Tools of the Trade 3 took place at Getty Images on December 9. Tiffany Farriss, president of Palantir.net, a Chicago-based web-programming firm, gave the talk entitled “CMS Schools of Thought.”

CMS, or a content management system, is an application used to organize the back-end of a web site and streamline its maintenance. It contains “tools and structural procedures that organize, secure and structure content,” said Farriss. CMS key features include user management, access permissions, content editing, workflow and change management, templating and delivery or publication. Her talk focused on best practices for incorporating CMS into the design of web sites so that updating can be effortless and efficient.

Farriss touched on the different kinds of available CMS sources. At Palantir, they are exclusively dedicated to Drupal because, “it emerged as the most flexible [application] for working with a variety of design techniques.” Palantir is active in the further development of this application and is instrumental in how it will affect the future landscape of web programming.

Planning the content ahead of time is an important first step in realizing web communication goals. The process involves developing a set of requirements, or a “wish list,” with the client while establishing a realistic budget. The first step in designing the site is to create “wireframes” or “gray boxes.” These tools serve as a programmer’s blueprint. Despite popular belief, neither CSS, HTML or layered photoshop files will result in meeting the designers goals. “Good wireframes and a thorough style guide,” said Farriss, “are all a web programmer needs to realize a designer’s vision.”

So, how can designers approach creating web sites in a way that best incorporates CMS? “Stop designing pages,” said Farriss. She advised the audience to design information, keep the user’s experience in mind, make a tool kit of reusable elements and build in flexibility in order to handle unforeseen problems. Most importantly, designers should focus on functionality: be consistent, use an sRGB profile and create simple, intuitive hierarchical menus.