Simplifying Content Management with Adobe Experience Manager

One of our core philosophies for AEM is to empower authors to independently create and manage experiences. With tools like the AEM Grid and visual editor, well-designed components, and intuitive and functional authoring dialogs, authors can generate unique experiences outside of the development cycle. These standards ensure that technical barriers are minimized, allowing authors to focus on their content while maintaining brand consistency and delivering responsive designs.

AEM Grid

The AEM Grid is a key feature of Adobe Experience Manager that ensures author independence while maintaining design and layout integrity. It provides a responsive, column-based structure that enables authors to create layouts without needing to understand code.

Here’s how it works:

• Column-Based Layouts: Pages are divided into columns, making it easy to align and resize content.
• Drag-and-Drop Placement: Authors place components directly into the grid, where they automatically snap into position, ensuring alignment with other elements.
• Built-in Responsiveness: The grid adjusts layouts for different screen sizes, making it easy to design pages that work across devices.

This feature provides authors with confidence that their layouts will look professional, regardless of page complexity or device type. It removes the guesswork, ensures consistency across projects, and gives authors creative control within defined boundaries.

Optimized Components

Components are the building blocks of authoring in AEM. To empower authors, components need to be:

• Agnostic: Designed to work across various templates and use cases without requiring specific configurations.
• Flexible: Configurable enough to handle multiple scenarios without being overly complex.
• Atomic: Built as small, reusable pieces that can be combined to create larger structures.

For example, a button component shouldn’t be tied to a specific template or layout. Instead, it should allow authors to adjust properties like color, text, and link behavior. Larger components, such as cards, should include the button component as a dependency, allowing the same customization across all instances. By creating flexible components that support different experiences while adhering to brand standards, authors will be equipped with an arsenal of marketing abilities that is sure to stand the test of time.

Authoring Dialogs

Each instance of a component in AEM contains an Authoring Dialog. These dialogs allow the authors to configure the content and settings for each component, so they must be intuitive and functional. Here are some principles we follow when designing dialogs:

• Simplicity Over Complexity: Only include the fields authors need. Overloading dialogs with unnecessary options leads to confusion and errors.
• Clear Field Descriptions: Use labels and tooltips to guide authors on how to use each field effectively.
• Default Values: Set smart defaults to minimize repetitive input, allowing authors to focus on key customizations.
• Validation and Constraints: Prevent errors by adding constraints (e.g., character limits) and validating inputs in real time.
• Accessible Resources: Link authoring guides and detailed instructions on component use directly inside the dialog to allow for quick support access.
• Automated Accessibility: When referencing visual content, accessibility features, such as alt text, should be automatically pulled from the DAM with an option for override if necessary.
• Martech Compatibility: Fields to configure Adobe Analytics, Adobe Target, or other marketing tools should be included as necessary using a standardized format.

Simplifying Content Management

By using tools like the AEM Grid, crafting flexible components, and simplifying authoring dialogs, you can give authors the tools they need to work confidently and efficiently, focusing on content rather than technology. These standards aren’t just about convenience; they’re about enabling teams to quickly deliver high-quality content while ensuring a scalable, maintainable foundation for future growth.

Photo Credit: Possessed Photography | Unsplash