HTML-First, Framework-Second: Is JavaScript Finally Growing Up?

For a long time now, JavaScript has been the hero of the modern web, swooping in to build full-scale apps in the browser. But lately, a quiet rebellion has been brewing. Developers are turning back to HTML-first approaches — faster, simpler, more resilient.

Instead of reaching for frameworks by default, more teams are treating HTML and CSS as first-class citizens again, leaning on JavaScript only when it genuinely enhances the experience. This isn’t nostalgia — it’s a calculated correction. The real question now is: Is this shift a…