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.

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
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
4. Why the WordPress dashboard doesn't work and some of the steps you (WE!) can take to fix it
5. ...or
6. THE DASHBOARD IT BURNS!
7. I love WordPress
8. #wpuktour
9. I really do love WordPress
10. BUT
11. The dashboard is a trainwreck
12. A standard dashboard with a few plugins 15 11 10 menu options info & feed 'boxes'
13. A standard dashboard with a few plugins 15 11 10 menu options info & feed 'boxes' 36 total 'actionable' options
14. Windows 7 Control Panel
15. Windows 7 Control Panel 24 total 'actionable' options 36 in WordPress dashboard
16. OSX 10.8.4 System Preferences
17. OSX 10.8.4 System Preferences 29 total 'actionable' options 36 in WordPress dashboard
18. I just want to add a blog post... 36 29 24 ...but I have to deal with
19. The problem(s) Confusing/ambiguous labels Media (files? docs?), Tools/Settings (why both?), Widgets (what?), Permalinks (you mean pretty links) etc...
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?
21. Not very responsive or mobile friendly OK, it's getting better The problem(s)
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/
23. The problem(s) Cross-browser compatibility!! Because everybody hates IE The problem(s)
24. ...the more a tool grows the more complex it becomes... and WordPress is no different 36 the problem: UI overload
25. BUT MP6!
26. POSTS
27. The 'Add Post' screen
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?
29. MEDIA
30. When is a file not a file? 1 files? what happend to media? 2 media? gallery? featured?
31. I feel like I'm going to break something 2 I just wanted to add a photo :( 1 whut?
32. DOES NOT WORK WITH FILES/DOCS! 1 what happened to that PDF I just uploaded?
33. This is very upsetting 1 actual tears
34. PAGES
35. Whack-a-Page ! SO. MUCH. #FAIL.
36. #fail 2 confusing sub-page view 1 comments on pages? 3 no way to close/expand hierarchy
37. Broken Page Attributes 1 page order, are you kidding? 2 TEMPLATES ROCK! WHY ARE YOU HIDING THEM!
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
39. CUSTOM POST TYPES TO THE RESCUE?
40. Can cause even more confusion.... ? ah yes, we need MORE options!
41. .com know the score!
42. I like this
43. It's better than....
44. FIXES
45. Don't let users near the CMS Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones YOU ARE THE EXPERT
46. This is made for you not them
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:
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');
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');
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/
51. DASHBOARD PROPOSALS
52. Proposals for improvement
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
54. The important stuff lets manage some content
55. The confusing stuff lets manage some content some problems right here
56. Lets fix this lets clump together as 'settings'
57. SOMETHING like this
58. Settings area
59. Searchable options
60. Room to grow spaaaaaace
61. ADDING CONTENT (PAGES)
62. I (we) MADE (ok, I helped) A PLUGIN
63. WE....
64. Page-flow plugin by Matt Watson @mwtsn @mwtsn
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....)
66. SHOW ME!
67. Borrowed from: http://wordpress.org/plugins/content-management-system-dashboard/ 1
68. Clarity Dashboard Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 1 2
69. Clarity Dashboard Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones 3
71. I like this
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)
73. THAT WAS THE DASHBOARD IT BURNS!
74. Q&A / discussion I was Kimb Jones.... WordCamp UK Lancaster 2013 Kimb Jones http://makedo.in @mkjones