs a website can't. They may buy something off a nice thumbnail, only to find it isn't very good.

Also, the complexity of choice: too many vs. too few.

The old review process wasn't perfect, but it gave one valuable thing: a quality signal. If that gate is gone, what replaces it? Reviews? Creator reputation? Verified creators? Editorial curation? Some signals exist but they're buried instead of helping customers decide.

So maybe the answer isn't bringing the gate back. Maybe Framer needs a trusted layer above the open marketplace, something maybe inspired by Awwwards, Minimal Gallery, One Page Love (you have the man now, @Rob Hope). A genuinely curated Framer "Space" to discover great work. Not a static Featured section but something always changing: new discoveries, rising work, editor's picks, hidden gems.

The Marketplace stays open, anyone can sell. The Space stays selective, not everything gets editorial attention. Freedom for creators, confidence for customers.

Framer's opportunity isn't the biggest street market for templates. It's to be the place where people think: "If it's here, it's worth your time."

So: if you're removing the gates, what are you building to replace the trust they provided?

I keep thinking about the direction of the @Framer marketplace and I say this because I want Framer to succeed and stay synonymous with great design.

Framer has fundamentally changed the marketplace's character.

The old one felt like an Apple Store: not perfect but curated and trusted. Today it feels more like an open street market (not the good one), anyone can put something on the table and sell it.

That's not bad in itself. Opening the gates is great for creators. But it raises a bigger question: who is the Marketplace actually for? Designers who want to publish and monetise, customers who just want something good or both?

And if customers are part of the equation, how do they know what to trust? A designer can judge good work. A small business owner who just needs a website can't. They may buy something off a nice thumbnail, only to find it isn't very good.

Also, the complexity of choice: too many vs. too few.

The old review process wasn't perfect, but it gave one valuable thing: a quality signal. If that gate is gone, what replaces it? Reviews? Creator reputation? Verified creators? Editorial curation? Some signals exist but they're buried instead of helping customers decide.

So maybe the answer isn't bringing the gate back. Maybe Framer needs a trusted layer above the open marketplace, something maybe inspired by Awwwards, Minimal Gallery, One Page Love (you have the man now, @Rob Hope). A genuinely curated Framer "Space" to discover great work. Not a static Featured section but something always changing: new discoveries, rising work, editor's picks, hidden gems.

The Marketplace stays open, anyone can sell. The Space stays selective, not everything gets editorial attention. Freedom for creators, confidence for customers.

Framer's opportunity isn't the biggest street market for templates. It's to be the place where people think: "If it's here, it's worth your time."

So: if you're removing the gates, what are you building to replace the trust they provided?