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A Designers Dream CMS
#1

[eluser]RESPECT[/eluser]
Okay well I'm creating a CMS and have some basic basic stuff done. Now its time to turn to the community and ask a question, which will hopefully help me create the best possible CMS for designers and keep me going in the right direction.

"What would be some features of CMS, as a designer, you would like? What do you find essential to one? What would make it a dream CMS for you?"

Thanks in advance!
Respect
#2

[eluser]ehicks727[/eluser]
This probably isn't the answer you're looking for, but I've been looking for a CMS for two years now that plays well with SEO general practices and strategy.

The closest I've found is ModX, and it's not good.

I would just love a CMS that had templates and you could edit every page element that us SEO guys want to edit. Every web page owner (that makes money off their site) is starting to learn the term 'SEO'. They all want it even though they don't understand it. Most SEO pros are not designers or developers. So they are all looking for HTML templates and code systems (PHP, JSP, ASP, or otherwise) that they can use to support their clients. If they could automate more, they can add client capacity and make more money. Right now, most SEO guys edit pages manually because they need detailed control. Build them a system and you'd free up their time tremendously.

So, I'm giving away my million dollar idea.... design a CMS that SEOs love and you'll be able to charge money for it, market it heavily to SEO pros, and you'll be able to retire young.
#3

[eluser]Derek Allard[/eluser]
Hmm... can you make something that reads my mind and pulls content out for my blog? I've got all these ideas but not enough time (or sometimes energy), but if your software could just automagically

Code:
fopen($dereks_brain, IGNORE_SCARY_STUFF);

Well, you'd have a convert Wink

I think you'll need to decide who your audience is. If you're targetting devs, then I think you'll find the "help when I want help then get the hell out of my way" answers, but if you're targetting, say... harlequin romance novel writers, well, ease of use and minimal features are probably the way to go.

In any event, proven security, speed, and flexibility make my list, as well as professional support, a strong community, a dedicated development staff (even if that "staff" is one person). These are the things I look for.
#4

[eluser]RESPECT[/eluser]
ehicks727:
Thank you! Never crossed my mind, and it sounds like a wonderful idea...alas this CMS will be for the most part open-source and probably wont turn a profitSmile. Haven't decided if I will have a 'pro' version or possibly deviate from the 'main' version, but most likely notSmile Really appreciate that idea! And if I do expect a nice check in the mailWink

Derek Allard:
The community, professional support plus dedicated developer(s), hopefully will someday come to fruition. Though now its just me and I'm trying to make what I consider the 'missing CMS'. Though what you've mentioned cannot be ignored and are important factors.
Well now that you mention it there is this helmet that you wear... Tongue


Honestly this CMS is a effort and a realization from my past experiences before I knew PHP and just wanted a easy CMS that had a super simple template system and a easy way to add portfolio items/categories, that's where the 'designer' view I mentioned comes into play. Though with the options to add things in when needed, I now see it would also need have the 'developers' point of view in terms of 'hey, get out of my way' instead of being completely in your face and closed off.

Thanks again for the suggestions, anything else you add is helpful even if it breaks away from the 'designer' view I previously mentioned. Smile

Respect
#5

[eluser]Crafter[/eluser]
Quote:... just wanted a easy CMS that had a super simple template system ...

It all comes down to this.
#6

[eluser]phpoet[/eluser]
I agree with everything Derek said and also about the super simple template system. In addition, I'd like a CMS with a super simple mode for letting non-tech folks (my clients) edit their own pages without having to give them hours of instruction and still have them call me every time they want to update their own website. I've even thought about creating a super simple mode for WordPress that only had an "edit page" and "create page" mode but I've never gotten around to it.
#7

[eluser]Bramme[/eluser]
I was thinking of something similar a while back phpoet. The plan was to create a simple link on the page that when clicked would open a lightbox type of thing with a login form. Once logged in, you get a big + in the corner of every page to add new pages (again in smth lightboxy) and you could simply click on elements on a page to edit them(Flickr like).

I ran into trouble with the lightbox stuff though and the user required smth more complicated in the end anyhow, so the idea got boxed...
#8

[eluser]Référencement Google[/eluser]
Personally I would like a really simple CMS that allows me to start each of my projects based on it. So it would have:
- A user management system ready
- A template system
- A module system (plugin / components)

As a good example, I would love to see Frog CMS converted to CI.
#9

[eluser]wiredesignz[/eluser]
Hi Too Pixel,

I am actually building the system you describe. :lol:

PM me if you want to look at progress so far.
#10

[eluser]Nick Husher[/eluser]
I've written two basic CMSes in the past. One of them was a dedicated project from a small software company, and I realized this about content management systems as a species: They're impossible to do well and very easy to do badly. I've come to the conclusion that it's better to find two or three CMSes that do different kinds of things and get really good at them, warts and all, before diving into your own CMS project.

That said, if you're really interested in making a CMS, I'd suggest that you work on making it do one thing really really well. That thing being manage content. Not users, permissions, or fancy assets. Just content, just text and images. Figure out the rest after you know exactly how to store, index, and manipulate volumes of text. It's a lot harder than it looks. Wink




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