four kitchens presents: future of the cms
TRANSCRIPT
August 10, 2016
The Future of the CMSDecoupled architecture, multiple frontends, and content as a service
I want you to rethink how we manage, publish, and consume content.
What “decoupled” means
Agenda 1 32
When decoupling makes sense
Agenda 321
What’s next
1Agenda 32
What “decoupled” means
1 32
CMS
Frontend
Backend
Frontend
CMS
Backend
Frontend
CMS
Backend
Head
Decoupled(or “headless”)
Body
Frontend
CMS
Backend
Web
Backend
Web
Backend
Socialmedia
Native apps
Feeds Screenreaders
SmartTVsXbox
Wear-ables
Web
Backend
Socialmedia
Native apps
Feeds Screenreaders
SmartTVsXbox
Wear-ables
Web
Content
Socialmedia
Native apps
Feeds Screenreaders
SmartTVsXbox
Wear-ables
When decoupling makes sense
31 2
Adopt cutting-edge frontend technologies
Decoupling makes sense when you want to…
Backend
safe
repeatable
known solutions,expected results
Frontend
safe
repeatable
known solutions,expected results
BORING
Frontend
bleeding-edge tech
richest experience
high risk, high reward
Backend
bleeding-edge tech
richest experience
high risk, high reward
DANGEROUS
JUST RIGHT
Frontend
bleeding-edge tech
richest experience
high risk, high reward
Backend
safe
repeatable
known solutions,expected results
Separate upgrades from redesigns
Decoupling makes sense when you want to…
Redesign
New CMS Upgrade CMS
Redesign Redesign
Upgrade CMS
Redesign
Upgrade CMS
Coupled
Time
Upgrade CMS
Redesign
New CMS
Redesign
Upgrade CMS
Redesign
Time
Decoupledseparates upgrades and redesigns
Redesign
New CMS
Angular React PolymerBackbone Ember
Upgrade CMS
Time
Decoupledhelps you keep pace with frontend tech
iOS app RokuRedesign
New CMS
iOS redesignWeb redesign
Upgrade CMS
Time
Decoupledallows multiple frontends and experiences
Eliminate tension between a design and your CMS
Decoupling makes sense when you want to…
Who’s walking whom?
CMS
Design
Two philosophies of designing for a CMS
CMS first
• The users’ needs are important, but there are many ways to satisfy them
• The design can be changed to align with the natural behavior of the CMS
• The end result is easier and cheaper to maintain
Design first
• The users’ needs are paramount and non-negotiable
• The design must be executed as-is
• This may involve hacking the CMS or creating a complicated codebase, which affects maintainability
Neither philosophy is wrong, and decoupling can satisfy both
Centralize your content
Decoupling makes sense when you want to…
Mywebsite
CMS
Content
Frank’swebsite
CMS
Content
Sara’swebsite
CMS
Content
Laura’swebsite
CMS
Content
Bob’swebsite
CMS
Content
Mywebsite
CMS
Content
CMS
Mywebsite
Content
Me
Frank
LauraBob
Sara
Contenthub
Sara
Me
Sara
Me
Me
Sara
Me
Sara
Publish to many frontends and experiences
Decoupling makes sense when you want to…
Web
Contenthub
Socialmedia
Native apps
Feeds Screenreaders
SmartTVsXbox
Wear-ables
Web Socialmedia
Native apps
Feeds Screenreaders
SmartTVsXbox
Wear-ables
Web Socialmedia
Native apps
Feeds Screenreaders
SmartTVsXbox
Wear-ables
Integrate multiple backends or services
Decoupling makes sense when you want to…
Web
Content
Socialmedia
Native apps
Solrsearch
OpenCalais Video
service
Make your content easily accessible via an API
Decoupling makes sense when you want to…
Web
Contenthub
Socialmedia
Native apps
Feeds
SmartTVsXbox
Wear-ables
Web
Contenthub
Socialmedia
Native apps
Feeds
SmartTVsXbox
Wear-ables
Public API
Publicdata
Fan site
Why TWiT went headless
Source: Leo Laporte’s announcement (4ktch.in/twittv-leo)
“[It’s] faster and easier to create new sites. Web design styles change faster than high fashion, so it's nice to be able to update the site without re-doing all the hard work on the backend.”
Source: Leo Laporte’s announcement (4ktch.in/twittv-leo)
“Having a complete API would make it easier to do apps. The app, just like the website, would have access to everything there is to know about TWiT, in a simple, accessible fashion.”
Source: Leo Laporte’s announcement (4ktch.in/twittv-leo)
“By making the API public, we encourage members of our audience to create new things, things we might never have thought of. You could even design a website you like better. Abstracting the content from the presentation seems like a big win.”
Source: Leo Laporte’s announcement (4ktch.in/twittv-leo)
“By keeping Drupal simple and avoiding additional third-party modules, we can make a more secure and reliable backend that will be much easier to upgrade when future versions of Drupal arrive.”
• TWiT’s case study: 4ktch.in/twittv-leo
• 4K’s blog post: 4ktch.in/twittv-4k
• API documentation: docs.twittv.apiary.io
• Consume content the same way TWiT’s website does!
• Saucier: github.com/fourkitchens/saucier
• Our open-source Node.js framework for building decoupled Drupal sites
Decoupling makes sense when you want to…
• Adopt cutting-edge frontend technologies
• Separate upgrades from redesigns
• Eliminate tension between a design and your CMS
• Centralize your content
• Publish to many frontends and experiences
• Integrate multiple backends or services
• Make your content easily accessible via an API
What’s next
1 32
Content comes first
We must design for experiences, not just devices
Frontend technologies are accelerating, and CMSs can’t keep pace
Rise of WMSs (Website Management Systems) and services like Squarespace
Return of (small) static websites
Questions?
Thank you!
Credits
• All content in this presentation, except where noted otherwise and listed below, is Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 licensed and copyright Four Kitchens, LLC.
• The following icons are from the Noun Project and are licensed Creative Commons BY 3.0: Dog-walking illustration based on an icon by Pavel Nikandrov; Laptop icon by B. Agustín Amenábar Larraín; Tablet icon by Pham Thi Dieu Linh; Smartphone icon by George Agpoon; Media icon by Garrett Knoll; Text icon by Julien Miclo; Chat icon by Dolly Vu; Document icon by Nimal Raj.
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