About GutenbergLab

Joomla CMS

As the web evolved, so did our approach to web development. We saw the emergence of CMS platforms such as Joomla, which offered a more user-friendly approach to website development. We quickly adopted Joomla as our CMS of choice and went on to develop thousands of websites using this platform.

However, despite the advantages of using a CMS like Joomla, it still presented its own set of challenges. Customizing Joomla to meet the unique needs of our clients was not always a straightforward process, and it required significant technical expertise. Despite these challenges, we persevered and continued to provide high-quality web development services to our clients.

However, we remain proud of our early work using HTML, CSS, and PHP, as well as our extensive experience developing websites using Joomla. This experience has provided us with a strong foundation in web development and a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that come with building a successful online presence.

MODX Framework – A Clean Slate

MODX was introduced in 2004 and it was the most promising CMS framework, a framework offering a blank slate where we could build complex systems. We found this period more enjoyable than our experience with Joomla, as MODX was like a breath of fresh air, offering a clean slate where we could develop anything we wanted. However, we soon realized that MODX was not very user-friendly, and was more suited to developers. Its most powerful feature, flexibility, was also its biggest weakness, and as a result, it did not gain widespread popularity worldwide.

Despite its potential, there was not much business related to MODX websites, making it difficult to sustain a business solely focused on it. We considered moving to WordPress but found it too complex in terms of template structures, plugins, and other aspects. Nonetheless, we continued to adapt and refine our web development practices, always looking for ways to provide our clients with the best possible web experiences.

WordPress with Gutenberg – A gamechanger

WordPress released Gutenberg as part of version 5.0 in December 2018, and although it was not initially considered a significant addition, it was certainly a good move. We kept track of its development and revisited it in January 2020, and were pleasantly surprised by its progress. Gutenberg with ReactJS offered a clean slate similar to MODX, while WordPress plugins were akin to components in Joomla. Gutenberg was the perfect blend of both, and we were sold on its potential. We decided to focus on working with WordPress, primarily with Gutenberg, and began developing plugins to enhance our workflow. The ability to add data and use the Bootstrap grid to create responsive layouts was especially exciting.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted our operations, and we were forced to shut down our office for almost two years. But in late 2022, we resumed our operations, and since then, we have been primarily focused on WordPress development. With our previous clients transitioning to WordPress, we were able to regain our footing and get back into the business.