The ability to deliver engaging, personalised and responsive online experiences can make or break a digital product. Tools such as the Visual Editor in CMS platforms such as Magnolia are transforming the way content is created and managed, breaking down technical barriers and accelerating marketing operations.
What is a Visual Editor?
A Visual Editor is an intuitive tool that enables marketing teams to independently manage content within headless CMS systems. Its key benefit is an easy-to-use interface that allows content to be edited in real time – without the need for programming skills or complex technical processes.
Key features of a visual editor:
Create pages and landing pages without coding
Using a modular component system, you can create responsive pages in just a few clicks. Each section is editable and customisable, speeding up the publishing process.
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editing
Make changes directly on the page and see the results instantly. This saves time and gives you more control over the final look.
Live preview and mobile optimisation
Use the Visual Editor to check how a page will look on different devices. Its sophisticated component library automatically adjusts layouts to fit different screens seamlessly.
Common benefits of a visual editor
A visual editor redefines content management in large organisations. Its features enable marketing and editorial teams to work faster, more efficiently and independently.
1. Intuitive & Easy to use
The Visual Editor requires no programming knowledge or technical skills. Its interface is intuitive and natural, even for those with no previous CMS experience. Changes are made directly on the page being edited, eliminating the need to switch between tools.
2. Time saving
Content changes can be made directly within the context of the page, eliminating unnecessary steps and speeding up publication. The ‘save and publish‘ feature ensures that content is visible immediately after approval – a significant advantage in rapidly changing market conditions.
3. Consistency & Scalability
With centralised content management, any changes made in the Visual Editor can be automatically deployed across multiple sub-pages and markets. This is essential for maintaining consistent brand communication, especially for large, global organisations.
4. Independence from IT
The Visual Editor enables marketing teams to be completely independent of the IT department. This allows developers to focus on more advanced projects rather than minor content adjustments.
A CMS system from the perspective of a content editor
An effective marketing strategy requires technology that supports creativity and consistency. With a visual editor, creating content-driven pages and managing content becomes intuitive and fast. For marketing teams, this means the freedom to implement even the most unconventional ideas without waiting for IT support.
For large organisations managing thousands of assets (images, videos, PDFs), integration with DAM systems such as Cloudinary or Amazon S3 is critical. The Visual Editor allows these assets to be used seamlessly without changing the existing workflow. Editors have instant access to the materials they need, speeding up their work.
Global brands often operate in multiple markets, making consistency a priority. Visual Editor helps you efficiently manage content for multiple markets simultaneously, eliminating the risk of inconsistent communications. This ensures a consistent voice across all campaigns, regardless of region.
How do you prepare for working with a visual editor?
To fully exploit the potential of a visual editor in a CMS, organisations need to prepare both technically and organisationally. This will ensure a smooth implementation and effective use of the tool. .
1. A well-designed component library
The visual editor works most effectively when supported by a well-designed component library. Modular, reusable UI elements are the cornerstone of efficient editing. The design of these components should take into account scenarios such as
- Varying text lengths in different sections.
- Multiple graphic formats and sizes.
- Responsiveness on mobile devices.
This approach enables the creation of pages that are not only visually appealing, but also easy to edit and customise.
Integration with a design system: To maintain visual and functional consistency across pages, it is essential to integrate the Visual Editor with a design system. A design system defines a set of rules, guidelines and pre-built components for designing applications and websites. It ensures intuitive, consistent user interfaces for both design and development teams.
2. Team collaboration
Implementing a visual editor requires close collaboration between marketing, design and IT teams. Key steps include:
- Identifying essential components for page creation.
- Ensuring that the graphic design meets the technical requirements of the CMS.
- Providing clear guidelines for developers to implement the components.
3. Training and support
Implementing a new tool requires training for all roles in the organisation. Every team member should understand their responsibilities:
- Content editors should understand the new workflows and editor capabilities.
