The CMS world has long been dominated by WordPress, Drupal and Joomla. Is there room for a new CMS? After many years of using WordPress predominantly I started to think that there could be another way of looking at the design of a CMS. CMS systems generally use a theme based approach. This means that the design elements of the system are separated from the backend code. This has some advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of a theme based CMS:
- Anyone can create any theme they want. As long as the theme runs the core of the CMS they user has full creativity over the layout and function.
- Themes can be beautiful. A talented designer can create a theme that looks great and is very visually appealing.
- Themes can be changed and updated. If a theme gets tired, a new theme can be installed or the old theme can be enhanced.
- Themes are cheap. There are many themes and theme generators that are free or very cheap.
Disadvantages of a theme based CMS:
- Themes can be dangerous. They can have hidden malware that can infect your visitors computer.
- Themes can break. If a theme is poorly coded it can fail when certain circumstances are met.
- Themes require a skilled programmer. It takes programming knowledge to build, maintain and update a theme.
- Themes are hard to change. Even some simple changes such as moving objects on the screen can require hours of programming to achieve.
- Themes may not be cross browser compatible. They can work in Chrome and totally fail in Internet Explorer.
As a result I started to think “is there a way to create a website CMS that has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages?” I put myself in the shoes of a web designer and thought about the problems they face. I thought “what if there was a way to create a CMS that let you have complete control over the design and function of your site, but did so in a way that would work in every web browser every time. Not only that but when it is time to update a site you just do it and nothing breaks.”
WordPress, Joomla, Drupal are the leaders in the CMS world. Don’t get me wrong, they are brilliant systems and each achieves its own goals. WordPress for example was built with bloggers in mind, but none of the leading systems had the needs of graphic designers at the front of their thinking. Is there room for a high end CMS that is built to give graphic designers the tools they need to succeed?
The question of is there room for a new CMS is answered by Elastic. Elastic takes a new approach to CMS thinking. As a theme-less system you tell the website how you want it to look and it does it for you. The design you create works in every browser, every time. As a new technology only time will tell if the is room for an new innovative CMS. WordPress, Drupal and Joomla are great and maybe one day Elastic find room in the crowded market place as well.
Do you think is there a need for another CMS? Do share your views in the comment section, we’ll be glad to hear from you.