Why the WordPress dashboard doesn't work and some of the steps you (WE!) can take to fix it

A look at the WordPress dashboard, its problems and how it could potentially be improved. Warning: contains ironic humour.

Transcript

1. Why the WordPress dashboard
   doesn't work and some of the steps
   you (WE!) can take to fix it
   WordCamp UK
   Lancaster 2013
   Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
   

   View Slide

2. I'm...
   ● Designer/front-end/UX & Digital
   ● NHS (hospital & charity) & WP consultancy
   ● WonderThemes marketplace closed :'(
   ● WordPress evangelist + ardent WP event speaker
   ● Organiser, geek, breaker, fixer
   ● Professional Twitter #complainer
   Get me: @mkjones + http://mkjones.co.uk
   WordCamp UK
   Lancaster 2013
   Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
   

   View Slide

3. View Slide

4. Why the WordPress
   dashboard doesn't work
   and some of the steps
   you (WE!) can take to fix it
   

   View Slide

5. ...or
   

   View Slide

6. THE DASHBOARD
   IT BURNS!
   

   View Slide

7. I love WordPress
   

   View Slide

8. #wpuktour
   

   View Slide

9. I really do love WordPress
   

   View Slide

10. BUT
    

    View Slide

11. The dashboard is a trainwreck
    

    View Slide

12. A standard dashboard with a few plugins
    15
    11
    10
    menu options
    info & feed 'boxes'
    

    View Slide

13. A standard dashboard with a few plugins
    15
    11
    10
    menu options
    info & feed 'boxes'
    36 total 'actionable' options
    

    View Slide

14. Windows 7 Control Panel
    

    View Slide

15. Windows 7 Control Panel
    24 total 'actionable' options
    36 in WordPress dashboard
    

    View Slide

16. OSX 10.8.4 System Preferences
    

    View Slide

17. OSX 10.8.4 System Preferences
    29 total 'actionable' options
    36 in WordPress dashboard
    

    View Slide

18. I just want to add
    a blog post...
    36
    29
    24
    ...but I have to deal with
    

    View Slide

19. The problem(s)
    Confusing/ambiguous labels
    Media (files? docs?), Tools/Settings (why both?), Widgets (what?), Permalinks (you mean
    pretty links) etc...
    

    View Slide

20. The problem(s)
    Plugins/Themes throw in extra options
    Needs tighter control and better options for developers
    Does Jetpack REALLY need to be at the top?
    

    View Slide

21. Not very responsive or mobile friendly
    OK, it's getting better
    The problem(s)
    

    View Slide

22. The problem(s)
    Information overload on Dashboard
    It burns!
    The problem(s)
    From:
    Tailoring WordPress to meet your clients' needs
    by Nathan Roberts @nathan_roberts
    via: http://slideshare.net/iamnroberts/
    

    View Slide

23. The problem(s)
    Cross-browser compatibility!!
    Because everybody hates IE
    The problem(s)
    

    View Slide

24. ...the more a tool grows the more complex it becomes...
    and WordPress is no different
    36 the problem: UI overload
    

    View Slide

25. BUT MP6!
    

    View Slide

26. POSTS
    

    View Slide

27. The 'Add Post' screen
    

    View Slide

28. This hurts my brain
    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?
    

    View Slide

29. MEDIA
    

    View Slide

30. When is a file not a file?
    1
    files? what happend to media?
    2 media? gallery? featured?
    

    View Slide

31. I feel like I'm going to break something
    2
    I just wanted to add a photo :(
    1 whut?
    

    View Slide

32. DOES NOT WORK WITH FILES/DOCS!
    1 what happened to that PDF I just uploaded?
    

    View Slide

33. This is very upsetting
    1 actual tears
    

    View Slide

34. PAGES
    

    View Slide

35. Whack-a-Page
    ! SO. MUCH. #FAIL.
    

    View Slide

36. #fail
    2 confusing sub-page view
    1
    comments on pages?
    3 no way to close/expand hierarchy
    

    View Slide

37. Broken Page Attributes
    1
    page order, are you kidding?
    2
    TEMPLATES ROCK! WHY ARE YOU HIDING THEM!
    

    View Slide

38. Page Attributes are a MESS:
    All of this should be done BEFORE you start adding content
    1
    page order, are you kidding?
    2
    TEMPLATES ROCK! WHY ARE YOU HIDING THEM!
    3
    try using this with more than 20+ pages
    

    View Slide

39. CUSTOM POST TYPES TO THE RESCUE?
    

    View Slide

40. Can cause even more confusion....
    ? ah yes, we need MORE options!
    

    View Slide

41. .com know the score!
    

