Articles - Page 156

<hr /> If there’s a song lyric that captures the ethos of Switzerland, this one comes to mind from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozl3L9fhKtE">Fleetwood Mac</a>: “You can go your own way…”This classic was spinning on turntables and jukeboxes in the mid-1970s, but the Swiss have been rockin’ to the beat of their own drum for over 500 years – back when the country first established its venerated stance on neutrality. With a rich history of non-conformist geopolitical leanings, it’s not surprising that Switzerland is embracing open source software (OSS) with greater purpose and intention, while much of the West remains hesitant – particularly in government circles. Just how serious are the Swiss about OSS? Last year, the country passed what it calls the <a target="_blank" href="https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/new-open-source-law-switzerland">Federal Law on the Use of Electronic Means for the Fulfillment of Government Tasks</a> (EMBAG for short), a law requiring public sector entities to provide their software as open source. This applies to any code or applications they’ve developed (or had developed by a third party) provided it doesn’t compromise any rights or create security issues. While many of the tenets are still being implemented, the Swiss government and its contractors must release their software code under an OSS license, promising an entirely new level of transparency around government practices. A year after the law’s final adoption, EMBAG continues to challenge existing perceptions of OSS across the EU, and might just be the model for the future. That may sound wildly ambitious to some – foolhardy to others – but it also makes perfect sense. Like the Swiss, OSS is steeped in a deep legacy of democratic and social idealism, embodying the spirit of freedom and community.But in a world where trust can be easily exploited, is it a good idea for government agencies to be so open about their software?I recently caught up with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathias-bolt-lesniak/">Mathias Bolt Lesniak</a>, an open source evangelist at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.toujou.com/">toujou</a> (a SaaS website building platform based in Norway) and Project Ambassador at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/typo3-association/">TYPO3 Association</a>. We’ve spoken previously about his involvement with the <a target="_blank" href="https://typo3.org/project/press/press-releases/open-website-alliance/english">Open Web Alliance</a>, a cabal of the world’s leading open source CMSs – <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/drupal">Drupal</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/joomla">Joomla</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/TYPO3">TYPO3</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/products/wordpress">WordPress</a> – which assembled in the wake of the <a target="_blank" href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/cyber-resilience-act">EU’s Cyber Resilience Act</a>. The Alliance perceived this emerging policy as a threat to free and open source software like <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/what-is-a-content-management-system-cms">content management systems</a>, assigning responsibility for safety and security considerations regardless of how their CMS software is being utilized or customized. Their efforts culminated in an open letter to the EU about a myriad of issues – including the financial implications – and reinforced the benefits of open source. As an expert in OSS (or “FOSS” when it's free), Mathias had some thoughts on the evolution of Switzerland’s law and what it signals about the future. While other countries in the EU are also investing in the promise of open source, governments abroad are less bullish about the prospects. WordPress, the open source CMS goliath, continues to <a target="_blank" href="https://wordpress.org/about/features/">power over 43% of all websites</a> on the planet. Despite this staggering reach, there’s much work to be done to advance OSS principles in all corners of the globe, particularly in the public sector. But EMBAG just moved the ball further down the field – and if the Swiss don't miss, it could change the game. <h3 id="the-long-road-to-open-source">The long road to open source</h3>The adoption of EMBAG was certainly a legal milestone, and more than a decade in the making. Over that period, the Swiss government was embroiled in lengthy political and legal battles. There were numerous questions about existing agreements and the weight of international law. But in the end, the Swiss government achieved cooperation, applying radical changes to its e-government practices – specifically as it relates to the free reuse of its open source code.Unlike other legislation efforts, EMBAG also breaks new ground by mandating the release of broader government data. While this precludes personal or highly secure information, its Open Government Data (OGD) model goes beyond transparency – easing the friction around reusing data for other applications and encouraging greater innovation and collaboration between government agencies. <h3 id="an-alignment-of-democratic-ideals">An alignment of democratic ideals</h3>I asked Mathias about the promises and pitfalls of EMBAG, and where the potential of success – or failure – might exist. He had some strong observations on the role of governance in the equation, and how that could influence the overall trajectory. “My primary reaction, of course, is that this is great,” he said “I'm really looking forward to seeing the results of it, because this is a project that can go really well, or it can go not so well. I think it depends on the governance aspect of how it's actually implemented. Switzerland, of course, is one of these places that has a really strong democratic tradition – and democracy is what I usually point to when I talk about the positive things open source can bring into countries. It's a kind of ‘learning ground’ for democratic practices. And Switzerland, of course, has had this amazing, direct democracy for hundreds of years.”As Mathias codified, one might say that the Swiss were “culturally prepared” for a shift towards OSS, making it an ideal stage for employing such a groundbreaking piece of legislation. Other countries like France have professed a predilection towards open source, but none have gone this far with their public sector standards.  <hr /> <h4 style="text-align:center" id="“democracy-is-what-i-usually-point-to-when-i-talk-about-the-positive-things-open-source-can-bring-into-countries.”">“Democracy is what I usually point to when I talk about the positive things open source can bring into countries.”</h4> <hr /> The cards might be stacked against any country willing to dive this deep with open source. According to Mathias, there are several things that might help ensure positive outcomes as Switzerland looks to successfully execute this policy.“One of the things I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing is the Swiss building expertise around open source systems, as well as their small to medium supplier market,” he observed. “Open source has this ability, because it gives people the possibility to learn and use it outside of the originally intended use case.” Mathias also sees a runway for expanding the reuse of government software by other entities within Switzerland as well as outside the country. To his point, the Swiss have long cultivated a reputation for superior products and technologies (watches come to mind). As he sees it, there may be a heightened demand for Swiss OSS that far exceeds its current charter – perhaps even a “Swiss standard” for government software. To that end, Mathias sees the adoption of EMBAG as a clear signal that Switzerland recognizes the true potential of open source, widening the aperture well beyond its peers in the EU and abroad. <h3 id="the-struggle-with-security">The struggle with security</h3>Despite the palpable pros, open source has wrestled with the central challenge of trust. And it makes sense: you open your code to the world, and the question of security naturally follows. Accountability is also a major point of friction, as any issues with code or functionality often belong to a community, which can present barriers to solving critical problems.To be fair, all software is vulnerable – and we’re seeing just how vulnerable on a daily basis. Hacks and threats are becoming commonplace, and large open source systems like WordPress provide a much larger surface area for exploits. That said, proprietary software is target-rich and bountiful for likes of ransomware. Just take a quick peek at <a target="_blank" href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/acknowledgement">Microsoft’s security update guide</a> and you’ll get a long and troubling list of vulnerabilities that have cropped up over time.No software should ever be deemed completely secure. But relative to proprietary platforms, open source can hold its own – and in some instances, might even be considered a safer bet. One example: because OSS isn’t controlled by a single vendor, anyone can monitor, locate, and remediate vulnerabilities. This can be a force multiplier for security and governance.At the end of the day, does this build enough trust for public sector agencies to open their code? Do the rewards outweigh the risks?