March 2021 Summaries

Sanity has announced the launch of Content Lake, a real-time database designed to enhance content management by providing flexible content access and interaction capabilities. Unlike traditional CMS platforms, Content Lake focuses on structured content, enabling organizations to treat content as well-formed data that can be reshaped and presented in various formats. This release includes new features like API versioning, function namespaces, and geospatial search capabilities, all aimed at improving content management and digital experiences. The versioned APIs ensure stability while allowing for updates, and the new GROQ functions, including boosting, scoring, and geospatial queries, offer advanced content manipulation and search capabilities. The launch is part of Sanity's broader strategy to innovate beyond headless CMS constraints and drive the industry forward, with the goal of enabling richer, more interactive digital experiences.

Desktop applications like mmhmm, a live video production app for meetings, require content management just as websites do, and they use tools like Sanity to enhance collaboration among editors, designers, and developers. This collaboration is crucial for creating immersive user experiences, as demonstrated by mmhmm's studio tools, which allow for the creation and categorization of video backgrounds and the publication of these elements directly into the application. By fostering a community where users can share guides, projects, and more, Sanity encourages innovative uses of structured content, with standout contributions highlighted on the #I-Made-This Show.

Henrique Doro developed an asset source plugin for Sanity that enables users to create open graph images directly from their content studio, eliminating the need for serverless functions, image editing software, or external digital asset management tools. Although primarily designed for open graph images, the plugin is versatile enough to generate various types of images using specific schemas and React components. The Sanity community is encouraged to contribute by sharing guides, projects, code snippets, and plugins, with standout uses of structured content being featured on the #I-Made-This Show.

Editors targeting global audiences must manage both language and localized content to address regulatory, cultural, and customary nuances effectively. Jayne Mast shares her experience in configuring confrere.com for large-scale, page-based localization while enabling customization of individual components. This approach involves localizing elements such as pricing, medical regulatory language, and mock user names to boost cross-border engagement. The platform encourages community contributions by allowing users to share guides, projects, code snippets, and plugins, and highlights innovative uses of structured content on the #I-Made-This Show.