- Designers need to ensure that their designs are compatible with the visual editor.
- Developers should focus on implementing components that adhere to the headless architecture.
4. Testing & Iterations
Before full implementation, functional testing is critical. It helps identify and resolve potential issues before the tool becomes part of daily operations. An iterative approach allows teams to refine component libraries and workflows, ensuring a smooth transition and long-term efficiency.
With proper preparation, organisations can maximise the benefits of Visual Editors and empower their teams to work more efficiently and creatively.
From a developer’s perspective: How does the Visual Editor change your work?
While the Visual Editor is primarily designed for content creators, its implementation has a significant impact on development teams. Not only does it free developers from routine tasks, it also requires a strategic approach to component design.
1. Relief from routine tasks
Thanks to the Visual Editor, marketing and editorial teams can edit content independently, which means that developers no longer have to deal with minor adjustments such as
- Updating text on pages.
- Making visual changes to landing pages.
- Adding simple graphic elements.
This allows developers to focus on more complex projects, such as optimising performance or implementing advanced functionality.
2. Design flexible components
The Visual Editor requires developers to create components that are both flexible and easy to use. This involves:
- Anticipating different use cases, such as different text lengths or image proportions.
- Designing elements that maintain visual consistency across multiple configurations.
- Ensuring responsiveness and adaptability for mobile devices.
3. Manage editability
Developers can define different levels of component editability to suit the needs of the organisation:
- Corporate content (e.g. product pages) can be more restrictive to maintain consistency and alignment with brand guidelines.
- Marketing pages (e.g. landing pages) can be more flexible, allowing marketing teams to make changes quickly and independently.
4. Collaboration across teams
Implementing a visual editor requires close collaboration with designers and content editors. Developers play a key role in creating tools that are not only functional, but also intuitive for non-technical users.
How does the Visual Editor work in practice?
1. Building pages from predefined components
Pages in the Visual Editor are built using modular sections that contain editable components. The process is straightforward:
- Users select components from a library created by the development team.
- Components reflect elements based on design mock-ups and functional requirements.
- Each section is intuitively organised, allowing editors to populate content in a few simple steps.
2. Live preview
Editors can see real-time changes to the page as they add content:
- The filled section appears instantly in the preview.
- Editors can see how the page will look on both desktop and mobile devices.
- Well-designed components ensure visual and technical consistency across all platforms.
3. Manage page layouts
Using drag-and-drop functionality, editors can freely rearrange sections on the page. This not only speeds up the creation process, but also provides greater flexibility in adapting content to campaign needs.
4. Publish content incrementally
Not all pages need to be ready immediately. The Visual Editor allows you to
- Create drafts that can be published at the right time (e.g. at the start of a campaign).
- Partial publishing, where changes are visible immediately upon approval, without waiting for the entire page to be completed.
5. Flexibility for changes
Minor changes and updates can be implemented instantly. This makes the Visual Editor perfect for dynamic environments where quick responses are critical to success.
Summary
The Visual Editor is more than a tool – it’s a content management philosophy that redefines the way marketing and technology teams work. It enables organisations to respond more quickly to changing market demands, create consistent communications and deliver real value to end users in real time.
Author
Paweł Wojtaszak
UX & UI Designer
An architect by education with a passion for design focused on creating digital experiences. Graduated in UX Design and Product Design at the SWPS in Warsaw. At SYZYGY Warsaw, I deal with interface and interaction design, always putting the user first.
On a daily basis, he is involved in designing high-level concepts for websites and mobile applications, creating information architecture and User Flow diagrams. Understanding his clients’ requirements, he does not forget about the users and their needs – he carries out usability tests and prepares User Exeprience reports.
He designs responsive interfaces and component libraries, ensuring consistency of UI elements and their interactions. His portfolio as Designer at SYZYGY includes projects for: Danwood, EBS.
More articles by Paweł: Internet configurators in e-commerce – Showcase
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