“I think it definitely builds trust,” Mathias said. “Any country that adopts open source so fully is really a sign that its government understands all of the good stuff that you can do with it.”<h3 id="why-is-the-u.s.-less-bullish-on-open-source?">Why is the U.S. less bullish on open source?</h3>The European market teetered on the brink of recession throughout 2023. There were certainly a few bright spots, but by in large, the entire continent struggled as the U.S. boomed, losing pace in the race for AI and suffering setbacks in areas like electric vehicles. According to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/economy/europe-regulates-its-way-to-last-place-2a03c21d">Wall Street Journal article</a> published in January, there is one field where the EU still leads the world – and that’s regulation. This has been a benefit in areas like controlling carbon emissions and advancing data privacy. But its penchant for draconian rulemaking has also stymied its economic agility when competing with China and the U.S.Of course, it’s not all about competition. There is this thing called humanity, and countries like Switzerland seem interested in policies that protect citizens and serve the public interest while promoting digital sovereignty and stoking innovation. Many would claim that doing good and driving economic growth aren’t mutually exclusive, but some EU companies are proving the opposite. <a target="_blank" href="https://cmscritic.com/umbraco-publishes-annual-impact-report-reinforcing-commitments-to-sustainability-and-community">A great example in the CMS world is Umbraco</a>, which is investing deeply in sustainability and DEI strategies while activating growth (it also happens to be an open source platform).We’ve already established that open source can overcome questions about its security and stability – and based on <a target="_blank" href="https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/open-source-software-the-nine-trillion-resource-companies-take-for-granted">research from Frank Nagle</a> at the Harvard Business School, 96% of commercial programs include some form of OSS in their mix – making it absolutely critical to the global economy. Now, the Swiss are advocating open source for government at the highest level.So why has it been slow to catch on in the U.S. public sector?Well, for starters, there’s certainly support for it. Just a few years ago, the <a target="_blank" href="https://thenewstack.io/how-the-u-s-air-force-deployed-kubernetes-and-istio-on-an-f-16-in-45-days">U.S. Air Force began deploying applications</a> on F-16s utilizing a hybrid cloud strategy via Kubernetes – an open source system for pushing, scaling, and managing containerized apps. The U.S. federal government also requires agencies to release a percentage of its custom code as OSS. That said, there are no mandates like the one Switzerland has introduced – and very little incentive for public sector agencies to invest heavily in open source. I asked Mathias about this marked difference between the U.S. and Europe, and what the underlying factors might be.“I think there's a difference in tradition,” he said. “The U.S. and Europe have different ways of funding for open source projects, to be very black and white. Europe has much more of a government-centric funding model, where the public sector supports projects. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sovereigntechfund.de/">German Sovereign Tech Fund</a>, for example, is a government construct for capitalizing open source projects. And in the U.S., it seems that it's much more reliant on private capital. I think both of those can work as funding solutions, but governments are going to be motivated by public service to a much larger degree than private funding.”That said, the EU's well might be running dry on public funding for OSS. In July, the European Commission <a target="_blank" href="https://fossforce.com/2024/07/is-the-european-commission-dropping-support-for-important-open-source-funding/">neglected to include</a> any Next Generation Internet (NGI) programs in its budget for 2025. NGI has been fiercely committed to building a trustworthy internet by funding over a thousand open source projects through its NGI Zero Commons Fund. If this disappears, many OSS projects may come to a halt.<h3 id="opening-up-the-open-source-promise-">Opening up the open source promise </h3>While EMBAG is providing a template for other EU nations – and the world – it’s still early days. There are aspects of the policy that still need shaking out. But as Mathias observed, the news is sparking great interest around open source and its potential for continued growth.There are clear benefits for the Swiss as they embark on this journey. Aside from the foundation of greater openness and transparency, OSS eliminates inhibitors like vendor lock-in and other compromises that come with selecting proprietary software. More importantly, it drives efficiency by enabling the reuse of code and improving productivity through collaboration. As Mathias sees it, open source can provide governments with greater choice and control –  the essential ingredients for accelerating time to mission and supporting the needs of citizens and communities. Being able to share and reuse OSS code can help activate the potential. “Selecting open source doesn't have to mean you select a single model or one open source piece of software to rule them all,” he explained. “You can also create and fund a collaboration between different projects so that they can reuse the same kind of code. And I think that's an opportunity that is much more relevant when the government is participating. We share information openly, and that’s something that can benefit existing platforms and the development of new platforms for things like government ID.”Mathias is also predicting unexpected ways that open source might deliver greater impact and value.“Governments have an opportunity to support some of areas that are often forgotten, or that receive little focus from open source developers, and one of those is UX,” he said. “For example, many open source systems have been built by developers who build them in a ‘developer way.’ The first thing they think about is functionality and not UX, and governments have the possibility to fund that missing layer of making open source so usable that everyone will adopt it. If that happens, we might see open source platforms that are being compared beyond their feature sets.”We’ve had numerous discussions in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/">Boye &amp; Company CMS Experts Group</a> about Gartner’s persistent “overlooking” of open source platforms on its MQ reports. We know revenue is an obstacle (among other requirements), but there’s also a latent undercurrent of negative perception around OSS when it comes to enterprise software decisions.As the Swiss swing for the fences and once again “go their own way,” perhaps more OSS solutions will attain a new level of respect in the minds of market watchers. Of course, that shift will require a deeper understanding of the true nature of open source:It’s less about code – and more about culture.  <hr /><h3 id="upcoming-conferences">Upcoming conferences</h3> <img style="width:29.67%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-connect-2024-logo.png" alt="CMS Connect 24 logo" /><h4 id="cms-connect-24---sold-out"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmsconnect24">CMS Connect 24</a> - SOLD OUT</h4>August 6-7, 2024 – Montreal, CanadaWe are delighted to present our first annual summer edition of our prestigious international conference dedicated to the global content management community. Join us this August in Montreal, Canada, for a vendor-neutral conference focused on CMS. Tired of impersonal and overwhelming gatherings? Picture this event as a unique blend of masterclasses, insightful talks, interactive discussions, impactful learning sessions, and authentic networking opportunities. <img style="width:29.58%" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2024/01/cms-kickoff-2025-logo.png" /><h4 id="cms-kickoff-25"><a target="_blank" href="https://www.boye-co.com/conferences/cmskickoff25/tickets">CMS Kickoff 25</a></h4>January 14-15, 2025 – Tampa Bay Area, FloridaJoin us next January in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for the third annual CMS Kickoff – the industry's premier global event. Similar to a traditional kickoff, we reflect on recent trends and share stories from the frontlines. Additionally, we will delve into the current happenings and shed light on the future. Prepare for an unparalleled in-person CMS conference experience that will equip you to move things forward. This is an exclusive event – space is limited, so secure your tickets today.

