HCI 590

with emphasis on how knowledge assists design

Designing for Content Management Systems

Quick Introductions

Jim Jacoby 15 years professional experience

• Technical writing, interactive training, application development, and website development experience

Started Manifest Digital in 2001• Marketing and Design firm founded in

the principles of user-centered design(www.manifestdigital.com)

• Blog at www.everlastingNow.com

Quick Introductions

Brian Henkel 10 years professional experience

• Journalism, video production, multimedia editing, web development, user experience

• WCIA-TV CBS, DAV Productions, DePaul Instructional Technology, Allstate Financial

• Current: Manifest Digital (www.manifestdigital.com) Website: www.brianhenkel.com LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhenkel

Quick Introductions

Yourself Your major Past work experience Desired work experience Your familiarity with CMS tools What you expect out of this course How you’ll apply the knowledge

Quick Introductions

The Course Website www.HCI590.com Student-generated content is

expected and will factor into your grade

• Write to the class blog

• Discuss topics in the forums

• Comment on the entries of your peers

• Participate in polls

• Talk about anything (but try to keep it somewhat relevant ;)

Quick Introductions

The Syllabus (hand-out) Course Overview Assignments / Projects Final Project Grade Determination Policies

• Attendance

• Disclosure of project efforts

This Course

Course Mission Statement To introduce students to the wide world of

content management systems and online publishing, taking a look ‘under the hood’ of many widely-used tools and discussing how this knowledge benefits the role of the user experience designer.

This Course

Why this course is valuable Content management systems are part of design We will provide you with an understanding of CMS

tools that will make you a more-informed designer and an asset to your project team.

You will become a more-efficient and competent online publisher

You will acquire an ability to oversee CMS projects, which may be helpful to your job or any personal projects you pursue.

This Course

What you will learn The benefits of using a CMS How to choose a CMS for a project The inner workings of many widely-used CMS tools How to use a CMS to build dynamic websites How these tools shaped the “Web 2.0” era

This Course

What you will NOT learn Every CMS Every nook and cranny of the CMSs we review Advanced coding/customizations (this is not a

programming course)

This Course

We will not transform you into a CMS God. That will be up to you.

Introduction to CMSs

What is a content management system?

Introduction to CMSs

What is a content management system? According to Wikipedia: “A content management

system (CMS) is a computer application used to create, edit, manage, search and publish various kinds of digital media and electronic text.”

Introduction to CMSs

Main categories of content management systems Enterprise CMSs Web (or Web Publishing) CMSs Component CMSs Document Management Digital Asset Management (e.g. video, images)

Introduction to CMSs

This course will focus primarily on mid-level web publishing CMSs

Introduction to CMSs

So, what are the benefits of using a content management system?

Introduction to CMSs Non-computer nerds can build websites!

Introduction to CMSs Brings together the multi-faceted capabilities of a

web project team

Visual designer

Front end developer

System/server admin

Database administrator

Content developer

Site administrator Web analyticsSEO

Web securityProgrammer

Product support

Introduction to CMSs Facilitates a multi-author environment with workflow

Introduction to CMSs Reusable code & content

Introduction to CMSs Personalization / custom views according to

users and roles

Introduction to CMSs Simplifies and automates system tasks

Introduction to CMSs Comes with a community of support

Introduction to CMSs

Sounds perfect, right? Any downsides?

Introduction to CMSs Choosing the wrong CMS (or if a CMS is

unneeded) can require more work than if you built from scratch

Introduction to CMSs Businesses will often modify their process to

fit the constraints of a CMS – this is wrong!

CMS

Business Process

Introduction to CMSs Obfuscated code/file structure

Straight HTML Drupal File Structure

Introduction to CMSs

Aren’t all CMSs the same? CMSs are tools to help accomplish a goal;

since not all projects have the same goals, one must know which CMS to use.

(We will talk about how to choose the right CMS in a later class)

Introduction to CMSs

What CMS tools are you experienced with?

What tools have you heard of?

Introduction to CMSs

So, just how many content management systems are out there?

Introduction to CMSs CMSMatrix.org *A through M only

Introduction to CMSs OpenSourceCMS.com

The Tools We Will Cover

Drupal (drupal.org)

WordPress (wordpress.org & wordpress.com)

Joomla (joomla.com)

SharePoint (microsoft.com/sharepoint)

Expression Engine (expressionengine.com)

The Tools We Will Cover

Customization,Steep Learning Curve

Simple,Easy

The Tools We Will Cover

Drupal An open source modular

framework and content management system written in the programming language PHP. It is used for many different types of Web sites, ranging from small personal blogs to large corporate and political websites.

The Tools We Will Cover

WordPress An open source personal

blogging platform and website builder. Its major strengths are its low learning curve, prolific community, and extensive feature set.

The Tools We Will Cover

Joomla! An open source

framework for building many types of dynamic websites. It is seen by many as a more-intuitive and better-looking alternative to Drupal

The Tools We Will Cover

Windows SharePoint Services A leader in the business

world, SharePoint is an enterprise solution that extends beyond web site publishing to provide various collaboration workspaces. It is built with ASP.net.

The Tools We Will Cover

Expression Engine Available in a free "Core

Version", and in both "Personal" and "Commercial" versions after paying a one-time fee. It is powerful for inserting code into existing designs for easy content management.

Assignments for Next Week

Post a short entry to the class blog (minimum 200 words) that describes what CMSs are and their benefits.

Compile a list of 10 features that Drupal provides (by default or with extensions). Each feature should include a 2-3 sentence description. Post this under the forum topic set up on the class website (www.HCI590.com).

Questions?