    View Slide

42. I like this
    

    View Slide

43. It's better than....
    

    View Slide

44. FIXES
    

    View Slide

45. Don't let users near the CMS
    Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
    YOU
    ARE
    THE
    EXPERT
    

    View Slide

46. This is made for you not them
    

    View Slide

47. Simplify the dashboard
    ● 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:
    

    View Slide

48. Hack it (only works on MultiSite)
    //dashboard hacks
    //dashboard menu for standard users
    function hide_menu_items() {
    if (!is_super_admin()) {
    remove_menu_page('index.php'); // Dashboard
    //remove_menu_page('edit.php'); // Posts
    //remove_menu_page('upload.php'); // Media
    //remove_menu_page('link-manager.php'); // Links
    //remove_menu_page('edit.php?post_type=page'); // Pages
    //remove_menu_page('edit-comments.php'); // Comments
    remove_menu_page('themes.php'); // Appearance
    remove_menu_page('plugins.php'); // Plugins
    //remove_menu_page('users.php'); // Users
    remove_menu_page('tools.php'); // Tools
    remove_menu_page('options-general.php'); // Settings
    remove_menu_page('gf_edit_forms'); // Gravity Forms
    remove_menu_page('separator1'); // Separator
    remove_menu_page('separator2'); // Separator
    remove_menu_page('separator-last'); // Separator
    }
    }
    add_action('admin_init', 'hide_menu_items');
    

    View Slide

49. PUNCH IT!
    //change the order of the menus for standard users
    function custom_menu_order($menu_ord) {
    if (!is_super_admin()) {
    if (!$menu_ord) return true;
    return array(
    'edit.php', // Posts
    'edit.php?post_type=newsfeatures', // Features
    'edit.php?post_type=page', // Pages
    'upload.php', // Media
    'link-manager.php', // Links
    'edit-comments.php', // Comments
    'users.php', // Users
    /* - all items for reference -
    'index.php', // Dashboard
    'edit.php', // Posts
    'upload.php', // Media
    'link-manager.php', // Links
    'edit.php?post_type=page', // Pages
    'edit-comments.php', // Comments
    'themes.php', // Appearance
    'plugins.php', // Plugins
    'users.php', // Users
    'tools.php', // Tools
    'options-general.php' // Settings
    */
    );
    }
    }
    add_filter('custom_menu_order', 'custom_menu_order');
    add_filter('menu_order', 'custom_menu_order');
    

    View Slide

50. Useful plugins
    ● 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/
    ● Menu Humility
    http://wordpress.org/plugins/menu-humility/
    ● WP Markdown
    http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-markdown/
    ● WP CMS Post Control
    http://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-cms-post-control/
    

    View Slide

51. DASHBOARD
    PROPOSALS
    

    View Slide

52. Proposals for improvement
    

    View Slide

53. Quick fixes
    1
    don't need admin bar in dashboard
    2 move updates to settings
    3 most of these widgets are junk
    4 the 'media' problem
    

    View Slide

54. The important stuff
    lets manage some content
    

    View Slide

55. The confusing stuff
    lets manage some content
    some problems right here
    

    View Slide

56. Lets fix this
    lets clump together as 'settings'
    

    View Slide

57. SOMETHING
    like this
    

    View Slide

58. Settings area
    

    View Slide

59. Searchable options
    

    View Slide

60. Room to grow
    spaaaaaace
    

    View Slide

61. ADDING
    CONTENT
    (PAGES)
    

    View Slide

62. I (we) MADE
    (ok, I helped) A PLUGIN
    

    View Slide

63. WE....
    

    View Slide

64. Page-flow plugin
    by Matt Watson
    @mwtsn
    @mwtsn
    

    View Slide

65. Page flow = easier page management
    ● Adds a 'page wizard' workflow
    ● Puts 'important' tasks first:
    ○ Page hierarchy location
    ○ Page ordering is easy
    ○ Empowers page templates
    ○ Intuitive page management
    ● Good solution for LOTS of pages
    ● Some functions could be ported to other
    post types (Posts, Products, whatever....)
    

    View Slide

66. SHOW ME!
    

    View Slide

67. Borrowed from: http://wordpress.org/plugins/content-management-system-dashboard/
    1
    

    View Slide

68. Clarity Dashboard
    Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
    1
    2
    

    View Slide

69. Clarity Dashboard
    Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
    3
    

    View Slide

70. View Slide

71. I like this
    

    View Slide

72. Phase 2: Clarity Dashboard
    ● Develop a simpler UI/skin for WP
    ● Implement a 'wizard' style content
    walkthrough system
    ● Simpler user role management
    ● Totally separate 'dashboard' for
    non-Admin users
    ● Mobile/responsive + old browser friendly
    ● Coming... soon? (see: http://wpclarity.com)
    

    View Slide

73. THAT WAS
    THE DASHBOARD
    IT BURNS!
    

    View Slide

74. Q&A / discussion
    I was Kimb Jones....
    WordCamp UK
    Lancaster 2013
    Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones
    

    View Slide