Author: Thomas

I have been working on a plan and redevelopment process for this website over the past several months. I am finding that I need to take a new direction in the developing new content and editing and revising the older content.

I am in the process of developing a plan for new content and for updating all of the earlier content to move it into the new editor format. I am looking forward the work on the ‘full-site editing’ becoming available later this year. The updating plan is going to take this new editing model into my planning of the redesign and renewal the website.

The process for developing content for a website:  understanding the users                                   

An approach to to page design using the new editor to create content and provide the design settings for the content within the flexible page design areas of the new editor that is now part of WordPress. I am finding this a very easy method of creating content and I am moving to redevelop all the the existing content on the website.

Thomas Unthank  / 18:20:31 / 02/08/2018

I am busy working on a new website for an organization that will be my first effort of using the new WordPress content editor currently refered to as “Gutenberg”. This moves writing in WordPress in a new direction. The content is contained in ‘blocks’ so each section of content has it own specialized container which can be edited within the block and the blocks themselves are movable and rearrange the sequence of the content without needing to reedit a paragraph or have to select it out of a larger document and cut and paste. You just move the block to a new place in the content sequence.

Having recently used the ‘Gutenberg editor’ on a beta site for a new website for a nonprofit organization. I am discovering it will make me adapt a new approach to writing that will make me work on creating shorter paragraphs that can be rearranged.

In this piece I am attempting to devote a paragraph to a single idea and move on the next idea. This new understanding of structuring my writing is not present in the first paragraph of the article.

This enables me to move away from run-on paragraphs and treat each paragraph as a unique idea and statement. Then if I want move the ideas around it is only connected to the paragraph movement tool and moving it up or down in the organization of “page”.

I have recently looking for a term to replace “page” in my designing and structuring of websites. I am looking at the screen as the container and the not  a structural concept of a page borrowed from the printed book which was borrowed for codex manuscripts.

To be continued

The Current Model
The current theme structure with it basically presentation structured templates and supporting style-sheets are the environment in the content creator [ writer, photographer, and/or illustrator ] plug in their creative contributions.

This content creation and presentation system is very limiting in the expression of ideas and creativity. As a visual designer primarily I am very aware of the limitations and restrictions the current editor as a writing environment in providing content oriented presentation and information to the viewer.

We are currently locked into a template based paradigm that separates the creation of textual content and its supporting media from organization of the visual presentation. My current explorations as a visual designer with only HTML and CSS coding as base in creating a visual presentation of the content that reflects the writer’s intentions and ideas.

A preliminary concept for a modular content presentation environment.

I have been monitoring and participating in the #core-editor discussions. I find that the attempt to improve the editing experience reflects a developer based solution to what is a visual design presentation problem with the current prototyping.

It seems that the overall problem of presenting content [textual and images] is still restricted by the lack of direct access to the template system which by definition controls the presentation of the content entered into the database from the ‘editor’ writing  default functions and design.

This is an article in progress that I am publishing as part of my discovery process and conceptual working toward a viable solution that fits with the parameters of the current WordPress template based model.

I see an opportunity develop a modular oriented template system that is exposed with the ‘editing’ environment. I am using this article to think out loud in writing down my thinking without a clear organization model at this time.

A Probe

To create a content model and strategy based workflow that takes into account user experience and the the user journey as informing the creation of the content and its presentation within a ‘content management system’ framework. The control of content development is an important part of the overall design and presentation strategy development.

As part of the conceptual development of an improved content presentation development environment  would lead to the creation of two new [permanent]  roles: publisher and visual designer, along with some modification of  the current editor and contributer roles in terms of access to the editing process and in general other code.

 

I design and develop websites to reflect the individual personality and their personal message. I provide these individual with the opportunity to be directly involve in the design and structuring  of the site during the initial planning and development of a content framework

I strongly believe that the site owner should be directly involved in design and development process by being responsible for providing the images, basic content, and their dreams during the front-end planning on paper and as the site structure is build out. They are encouraged to provide examples of the environments that informs and influences their work.