MODxCMS.com: Structure and Presentation
MODxCMS.com is a website built for web developers using the popular open source Content Management System (CMS) called MODx. The excellent support site features a winning combination of structure, content, presentation, and design.
The structure and content of modxcms.com reflects considerable analysis and design effort. The content is well organized and prioritized. For example, the main menu is sorted by relevance to the visitor and presented in a top-down fashion. Specifically, the general high-level information is presented first and the detailed technical details follow (MODx CMS), saving the user time. Additionally, most content on the site is separated by bullets for enhanced readability or quick comprehension, such as the features page, which has key points represented as bullets and displayed in bold font. The documentation section is rich in both quantity and quality of information. It covers all aspects of the CMS including the user interface, terminology, API, and more. However, some parts of the documentation such as the API guide are incomplete. Also, other pages such as the roadmap and features listing are outdated. This could confuse the site visitors if they assume the information is current. However, a well placed search box and “Print this Page’ link on every page enhances usability and functionality. Unfortunately, navigation below three levels in the sites hierarchy becomes difficult. For example, when viewing an API call’s specific page (the fourth level of the menu) there is no submenu of other API calls. There are only previous/next buttons and links to parent items. Additionally, another subsection for tutorials would allow for future expansion in that area of content. Currently, all tutorials are located in the root of the documentation sections and not in a specific subfolder.
Visually, the MODx site is aesthetically pleasing with excellent use of the contrasting colors green, white, and black on all pages. Accent colors properly highlight important items such as the search box, dividers, and bullets. All the site images are optimized for fast load times and this contributes to the overall speed of the web site. Also, a print style sheet is attached to every page, which allows for clean print output, pleasing the visitor. Overall, the site has a SiteScore of 9.6 and is ranked number 10 out of 75,214 sites (Silktide). This indicates that the overall quality of the site is outstanding. However, there is still room for improvement in the site theme. Most notably, second level items in the main menu have the same graphic as their parent, which can cause confusion for some site visitors. Also, there is a glitch in the forums that results in the Internet Explorer logo being presented multiple times.
The MODx web site is well designed, organized, and maintained. Most of the content is well written and informative. The web site would be even more effective if the content updates more closely matched the current CMS development releases. The site is presented in the stunning Green Marinée theme by Ian Main and provides excellent contrast and usability. Overall, the Modx web site is definitely worthwhile to visit if you use, or are considering using, the MODx CMS System.
Works Cited
MODx CMS - Content Management System. MODx. 30 Nov. 2005
<http://modxcms.com/>.
Silktide: Sitescore Results. Silktide Ltd. 30 Nov. 2005 <http://www.silktide.com/index.php?node=18444&form2=1&staticq=1&f2_url=http%3A%2F%2Fmodxcms.com>.
MODX Staff