The Swiss Don’t Miss on Open Source: How Switzerland's EMBAG Law is Evolving the OSS Landscape

matt-garrepy

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ian_truscott_crop1_200px_high.jpg" />As you may have heard, SDL recently <a href="http://www.sdl.com/aboutus/news/pressreleases/2013/sdl-acquires-bemoko-and-extends-leadership-in-customer-experience-management-offering.html">acquired mobile web solutions provider Bemoko</a> to enhance their Tridion content management system. To help us understand what it was that made this acquisition attractive to SDL, we decided to speak with VP of Product Marketing for SDL Content Management Technologies Division, Ian Truscott.
Why did SDL feel it was necessary to purchase bemoko as opposed to implementing their own solution?
 Good question. SDL already has a strong track record of customers using Tridion to deliver content to mobile devices.
In addition to the underlying platform capability to do that, we have been investing in a product strategy to deliver this single, multi-channel delivery tier for some time. For example, the 2011 product release included functionality that enabled the content author to preview and then edit in context content as it appeared on a selected mobile device – so this was our trajectory, toward a single multi-channel delivery tier.
What we found in bemoko was a complimentary technology that will accelerate the realization of that underlying strategy. We are probably best known for the strength of our content model (managing content variants, multiple sites and channel localization through the BluePrinting model) and we found that the way bemoko manages devices is very complimentary to that.
That complimentary fit was essential for us; our strategy dictated a single delivery tier – I refer to this as an experience tier – rather than a bolt on capability, a silo of technology/content or an additional thing for our customers to figure out.
In addition, an acquisition obviously brings talent to the organization – and in this case we have acquired some outstanding individuals that will be a key part of delivering this strategy.
Why bemoko specifically?
Our research revealed what I think most people assume about this space, there are a lot of niche players. What we found during that research was a wide variance in what mobile vendors offered in terms of the product/services mix.
As I touched on in your last question we needed technology that had a level of maturity that would accelerate our own strategy and people that would contribute and fit into the SDL culture. In the UK we have a saying that” you are judged by the company you keep” and in bemoko we found they kept pretty good company as a technology provider for brands such as Pizza Hut and Cable &amp; Wireless.
What does this new offering bring to SDL’s current feature set?
Put simply, on day one, it gives our customers an “out of the box” delivery platform that renders content optimized for the device (from a trusted partner with an investment in the integration) and analytics to provide insight into that experience.
Of course they all say that – so I think some of the highlights are the way it handles image scaling (something often forgotten in responsive design strategies), the way it manages device families, inheritance of capabilities and a focus on salability and security – all consistent with the needs of a typical enterprise Tridion customer.
That’s just day one – going forward – and this will start in our next major Tridion release at the end of this year – these capabilities will be baked into our next generation content delivery platform. A delivery platform that already includes the targeting and personalization functionality we have built or acquired through the FredHopper and Alterian acquisitions.
Can we expect mobile apps from SDL in the future that coexist with / allow interaction with the CMS?
This was already happening thorough our UX development strategy; significant parts of the product are already optimized for touch and this will continue. We anticipate a growing number of our users to be using mobile devices to contribute and manage content.
Will bemoko continue to operate under the bemoko name or will they disappear and become absorbed by SDL instead?
I think the rest of my answers give you a sense of the nature of this acquisition; we see the technology from bemoko in the core of our next generation content delivery platform – rather than as a bolt on.
What other future opportunities does this acquisition present for SDL?
Talking to our customers, they are moving from mobile being a side project, limited to some brands, markets, products or services – a content/technology silo – to being a part of their mainstream content and marketing operations. This obviously coincides with how their customers are engaging with them – access to the web is ubiquitous as we reach for whatever device comes to hand.
We therefore perceive a future for digital customer experience that is omni-channel, not simply that you can blast your content out and it looks pretty on a smaller screen – but that as a consumer you can move between digital touch points and maintain a consistency of conversation from device to device during that engagement – something that leverages all of the pieces of the CXM platform that we are building out.
Does this round out all of the necessary pieces that SDL needs to provide a solid solution for the consumer or are there still other pieces of the pie that you are looking to fill?
That depends on the pie! Joking aside, it really does depend on what is the customers need and therefore what would make up a solid solution for them. If we ring fence this conversation around the mobile web, then yes.
—end–
So there you have it. I fully expect we'll see more and more acquisitions coming down the pipeline involving other vendors within the next year or so as they scramble to ensure their products are mobile ready.
For more info, visit SDL online at <a href="http://www.sdl.com/products/tridion/">www.sdl.com/products/tridion/</a>

Interview with Ian Truscott of SDL about the Bemoko Acquisition

mike-johnston

<img title="Responsive Design" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/responsivedesign.jpg" alt="Responsive Design" />
 
There’s no arguing about this fact:  Responsive Design is really important. No doubt you’ve heard of it. Maybe you know a little bit about it. Perhaps you even have a responsive site already. Whatever the case, responsive design is the new must-have of website design. Here’s why.

