improving joomla’s backend user experience
DESCRIPTION
Two types of users access a CMS - the developer and those managing a site's content. Each uses the CMS with different goals and usually with different capabilities. This presentation focuses on tailoring Joomla to give our client's an improved user experience. Presented at Joomla Day Midwest (Nov 12, 2011 - Milwaukee, WI USA)TRANSCRIPT
Improving Joomla’s Backend User Experience
Randy Careyweb architect, Careytech Studios
St. Paul, MinnesotaCareytech.com
Careytech.com/icue
Randy Careyweb architect, Careytech Studios
St. Paul, MinnesotaCareytech.com
Over the next few months, I will be providing further discussions and access to the usability extensions I’m creating:
Overview
1.Case for CMS Usability
2.Principles (for CMS Usability)
3.Areas to Improve (in Joomla’s backend)
4.Looking Forward
Principles
Don’t show a user options that are irrelevant
Don’t show a user options that are irrelevant
Don’t use technical or uncommon terms
Don’t use technical or uncommon terms
Use a task-based interface
Recognize difference in users:infrequent-and-casual –vs– frequent-and-engaged
Recognize difference in users:infrequent-and-casual –vs– frequent-and-engaged
Recognize different roles of users:
authors
content managers
siteadmins
authors
content managers
site admin duties
developer
One user with two roles……two separate accounts
contentmanagement
siteadministration
Assign users to the front-end …whenever possible
Areas to improve
admin template – improve navigation
improve edit screens
segment users tailored and simplified user experience
JCE profiles tailored and simplified options
!?!
Task-specific extensions intuitive edit screens for users
Areas We Can Improve
We can do better
Customizable Admin Template
Admin Praise 3
Admin Praise 3
Mission Control (Rockettheme)
Admin Praise 3
Admin Praise 3
configurable “app shelf”
Mission Control (Rockettheme)
Mission Control
Mission Control - tailoring menu bar
Mission Controlcontrolling visibility per menu items
Model - View - Controller
M V C
components / modules
components / modules
template (overriding the view)
improve edit screens
RedShop - out-of-box product edit screen
K2 - irrelevant tabs
Step 1: Add parameters to K2 category/administrator/components/com_k2/config.xml
Step 2: display new paneof parameters in category view
Step 3: overriding the two item edit screens (site and admin) so each checks parameters and displays each tab accordingly
Article Edit
Segment users into Groups
what a user can do
• Edit
• Edit• Create
• Edit• Create• Delete• Edit Status
what assets a user should be able to access
Authors, Editors, Publishers
Managers, Admins
Super Admin
ACL – 1.7
contentmanagement
siteadministration
gary gary-admin
Author
Admin
Overriding view file for Article
JCE - Profiles and Edit Options
/images/a
/documents/a
/videos/a
/images
/documents
/videos
/images/a
/docs/a
/video/a
/images
/docs
/video
Task-specific extensions
eventsRestaurant menustestimonials
specializedinventory
listing
• Fast to build
• Unintuitive steps to access• Not all info on one screen• No help text on fields• No grouping of fields• Exists as a category within edit tool, not as a stand alone app• intuitive to use
• one-step app• single screen edit
• Custom code to build or modify existing extension
Improving Joomla’s Backend User Experience
configurable Admin Template
improve edit screens
Segment users
JCE Edit Options
Task-specific extensions
Looking forward…
category branches
drag-and-drop
Help
Generate extensions
http://www.notwebdesign.com/joomla-component-creator/
more refined front-end editing
Careytech.com/icue
Randy Careyweb architect, Careytech Studios
St. Paul, MinnesotaCareytech.com
I will be providing further discussions and access to usability extensions I’m creating:
Improving Joomla’s Backend User Experience
Randy Careyweb architect, Careytech Studios
St. Paul, MinnesotaCareytech.com