September 2021 Summaries

The survey found that only 34% of content creators agree that their CMS can make any task more efficient, despite 74% of digital leaders believing this is the case. A holistic approach to content management relies on three pillars: people, playbook, and platform, with the third pillar bringing everything together by selecting a right content platform that empowers team members to build using preferred tools. Brands must curate balanced teams of digital builders with technological talent, creative talent, and more to create great customer experiences. A content platform can support collaborative efforts by allowing teams to work in parallel, eliminating traditional waterfall workflows and enabling record time builds and launches. Consistency is key for brands creating multichannel experiences, as a unified content hub helps cross-functional teams collaborate and work toward shared goals. The right content platform can help companies like Celonis scale their brand and improve internal team collaboration on content, leading to thousands of new web pages launched in multiple languages. Digital builders want low technical support when publishing content, one content platform that delivers to all channels, and a future-proof, easy-to-use stack from their CMS.

Contentful, a company that provides a content management platform, has launched its own podcast called Dreamstacks, which delves into topics related to technology and teaching. The podcast features interviews with experts in the field and covers a range of topics, from cybersecurity to web accessibility. In addition to Dreamstacks, Contentful recommends several other podcasts, including Darknet Diaries, which explores true stories from the dark side of the internet, Reply All, which investigates the ways people use the internet, and Wild Wild Tech, which tells stories of how technology shapes culture. These podcasts offer a range of perspectives on technology and its impact on society, and are recommended for anyone interested in learning more about tech topics in an engaging way.

The article emphasizes the importance of image optimization for websites, highlighting its impact on SEO performance and user experience. It introduces the AVIF image conversion format as part of the Contentful Images API, which reduces file sizes, leading to faster load times and improved SEO rankings. The article also discusses various factors affecting image optimization, such as compression and resizing, and provides guidance on choosing the right file type for each asset. Additionally, it explores lazy loading techniques and the use of CDNs to further optimize images. Overall, the article aims to provide actionable tips and strategies for optimizing images on websites.

Wärtsilä, a Finnish marine and energy company, has been operating for over 186 years and aims to build a zero-emissions society through energy intelligence, market-shaping, and innovation. The company developed two digital products, WeLeap and MyHR, using Contentful, which are internal sharing platforms for employees to share stories, celebrate work, educate each other, and consolidate content, as well as an HR portal for employees to check to-do lists, plan their career paths, manage data, and get in touch with the HR team. Wärtsilä treated its digital products like startups within the company, adopting a startup approach to marketing and understanding the product's purpose before scaling it up. The team learned significant lessons about user adoption, engagement, and scalability, emphasizing the importance of involving users in the development process, asking questions, and putting structure around storytelling.

Migrating to a new ecommerce service powered by headless architecture is not necessarily a daunting task, but it can offer developers more flexibility and time savings while improving overall website performance. Headless ecommerce separates the front-end storefront elements from backend code through decoupling concepts like design and presentation, allowing for greater control over design, faster load times, and better page performance. This separation enables developers to work with a wide range of tools and technologies, reducing inflexibility and hacking around workflows, while providing consistency and minimal learning curve. Headless ecommerce architecture also allows for easier customization, integration of new services, and optimized storefronts, ultimately leading to improved customer experience, faster load times, and increased revenue potential.

Contentful has improved its task management feature, making it easier for teams to collaborate and complete tasks effectively. The new feature allows users to assign tasks to teams, rather than individual people, and attach due dates to ensure timely completion. This upgrade supports global content operations and enables teams to work together seamlessly in the Contentful platform. With the new features, users can access their assigned tasks from anywhere, receive email reminders, and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines. The feature is now available to all users, including those who have been using tasks without realizing it, and can be installed directly from the marketplace for Premium plan users.

At Contentful, a diverse workforce gathered to celebrate Women's Equality Day, sharing their personal experiences and insights on gender equality in the workplace. The panel discussion highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence, creating safe spaces, and empowering women through thoughtful feedback and mentorship. The speakers emphasized that allies play a crucial role in preventing and stopping disparities, and encouraged them to participate in internal audits and dialogue with minority groups to create a more inclusive environment.

The shift in the market's emphasis on speed is driving digital transformation efforts, as companies strive to keep pace with rapidly changing technologies and user behaviors. The Collective supports this approach by prioritizing speed as a value pillar, focusing on delivering products and experiences quickly while still incorporating client input and feedback. By adopting agile methodologies and leveraging the right tools, such as headless architectures with content platforms at their center, companies can accelerate development cycles, reduce stakeholder frustration, and improve customer experiences.

This tutorial aims to build a personalized image of a ticket based on URL parameters using Next.js and Cloudinary, showcasing the possibilities of dynamic image sharing. The application generates a unique name and ticket number for each attendee, personalizes an image with these values, and configures the app to behave differently for viewers who aren't ticket holders or have shared the ticket via social media. The tutorial leverages Next.js's server-side rendering capabilities and Cloudinary's API to create a seamless experience for attendees and event organizers alike.

This month has been filled with exciting announcements and developments from the Contentful team, including a call for papers for their annual conference Fast Forward, the redesign of their developer portal, and new features such as content modeling, webhooks, and the App Framework. New resources have also been made available, including a tutorial on building a website using Contentful and Vue.js, and a research panel for power users to provide feedback on internal product development projects. Additionally, the team has shared blog posts, videos, and newsletters through their developer portal, and are inviting developers to join upcoming webinars and events, such as the "Learn with Jason" Show and the "Build with Next.js" Netlify event.

The traditional digital operations process often mirrors the print industry, with a focus on internal drivers and baton passing between teams, resulting in delays and missed customer insights. This approach can lead to wasted time and resources, as well as failed projects. A modern digital playbook is needed to bring teams closer to the customer, leveraging customer data and insights to drive the process forward. The old way of working ignores the advantages of the digital world, including access to vast amounts of real-time customer data. In contrast, a new approach puts customers at the center, featuring faster turnaround times, templates and features built in weeks, and built to scale from the start. This approach enables platform teams to build reusable components, pass them to experience teams for composition and launch, and create a cycle of continuous improvements with user input driving the process.