One might notice a recurring theme in this exposition. Picture oneself in awe, whispering, “The puzzle is complete. I now comprehend the bigger picture.” (A touch of humor felt necessary at this point.) While I’m not the pioneer of this idea—with the design community progressively acknowledging this over time—it has led to the emergence of content management systems that restrict formatting and layout options to prevent design mishaps. Consider Medium and its ilk, adopting more constrained content editors to maintain visual consistency. At the further end, we have systems employing Markdown, which narrows our design maneuvers but spotlights the essence of writing.
Yet this doesn’t entirely eradicate content design issues. Granting clients autonomy over their websites means you cannot prevent them from use of all caps, even with minimized formatting abilities. [pullquote]I argue that constraining freedom is not to the Internet’s greatest benefit[/pullquote] I can appreciate the desire for simplicity—limiting poor choices can be beneficial, much like a padlock dissuades a potential thief. But I also argue that the Internet thrives best on innovation, not restriction. Sure, creativity might lead to blunders or some infamous design choices, but this is the essence of learning. The early internet era, despite its questionable aesthetics, is looked back upon with a mix of nostalgia and respect because it represented an era of vibrancy and individual expression.
This doesn’t mean advocating for the return of dreaded auto-playing sounds and similar nightmares; it does suggest, though, that content management systems should allow for more personal and artistic expression. The true needs are twofold: attractive default settings, and instruction for content managers. In the midst of focus on design systems, enlightened designers have started integrating content patterns. These predefined, attractive defaults should act less like constraints and more like the gentle suggestion of a bike lock. If a default text format already pleases the eye, why alter it excessively? If the default image arrangement is aesthetically pleasing, there’s less temptation to fiddle.
The objective is to marry these defaults with the potential for personal adaptations. WordPress’s Gutenberg editor symbolizes a positive advancement, providing theme developers and users with adaptable designs while still safeguarding creative freedom. Though not flawless, it’s less restrictive than Medium’s editor—and that’s commendable.
Yet, all of this presumes an understanding of how to apply such flexibility without mangling a website’s design, which is where education comes in. It’s not a swift process, but it’s integral to the role. Paul Boag, among others, has long advocated for client education, and that necessity persists. Yes, discussions about the misuse of italicization may be lengthy and sometimes disregarded, but the agency should ultimately rest with the content owners. Furthermore, there’s nothing precluding the additional charge for an extensive tutorial on their chosen content management system. After all, one’s expertise should have a price tag. Featured image via DepositPhotos.
