Headless CMS Part II: Smart Heads with Pretty Faces
In the last interview, our technology and metaphor-master, Jonas, claimed that headless content management systems are an insufficient solution. Now he has to explain himself; in this interview he tells us why headless systems need ‘Smart Heads’ and what they have to do with a user-centered design process.
Interview by Sydney Luca-Lion
In our last blog post I discussed the popularity of the headless CMS with Jonas and learned how a headless CMS becomes part of a great solution: as one of many components, each of which fulfills very specific requirements, all controlled by a comprehensive and intelligent ‘Smart Head’. This ‘Smart Head’ ensures the logic and smooth processes and thus a consistent digital customer experience. Jonas said that alone, a headless CMS is just a brainless zombie. So this time I was also prepared for some fun metaphors — and I wasn’t disappointed. Now we’ll learn more about what a ‘Smart Head’ is and what aspects need to be considered in the design, implementation and organization of system architecture.
Sydney: Hello Jonas. You hinted at a sequel during the last interview, so I’m looking forward to coming back to this topic. I’m sure our readers will want to know what you had in mind when you said that a ‘Smart Head’ was necessary to turn a headless CMS into a great solution.
Jonas: Well, it is mainly about the insight that the Swiss-Army knife of technology solutions doesn’t quite exist. The possibility of solving all your problems with a single miracle tool is extremely small.
So it’s all about finding the best solution for each individual challenge and bringing these ‘players’ together. Of course, this is not possible without a good coach who unites the team and ensures optimal teamwork. From a technological point of view, this is our ‘Smart Head’, an intelligent frontend tool. It brings together and controls all the micro-services, which each perform a very specific function as efficiently as possible.
To better understand this idea, let’s take a look at this graphic of a Distributed CMS:
I won’t go into too much detail about the technology, but in this example, Gatsby JS is the software framework used to implement the ‘Smart Head’. It could also be Vue.js, React or Angular. Then, all colored boxes are what could be on a website — here with the example of an e-commerce solution: Content, shopping cart, contact forms and so on. The purple box, Gatsby, is responsible for the logic, the interaction — therefore it is the ‘Smart Head’.
S: I think I understand. And this yellow box is the content delivered by a headless CMS, right?
J: Yes, exactly! And now do you see what I mean that the headless CMS in itself is only useful up to a certain point? It needs more: intelligence to create order and function.
So let’s assume that a customer reads this text and says: “Super concept. Please build me a system like that.”
Great! Now comes the reason why digital agencies like Eyekon are important: We start with a user-centered design process — because good technology does not (usually) magically organize itself into an intelligent solution. Important issues to consider are: Who are the users? What are their requirements and wishes? And how can we fulfill them as directly and easily as possible?
Now comes the reason why digital agencies like Eyekon are important: We start with a user-centered design process — because good technology does not (usually) magically organize itself into an intelligent solution.
And once you’ve answered those questions?
The user-centric design process is critical to getting a truly smart head in the end. We know, for example, that the user needs to find a product as quickly and reliably as possible using a search function. Then maybe we use the search tool Algolia. But Algolia it is not actually what the user wants, but rather a technology that makes it possible to fulfill the need that the user has. So we start by putting together our team and at the same time formulating the requirements for our coach. After all, he has to guide the team and make sure that the different players work cohesively.
Our task as an agency is to figure out what the user wants and describe these requirements. Only then can we decide which technological solutions are optimal to fulfill the needs, and design the interaction between user and technology in a way that is functional and beautiful.
So aesthetic plays a role? It isn’t all about the technology?
Technology and aesthetics are not contradictory. The opposite, in fact. The complex processes that our ‘Smart Head’ has to bring together here will only become comprehensible and thus usable for the user when they are carefully visually designed. This is one of the reasons why the psychology of perception and the science of ‘User Experience Design’ is an increasingly important tool for success on the Web.
The complex processes that our ‘Smart Head’ has to bring together here will only become comprehensible and thus usable for the user when they are carefully visually designed.
So we not only make sure that there is a Smart Head, but also that it appeals to people, and they find it trustworthy. Maybe Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would be a good example: The dwarves do the hard work, go into the mine, push data back and forth and slave away for us. But it is Snow White that organizes everything and keeps the story together. Each dwarf is, so to speak, a component (although, not headless in the fairy tale :-)), and Snow White is the clever head that makes the story possible in the first place, but also attracts attention and remains in our memories. After all, it’s ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ and not ‘The Seven Dwarves and Snow White’.
Who would have thought that fairy tales could help to explain modern technologies and processes.
Not just fairy tales. We can also describe it with the creation of a film score: The director (our client) has an exciting film and wants to have gripping music to go with it. The agency writes the pieces of music, and puts together the appropriate instruments and musicians. The ‘Smart Head’ is the conductor. It ensures the perfect timing of the entire orchestra, brings in the low notes of the cello, controls the swell of the violins. At the end you have a beautiful piece of music that appeals to the listener, and adds to the experience of the story.
In the same way, the connection we make between technology and design creates a digital experience that convinces users.