<h2>The Importance of Responsive Design – A Word from the Pros</h2>
The tech oracles have spoken on the importance of RWD. Neil Patel (<a href="http://www.quicksprout.com/2013/03/04/how-to-optimize-responsive-design-for-conversions/">QuickSprout</a>) wrote that “ responsive design is “ a standard that’s taking everything you know about web design and turning it on its side.” He claims that responsive design influences everything about a site, including conversion rates. He’s right. John Polacek’s masterful treatment of the subject declares that it’s a “fundamental shift in how we’ll build websites for the decade to come.” <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/12/11/responsive-web-design/">Mashable</a> prophesies that 2013 is “the year of responsive design.” .net Magazine placed responsive design at number two of their <a href="http://www.netmagazine.com/features/15-top-web-design-and-development-trends-2012">Top Web Design Trends</a> for 2012.
This is kind of a big deal.
There’s more to responsive design that just tweaking CSS or adding bits of code to a site. Responsive design is all about how the web is maturing.
<h2>Responsive design is important because mobile is dominating.</h2>
Responsive design was born because of mushrooming mobile statistics. When the market became saturated with mobile users, we all finally realized that tiny screens weren’t optimal for traditional websites. UX stunk. Responsive design was the answer. The growth in mobile is where every discussion of responsive design must begin.
<h2>Responsive design fills in where apps left off.</h2>
Apps are not the answer to a mobile-saturated society. As mobile devices grew in popularity, so did the demand and appetite for apps. Remember Apple’s slogan,  “there’s an app for that”? That was so 2010. We’ve reached a point now where apps have plateaued. Plus, the iPhone isn’t the only big player in the mobile market. There are more platforms that need to be appified. Savvy companies don’t feel the need to rush out and make a fancy app. Instead, they unleash the power of responsive design. It’s better, smarter, cheaper, and way more 2013. Besides, if conversions are the goal, why create an app? An app can often be a distraction or barrier to conversions. Responsive saves the day by allowing a businesses website to do what it’s supposed to do rather than get bogged down in app building.
<h2>Responsive meets the need of multiple devices.</h2>
Today, we've got desktops, notebooks, netbooks, tablets, and handhelds of every size, dimension, and resolution. With all these net-accessing devices, there is no way that a static site design will please everyone. The variety of devices demands responsive design.
<h2>Responsive design is a design necessity.</h2>
We can’t forget that responsive design is at its core a design phenomenon, despite its far-reaching implications. As a design feature, it is designed to take away the unnecessary aspects of a web presence. After all, when you access a responsively designed site on your mobile device, you don’t see everything that you would see if you were to visit from your desktop browser. Responsive design is about simplicity. In order to meet the scaled-down sizes of tablets, minis, and mobiles, responsive sheds the excess, and offers the beautiful and simple core. This is a design trend that’s not going away soon.
Regardless of what CMS you use, what industry you’re in, or what your role in your company is, responsive design is important. Now, it’s time to do something about it.  If you are on WordPress, check out our list of where to get <a href="/where-to-get-responsive-wordpress-themes/">Responsive WordPress themes</a> to get started in your transition to a responsive design.

Why Responsive Design is So Important

daniel-threlfall

One of our readers recently made an interesting comment on one of my write-ups from the <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/adobe-summit-2013-day-1-highlights/">Adobe Summit</a> that I attended this past week. The read asked “Where's the Criticism?”, which made me feel it was necessary to write this post so that the rest of our readers understand how we think and what we hope to achieve here at CMS Critic.
Our goal is not to bombard you with re-worded press releases (although admittedly, at times it's necessary to share them), but to keep our articles fun, fresh, and informative. We tend to share personal experiences alongside reporting which is why this site is considered a blog. You come here for the opinion, you get it when it's warranted.
When it comes to CMS reviews, make no mistake, we aim to be 100% unbiased in how we handle them.  We make it very clear that we will write what we think and we always aim to be brutally honest. I think, personally, that's what separates us from some of the other sites out there. Here at Critic, we like to think we bring a balanced view to the table no matter where we go or what we review. I've definitely written my share of reviews that were not necessarily positive and I'm sure I'll do the same in the future. That's part of the game and that's how we keep our reviews honest.
On the flip side of the coin, if we are invited to attend conferences by a company, we will absolutely ask the tough questions if we feel there are any that need asking but our objective when we are there is to COVER the news and share the experience with you and not to find negativity just for the sake of it. Would you like me to tell you that the food wasn't as great as last year? It wasn't, but does that really matter? Or would you prefer to just get a quick overview of the key elements of the conference and get a feel for what it's like should you choose to attend?
The latter, I believe, is more important.
Another item I'd like to add is that before most interviews or prior to question periods, I usually put a call out on Twitter to see if anyone has any questions they'd like me to ask. If I get no replies and I have no tough questions of my own, I roll with the punches.
We want this site to be as interactive as possible and we welcome any input from you as to how we can improve, what we can do, how you'd like to be involved. I think it's great that people raise points like this as they often form the basis for discussion and help us clear the air, which I think is great.
So that's what our goal is and that's how I think personally. Do you have comments or thoughts to share? I welcome them. Please offer up your comments and suggestions below. I promise to reply to each of them personally if warranted.
Thanks for reading,
Mike

Where's the Criticism?

