Let's talk about the WordPress dashboard

I love WordPress, but the dashboard? *sigh*, it's grown into something quite frustrating. This presentation wasn't supposed to be a rant, but it quickly went that way.

Transcript

1. Kimb Jones Make the WordPress dashboard your home? Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
2. THE DASHBOARD IT BURNS!
3. I love WordPress Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
4. I love WordPress Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones • Make brilliant and flexible websites • Quick turnaround • Clients love it (more in this later) • 1000's+ of amazing and useful plugins • 1000's+ of beautiful themes and frameworks • IMO the BEST theme design engine of any CMS • The community around WordPress is awesome • + many, many other reasons
5. BUT
6. The dashboard is a trainwreck Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
7. A standard dashboard with a few plugins Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 15 11 10 menu options info & feed 'boxes'
8. A standard dashboard with a few plugins Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 15 11 10 menu options info & feed 'boxes' 36 total 'actionable' options
9. Put that into context, Windows 7 Control Panel Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
10. Put that into context, Windows 7 Control Panel Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 24 total 'actionable' options 36 in WordPress dashboard
11. What else is wrong? Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones • Confusing/ambiguous labels Media (files? docs?), Tools/Settings (why both?), Widgets (what?), Permalinks (you mean pretty links) etc... • No control over what menu items are displayed or their order (does Jetpack REALLY need to be at the top?) • Certain Plugins/Themes freely add their own extra options & features adding more confusion • Not very responsive or mobile friendly • Information overload on Dashboard • Cross-browser compatibility!!
12. The 'Add Post' screen Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
13. This hurts my brain Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 1 excerpts below main text 2 featured image is... somewhere? 3 WYSIWYG is a curse 4 post formats? 5 too many publish options 6 media WTF?
14. What exactly is Media anyway? Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 1 files? what happend to media? 2 media? gallery? featured?
15. I feel like I'm going to break something Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 2 I just wanted to add a photo :( 1 whut?
16. DOES NOT WORK WITH FILES/DOCS! Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 1 what happened to that PDF I just uploaded?
17. PAGES
18. Whack-a-Page Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones ! SO. MUCH. #FAIL.
19. #fail Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 2 confusing sub-page view 1 comments on pages? 3 no way to close/expand hierarchy
20. I almost cried :'( Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 1 page order, are you kidding? 2 TEMPLATES ROCK! WHY ARE YOU HIDING THEM!
21. All of this should be done BEFORE you even start adding content Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 1 page order, are you kidding? 2 TEMPLATES ROCK! WHY ARE YOU HIDING THEM! 3 try using this with more than 20+ pages
22. CUSTOM POST TYPES TO THE RESCUE? Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
23. Can cause even more confusion Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones ? ah yes, we need MORE options!
24. FIXES
25. Don't let users near the CMS Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones YOU ARE THE EXPERT
26. Simplify the dashboard Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones • Only give 'users' (clients, staff) basic rights • Use roles like 'Editor', 'Contributor' or roll-your-own • Try and 'hack' the dashboard to show/hide stuff:
27. Useful plugins Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones • Ryans Simple CMS http://wordpress.org/plugins/ryans-simple-cms/ • Front End Editor http://wordpress.org/plugins/front-end-editor/ • CMS Tree Page View http://wordpress.org/plugins/cms-tree-page-view/ • Lock Pages http://wordpress.org/plugins/lock-pages/ • WP Markdown http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-markdown/
28. HOW I (we) ARE TRYING TO SOLVE THIS
29. Clarity Dashboard Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
30. Clarity Dashboard Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
31. Easier Page management Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
32. Phase 2: Clarity Dashboard Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones • Develop a simpler UI/skin for WP • Implement a 'wizard' style content walkthrough system • Better user role management • Totally separate 'dashboard' for non-Admin users • Mobile/responsive friendly • Coming early 2014 (at this rate)
33. THAT WAS THE DASHBOARD IT BURNS!
34. Kimb Jones THANK YOU! Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones