The Crucial Importance of Carefully Crafted Editorial Experiences
In their keynote address at WordCamp US San Diego, Phil Crumm and Helen Hou-Sandi emphasized the importance of developers focusing not only on building systems but also on enhancing the editorial experience. They pointed out a common issue: while developers excel at building backend functionality and ensuring the front end looks great, the “editorial experience” — where content creators work — often suffers from neglect.
This gap erodes user trust, as content creators, the “superusers” of platforms like WordPress, face a disconnect between what they see and what the final user experiences. By creating more intuitive, direct experiences that bridge this gap, developers can build trust and encourage wider adoption of new tools and functionality.
Helen’s work on the White House website was highlighted as an example of how thoughtful design can lead to a seamless editorial process. Developers were urged to spend as much time refining the user experience for content creators as they do on the front-end for readers, ensuring that the tools are easy to use and encourage confidence in the platform.
This shift, the speakers suggested, is crucial to re-democratizing the content creation process in WordPress and maintaining its relevance in a rapidly evolving web ecosystem.