<a href="https://plus.google.com/101942254766672606204/about" target="_blank"><img alt=" Google+ Profile Cover" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot024-620x329.png" /></a> click to view profile
If you have logged into Google+ recently and found your profile page has changed you are not alone. Google+ has just released a new way of managing your profile content on Google+ and since it is one of the most vital profiles you need you ought to get the most out of it. In the process of updating my information I realised that, although Google is not traditionally thought of as a content management system, really it is. I believe you should use your Google+ profile in much the same way you would use LinkedIn and the new features allow you to do this in even more detail. It should act as a professional overview of your abilities and online presence. Google+ is a great way to expand and manage your network, not just based on who you know, but it helps you easily find people and companies who match your interests. All you have to do is search. So if you want to sell yourself online and be noticed you need to make the most out of the latest Google+ profile update.
<h2>New Look</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot027-620x128.png" alt="Google+ Profile Cover Prompt" /> click to enlarge image
The very first thing you are asked when you go to your Google+ profile is to change your cover picture. I recommend changing this to one image that resonates with you and also matches your professional image. If you are a photographer pick one of your photos that you love. Every time you take another photograph you want to showcase then use it as your cover, collecting your best work overtime into your scrapbook.
If you're not a photographer or artist a good tip is to go through your photo albums on Google+, especially the “Photos from Posts” album, and just browse until you find an image that stands out. It is good etiquette to credit the original artist/photographer, after you set your cover, by going into your Photos &gt; Albums &gt; Scrapbook Photos. Then click on the photo you are using for your cover and add a caption with the image credit, edit the photo itself or tag people in. If you don't know the credit you can do a Google search on the image (click the camera next to the search box) and try and find it. This builds a good first impression with others on Google+ that can only benefit your network in the long run.
The cover you pick should also work in miniaturised form, because when you hover over someone's icon in your Google+ stream your cover image will now encompass your profile avatar. If you have any issues with the cover crop or scale then you can find <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/101942254766672606204/posts/UWPMCv5BKie" target="_blank">a work around here</a>. You should also check your avatar and make sure the image works in the circler space it has been given in your cover, since this used to be a rectangular image. When you scroll down your Google+ profile page the very bottom part of your cover, where your avatar is, will stay frozen at the top of the screen. Therefore make sure that your cover is not an image that looks odd cut off in this fashion.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot025-620x328.png" alt="Google+ Profile Mini" /> click to enlarge image
<h2>Profile Features</h2>
The various sub-sections of the Google+ profile have been altered as well. Instead of an ‘about' page you now have a ‘story'. I would recommend reviewing whatever content you currently have in your profile and updating it to keep it fresh. It is very easy to let profile information get out of date with all the different kinds of web accounts we have in this day and age, but Google+ is one of the places where you need to keep it current. Often it is the first place people will go to decide if you are worth circling and interacting with.
If you haven't added your story before I would use the “Tagline” to give a one sentence description of who you are and what you do. The “Information” field can be used as a space to do an application letter highlighting your personal qualities, interests and skills. “Bragging rights” are your achievements and what makes you stand out from the crowd.
The work section of your Google+ profile has been extended so you can now add descriptions of your job, responsibilities and achievements. This is also true for the education section as well. There is also a ‘skills' field under the employment section where you can list all the relevant keywords that people would use to search for someone with your talents. Basic information, contact details, links and places act in much the same way they used to, just using the new style.
There is also a new section called ‘<a href="https://support.google.com/plus/?hl=en&amp;p=plus_sign_in" target="_blank">apps</a>‘ that allows you to connect your profile to third party services with your Google+ account. Just as you might use your twitter account to sign into the app <a href="http://www.Twuffer.com" target="_blank">twuffer</a> to schedule your tweets, you can now use your Google+ account in the same way to connect to games, websites and mobile apps. Google also provides you with the option of viewing your profile as yourself or as the public would see it, so you can check if your permissions are right.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/screenshot026-620x315.png" alt=" Google+ Profile Mini" /> click to enlarge image
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
Your Google+ profile is an incredibly important part of your web presence, so the content you share there should reflect you in the best possible light. Trip Chowdhry, the Managing Director of Equity Research at Global Equities Research said in an article at <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/12/05/2546884/linkedin-vs-google" target="_blank">Benzinga </a>“if you look to the long-term, I think Google+ would be a very serious challenger to LinkedIn… I think Google+ will start challenging LinkedIn, not immediately, but probably 12 months to 18 months from now” and that was in May 2012. With the recent changes in the Google+ profile I can really see how this could be so, considering all the other services Google can integrate such as Google Authorship. So get ahead of the curve and start <a href="http://plus.google.com" target="_blank">pimping your profile</a> now.
<a href="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2011/TECH/social.media/07/15/google.plus.male.mashable/t1larg.jpg"><img title="+You Google+ Profile" alt="+You Google+ Profile" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/_you-620x348.jpg" /></a> click to enlarge image

How To Take Advantage Of The Latest Google+ Profile Update - March 2013

niam-brown

IM Creator Review

App development can be quiet lucrative if you hit the market just right, but many people don't have the time to invest in learning how to code their own apps. This is where AppMachine comes in, they are a CMS for app development. AppMachine is not open to the public yet, but people can now <a href="http://www.appmachine.com/de/sign-up-for-the-beta/" target="_blank">apply for an invite</a> to test out the beta version. I managed to get my account approved and I got a sneak preview of what's to come. They are a CMS (rather than a <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1636259/difference-between-web-application-framework-and-a-content-management-system" target="_blank">framework</a>) and cater to those who wish to connect all their content, social networks, services and online products into a handy app for their customers.
<h2>Using AppMachine</h2>
A lot of the steps are rather simple in AppMachine so I will glance over them a little. When you first login you will be asked to agree to the beta agreement, terms and conditions as well as being prompted to watch the demo video. Unfortunately there seems to be an issue in this part of the system. I've noticed after some time when I click back on the “My Apps” tab in the main menu, after being away from it a little while, it will ask me to sign all these agreements again. Even if you check the tick box on the video, not to be shown the next time you login, it still pops up. Also the demo video they offer seems to be in Dutch. I had to go off to their main <a href="http://www.appmachine.com/" target="_blank">website</a>/<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/appmachinecom" target="_blank">youtube</a> to find an English video, which to be honest, I found a little off putting in style. Things got better however.
After that you are automatically thrown into the wizard for creating a new app. If you exit out of this screen you will go to your app list, which by default has a few example apps in it to give you inspiration. The wizard, however, will take you through 4 stages. It will ask you to enter your app name and a website that holds links to all the content associated with this app. It will then automatically search the site for posts, feeds, images and other connected networks to import content.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-searching-feeds-620x404.png" alt="AppMachine Searching Feeds" /> click to enlarge image
It will then give you the chance to decide which content you want include; your app is then generated and ready for customization. Under the “Build” menu you work with a “Lego-style” block interface to configure the functionality of your app. Each block has a number of setting tabs, some of which you may not have access to depending on the type of plan you have. If you are a designer who wants to completely redesign the look of the interface, AppMachine also gives you template images you can open in Photoshop to use as a guideline. Make sure that whenever you change something under the build menu, you click the yellow “save” button in the top right-hand side of the screen. There are a couple of issues in this part of the system too: I found that sometimes the save button doesn't show up and when I navigate away I lose work. It should show up the second you change something, if it doesn't then refresh the page. The other issue is the block text areas for the “information block” and “product description” seem not to save at all. They did, however, have rich text editors for those long text fields, so once they save your data they will be quiet useful.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-product-novopulp-620x325.png" alt="AppMachine Product NovoPulp" /> click to enlarge image
<h2>LiveView and the Previewer App</h2>
I think one of the best parts of AppMachine is the way it lets you preview your app whilst you build it. AppMachine comes with two handy tools for previewing your work: LiveView and Previewer. Previewer is a free app you can install on your mobile phone and login with your AppMachine account details. Then it gives you a list of your apps that you can preview in it's current state. I found this to be easy to use and a great way to see how your app looks on a mobile device to resolve issues.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-previewer-np-app-620x930.png" alt="AppMachine Previewer NovoPulp App" /> click to enlarge image
LiveView is an option to connect your mobile device to the mock-up iPhone wireframe that you see on the right-hand side of every webpage in the AppMachine dashboard. You do this by going into the Previewer app and clicking the “LiveView” button in the top right-hand side of the app list. This will then connect to LiveView in your browser. You will see a list of your devices connected and then you can browse your apps in much the same way as the previewer app.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-liveview-620x287.png" alt="AppMachine LiveView Connected" /> click to enlarge image
The only downside about LiveView is that it is bandwidth intensive and if you're on a rural broadband connection like me it is rather slow. I stuck to the Previewer app in the end.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
AppMachine is free whilst you develop and test your app but when you want to publish there is a one off charge. There are 3 plans: gorgeous (individuals building their own apps), designer (advanced design features) and developer (advanced developer features). I was given a gorgeous account so I can't comment on the other two plans. The advanced plans have additional kinds of blocks to add to your app and the other features listed below to improve the quality of your mobile application. The development plan will allow for web services, which opens up a whole lot of possibility. I understand, at the moment though, that not all of the developer plan features are ready yet.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-plans-620x520.png" alt="AppMachine Pricing Plans" /> click to enlarge image
On top of the publication charge there is also an update fee, which can be either a one off upgrade or on a monthly service plan to cover all eventualities.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2013-03-05-appmachine-updates-620x222.png" alt="AppMachine Update Fees" /> click to enlarge image
<h2>The Verdict</h2>
If this was a product that gave you a framework to build more than the equivalent of a landing page app it might be a better return on investment, but I think at this stage it is unlikely to refer enough sales and customers to cover the costs for most users. For larger companies that can afford to take a hit as early adopters in order to provide a useful service to a large customer base, however, may still find it useful. Coming in now does allows you to participate in moulding it's expansion and to get ahead in development experience at a platform that I'm sure could be popular. The process for creating apps is very intuitive and uncluttered, developing and testing is very user friendly. I put my app together in about an hour and I never had to look for help.
Once AppMachine is live to the public, who knows what other functionally they may add next. With time I could see them “go enterprise” and earn the price range they seem to be targeting.

AppMachine Review - CMS for App Development

Day 2 of the Adobe Summit kicked off with the General sessions in which John Mellor, VP of Strategy for Digital Marketing was greeted on stage by the crazy space jumper, (and I say crazy because you have to be crazy to jump from space.. ) Felix Baumgartner (@itsFelixB),
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/1day2.jpg" alt="Felix Baumgartner during Day 2 General Sessions" /> Felix Baumgartner with John Mellor during Day 2 General Sessions
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/2day2.jpg" alt="Felix Baumgartner during Day 2 General Sessions" /> Felix Baumgartner during Day 2 General Sessions
It was an interesting session in which Mr. Baumgartner shared what he had to go through in order to pull off such a high profile event. It was especially interesting listening to his marketing mind and how it works. He is very appreciate of all of the hard work that the various team members put into making his jump happen. Mr. Baumgartner definitely did an amazing job of marketing himself for this jump and as a result, had a staggering amount of views on YouTube and broke the record for most live views.
Following Felix were representatives from Nascar and NBC Universal. They certainly had a tough act to follow with Felix taking the lead out of the gate but did an admirable job. You can catch a bit of what they said in our Twitter stream below.
The closing talk was given by Salman Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, a Not-for-profit organization aiming to provide free education to everyone, everywhere. I must admit, I didn't know what to expect from his talk but I would be surprised if there was anyone in the audience who wasn't completely engaged throughout his entire talk. Not only is this man an amazing inspiration, but his humor and humility easily stole the show.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/day2.jpg" alt="Salman Khan - Khan Academy" /> Salman Khan – Khan Academy
I will admit that there were a number of times during his talk when both my wife and I became choked up listening to how he has changed the lives of people who thought they were never going to succeed. He's an amazing man and you can tell from the Twitter stream below, I'm not the only one who was blown away. I feel privileged that I was able to hear his story.
For those who missed our tweets during the opening session, here’s a breakdown of the key items we, and some others, shared. Thanks for reading!
[[highlights2]]

Adobe Summit 2013 – Day 2 Highlights

Sure, we could write all about the Adobe Summit (<a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/tag/adobe/">and we have</a>) but nothing speaks better than photos so we're going to share with you some of our favorites that we took at this years Summit.
Click on the pictures to get the full size. You can then view them in a slideshow if you like. Happy viewing!
[justified_image_grid ids=10041,10083,10082,10081,10080,10079,10078,10077,10076,10075,10066,10065,10064,10063,10062,10061,10060,10059,10051,10050,10049,10048,10047,10046,10045,10044]
For more on the Adobe Summit, <a href="https://www.cmscritic.com/tag/adobe/">go here</a>.

Adobe Summit 2013 in Pictures

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Today marked day one of the Digital Marketing Conference known as Adobe Summit. It kicked off with the usual fanfare and a crowd of over 5,000 people in attendance from over 27 different countries. Again this year, Brad Rencher started things off with his keynote address entitled “The Last Millisecond”.
In a nutshell, his keynote highlighted the need that all marketers have to capture and react within milliseconds in order to create individual experiences that compel consumers to act and engage with your brand.
Brad was joined on stage by Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, who reinforced Adobe's commitment to changing the way we, as digital marketers, work with their new Adobe Marketing Cloud (<a href="/adobe-kicks-off-adobe-summit-their-digital-marketing-conference/">read more about these announcements here</a>).
Rather than reiterate what was said, I'd suggest you watch the live stream here: <a href="http://summit.adobe.com/stream.html">http://summit.adobe.com/stream.html</a>
Following Mr. Narayen's address to the crowd, we were greeted with a taste of how the new Adobe Marketing Cloud makes it easier for all functional areas; from marketing to data analysts; to communicate quickly and efficiently without the need for huge delays and red tape.
For those who missed our tweets during the keynotes, here's a breakdown of the key items we, and some others, shared:[<a href="//storify.com/cmscritic/adobe-summit-keynote-highlights" target="_blank">View the story “Adobe Summit Keynote Highlights” on Storify</a>]
Following the keynotes, we had an opportunity to ask questions of the Adobe Executives at a Press Q&amp;A event. Most of the questions seemed to come from analysts but we asked a few which we thought were relevant. The first of which is when can we expect to see the full suite of Adobe Marketing Cloud products generally available?
According to Brad Rencher, they are aiming to have them ready for public consumption by mid-summer and are beta testing as we speak with a number of partners and customers. Let's hope that deadline stands true and we can get our hands on this product sooner rather than later.
How long will the typical implementation last? Is it going to be faster than previous iterations of these products? Yes, says Mr. Narayen. The more we get these five solutions integrated with one another, the smoother the implementation will be and it certainly doesn't hurt that these services are all SaaS based now, which eliminates the need for deploying on customer hardware / environments.
What's next on the docket for CMS Critic today? We have the press reception to attend following by the famed Summit Bash we <a href="/the-summit-bash-at-the-adobe-digital-marketing-summit/">wrote about last year</a>. This year, we get a live concert from Grammy award-winning rockers, The Black Keys. Life is rough in SLC.. but trudge on we must…
Want to learn more about Adobe's products? Visit them online at <a href="http://www.adobe.com">http://www.adobe.com</a>

Adobe Summit 2013 - Day 1 Highlights

As you know, we think it's important to not just share the news but also to share the experience, so we've put together a few photos of the welcome reception that was held this evening at the 2013 <a href="http://summit.adobe.com">Adobe Summit</a> (Adobe's Digital Marketing Conference). For those who could not attend, this is for you. For those who chose not to attend, stay tuned, we'll be sure to show you all kinds of reasons you should have ?
In a nutshell, today was an excellent opportunity to mingle and meet with some of the many partners and exhibitors here at the Adobe Summit. The main conference program kicks off tomorrow morning with the keynotes and continues on through Friday.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for more from the Summit or <a href="http://twitter.com/cmscritic">follow us on Twitter</a> to get the latest updates.
As promised, here's a gallery of todays event:
[justified_image_grid ids=10044,10045,10046,10051,10050,10048,10047]

The Welcome Reception at the 2013 Adobe Summit

Adobe today kicked off their annual Digital Marketing Conference, Adobe Summit. Each year, thousands of attendees ranging from digital marketers to senior leaders, descend on beautiful Salt Lake City for this one of a kind conference showcasing Adobe and their partner's amazing products and services. For anyone involved in marketing (and let's face it, we all are in some aspect) this is the place to be if you want to know what is coming down the innovation pipeline.
Adobe has long been the most innovative company, in my opinion, when it comes to digital marketing and the future of the industry and the announcements coming out of this summit are certainly a testament to that.
<blockquote>Adobe Summit brings together the best marketers and advertisers from all industries,” said Brad Rencher, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Marketing Business, Adobe. “At this year’s event we’ll explore why digital marketers are fast becoming strategic leaders within their organizations. We’ll also share how leading brands are using Adobe® Marketing Cloud to get from data to insight to action, faster and smarter than ever.”</blockquote>
<h2>Today's Announcements from Adobe:</h2>
<h3>A New Touch Interface for Adobe Marketing Cloud</h3>
This new UI allows marketers to work with and see how their campaigns are performing using touch capable devices such as tablets and smartphones. Adobe Marketing Cloud also now links with Adobe Creative Cloud, which is used to build and deliver campaigns. In addition, every solution within Adobe Marketing Cloud has been upgraded with new mobile marketing capabilities, including new mobile capabilities for analytics, advertising, social app development, targeting content on smartphones and tablets, and mobile content management and delivery.
Check out this video showcasing the platform in all its glory:
[[adobemc]]
<h3>Adobe Social for Mobile Phones and Tablets</h3>
Adobe today upgraded Adobe Social, part of Adobe Marketing Cloud, with a completely redesigned user interface focused on interpreting and presenting social data in a more digestible format that helps social marketers prove business results.  Adobe also debuted Adobe Social for mobile phones and tablets.  Social marketers now have a marketing tool that’s as mobile as they are.
<h3>Adobe CQ has been rebranded Adobe Experience Manager and it's Chock Full of New Features</h3>
Adobe CQ (winner of our Critic's Choice award for <a href="/critics-choice-for-best-enterprise-cms-goes-to/">Best Enterprise CMS</a>) has been rebranded as Adobe Experience Manager (a much more fitting name) and now comes with a new responsive design, social communities and new video capabilities thanks to integration with the Adobe Scene7 platform. In addition, Adobe today introduced a new <a href="http://www.adobe.com/go/dam/">Digital Asset Management</a> offering within <a href="http://www.adobe.com/go/aem/">Adobe Experience Manager</a>.
<h3>A New Standard Version of Adobe Media Optimizer</h3>
Adobe has announced a standard version of their Adobe Media Optimizer (a component of the Adobe Marketing Cloud). For those who are unaware, Media Optimizer is Adobe's digital advertising platform for campaigns across search, display and social media. This new edition offers a rules-based bidding solution that integrates seamlessly with Adobe Analytics and allows for improved performance of your search engine marketing campaigns. Designed for media buying agencies, search engine marketing firms and direct advertisers, this solution offers more control and transparency over campaigns at an economical price point.
In Addition to these announcements, Adobe has also introduced a host of new features to Adobe Marketing Cloud such as:
<ul>
<li>Adobe Marketing Cloud Cards
<ul>
<li>Using a share dialog feature, content or data in any Adobe Marketing Cloud solution can be turned into a sharable “card.” This collaboration feature also allows marketers to leave annotations and comments on cards, so that everybody working on the campaign is on the same page.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Adobe Marketing Cloud Feed
<ul>
<li>The feed is an aggregation of shared cards. It provides each marketer with an at-a-glance view of everything in Adobe Marketing Cloud that is relevant  to them. The feed helps marketers and their teams stay up to date.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Adobe Marketing Cloud Boards
<ul>
<li>Users can create a board to collect and curate cards.  Like cards, boards can be shared and commented on. Boards give a marketing team a common base for discussion and improve coordination of activities in Adobe Marketing Cloud.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Unified Login
<ul>
<li>The Adobe Marketing Cloud now provides a common access point for solutions allowing customers to access, navigate, and collaborate between and across user experiences.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Integrated Digital Asset Management (coming soon)
<ul>
<li>The integrated DAM system will store, manage and share assets across all Adobe Marketing Cloud solutions. Marketers will be able to search, find, edit, annotate and upload assets and organize assets by folder and campaign, and it will include full metadata support.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Campaign Setup Wizard (coming soon)
<ul>
<li>Marketers will be able to quickly create a campaign, specifying campaign title, team and asset repository. If Adobe Creative Cloud users are invited, their Creative Cloud account will be synchronized automatically with the campaign's Digital Asset Management folder. Automatic synchronizations and integrated sharing, commenting and annotations mean that marketers will always be up to date with their creative team and that assets don’t get lost in transfer.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
To learn more about any of these products visit <a href="http://marketing.adobe.com">http://marketing.adobe.com</a> or to learn more about the Adobe Summit, visit the <a href="http://summit.adobe.com">Adobe Summit website</a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/cmscritic">follow us on Twitter</a> during the summit for real time reporting.

Adobe kicks off Adobe Summit, their Digital Marketing Conference

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/enonicstandingcloud-620x356.jpg" alt="Enonic Teams up with Standing Cloud" />
Enonic, the company behind the namesake Enonic CMS, just announced that they are launching open source Enonic CMS Community Edition in the cloud. They have teamed up with Standing Cloud, creating a fresh platform that gives users more flexibility, options, and simplicity.

Enonic CMS is a Java-based software platform for business-critical, innovative, and enterprise-level web solutions. The new cloud offering eliminates the need for downloads. Since it’s open source, it will likely crack open new areas of the market.
Enonic’s move to the cloud is rich in options. Users can select their own hosting provider, data center, and geography. Cloud option providers include Amazon, HP Cloud, Rackspace, VPS.net, and more. Enonic Cloud Hosting also gives users portability options, allowing customers to switch to an alternate cloud provider or platform.
Better upgrades, free backups, point-and-click access to management services, 24×7 server monitoring, auto-restore, and more features are all part of the new face of Enonic CMS. It’s truly a move in the right direction.
Standing Cloud is a one of the foremost providers of cloud marketplace and management solutions. Within just the past few months, we’ve discussed how <a href="/soario-launches-hosted-symphony-cms-cloud-offering-powered-by-standing-cloud/">Soario</a>, <a href="/setseed-cms-launches-new-hosted-cloud-solution-built-on-standing-cloud-platform/">SetSeed</a>, and <a href="/mura-cms-launches-hosted-cloud-offering-built-on-standing-cloud-platform/">Mura</a> have all launched hosted cloud offerings built on Standing Cloud.
<h2>About Standing Cloud</h2>
Standing Cloud is a leading provider of cloud application marketplace and management solutions. Integrating application software with on-demand infrastructure, we deliver an automated application layer for cloud providers, technology solutions providers and ISVs that makes application deployment and management simple for their customers.
The Standing Cloud Marketplace includes a web-based Marketplace Storefront, where cloud users can discover, purchase and deploy software and applications; an Orchestration Engine for provisioning and managing IaaS resources, applications and add-ons through their production lifecycle; and automated Software Packaging, utilizing scripted software packaging to add software to the marketplace and enabling multi-cloud deployment and management via the orchestration engine.
Founded in 2009, Standing Cloud is based in Boulder, Colorado. Investors include Foundry Group and Avalon Ventures.  Visit us online at <a href="http://www.standingcloud.com/">www.standingcloud.com</a>.
<h2>About Enonic</h2>
Enonic is a leading Norwegian based software vendor. The company developed the Java-based web platform Enonic CMS to enable medium to large-sized enterprises to offer a complete and integrated web experience. The Enonic platform supports the entire web value-chain, from business and communication/marketing to development and IT. The company was founded in 2000. Visit us online at <a href="http://www.enonic.com">Enonic.com</a>.

Enonic and Standing Cloud Team up to Bring Open Source CMS Community Edition to the Cloud

<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/understandinguxd-620x354.jpg" alt="understanding user experience design" />
When you hear the phrase “user experience design,” you will have one of two reactions: 1) you skip over the phrase because it sounds like meaningless techno-jargon. 2. You latch on to the word because you know what UXD is, and want to find out more. For the uninitiated “user experience design” is the kind of term you just want to skim over, because you frankly don't care.
This article is going to tell you what you need to know about user experience design. It's pretty important.

<h2>So, tell me. What does UX, UXD, and UED mean?</h2>
First off, lets get the acronym stuff out of the way. UXD and UED stand for User Experience Design. The end goal of UXD and UED is UX, or User Experience.
<h2>Who needs to be concerned about UXD?</h2>
The people who are interested in UXD are mostly designers and developers. However, UXD affects more people than just those who use codes and colors. If an organization is involved with the web, UXD is important for just about everyone in that organization.
<h2>I still don't know what it is. Please define “User Experience Design.”</h2>
Here's the formal-sounding definition. User experience design refers to how a person (user) interacts with (experiences) a piece of technology (design).
<h2>What does UXD look like in real life?</h2>
Let’s pretend that a tech company wants to create a device that measures the heart rate of swimmers, times their laps, and tracks their progress toward specific goals. Maybe that want to create an aquatic form of <a href="http://runkeeper.com/home" target="_blank">RunKeeper</a>….SwimKeeper. In order to create this device or application, the designers and developers need to determine the best support device (e.g., Android, iPhone, waterproof case), any accessories required (e.g., underwater heart rate monitor), an interface for usability, understandable actions (swipe, tap, scroll, etc.), and additional features that may be helpful for swimmers (e.g., team goals, competitions, etc.).
The whole process of developing the device and software is a design process — experience design. Thus, every member of the development team participates in user experience design as they create SwimKeeper (or whatever they choose to call it).
<h2>So, how does it all work out in practice?</h2>
When a digital design firm, software business, or app developer begins a project, UXD should be leading the project. Everyone who is involved in the project carries forward a component of UXD. The visual designer's UXD contribution is to makes appealing colors, button sizes, and logos. A crucial contributor to UXD, the programmer, minimizes delay time for loading and startup screens. The information architect advances UXD by creating a wireframe that is aesthetic and intuitive. The project manager visualizes the tasks of the enduser, and how it all relates to UXD.
Unless the team has a clear, unified UXD strategy, team members will either start crying or throwing pens at each other.
<h2>What is a good UXD strategy, then?</h2>
UXD underlies much of the activity of technology firms and online businesses. It's important, then, to have a UXD strategy. Here are three points to remember as you consider your UXD strategy.
<h3>1.  Know what UXD is.</h3>
This is easier said than done. There is no single sacred and unbending definition of UXD. The term is so broad and unwieldy that it defies tidy definitions. Just check out <a href="http://uxdesign.com/about-user-experience-design/article/top-ten-seven-definitions-of-ux-design/24" target="_blank">this conflicted article</a> by uxdesign.com.
However, despite the definition-defying nature of UXD, it’s helpful to have some awareness about what it is and how it works. If your team has the same general definition, all the better. At the very least, become acquainted with UXD and some of its components. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_experience_design" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> is a fine place to start.
<h3>2.  Figure out your users.</h3>
Now it’s time to dig into the real work of user experience design. User experience design is, obviously, about how the user experiences and interacts with your stuff. So instead of just making cool stuff, you must start by understanding the users. Who are they? What do they do? How do they do it? How do they think? What do they like? Where are they? Why are they doing this? How much money do they have? How old are they? What language do they speak. This is a process of questioning, interviewing, understanding, researching and knowing. In the long run, it pays off.
Keep in mind that a good UXD strategy is more than just making stuff with nice features, a good-looking design, or a flawless interface. User experience is about psychology and the enigmatic and dynamic interaction between humans and computers.
<h3>3.  Unify your project around your user profile.</h3>
The process involves the user at every step of the way. Since you've figured out who your users are, you can now deliver a product that meets their needs. Your entire project has a focal point — the user. Now, whip out your best UXD and get to it!
Mary Muckerman, in an article for Fast Company, wrote, “user experience is the heart of any company.”
The heart? Of any company? Really?
It’s a big statement, but it’s true. User experience influences everything, or at least it should.

What You Need to Know About User Experience Design

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