CMS Architecture for Agencies & Studios

Why agencies need structured content

Agency websites are portfolio-driven. Your work is your best marketing. A structured CMS makes it easy to showcase projects, tell client stories, and keep your team page current.

Recommended collections

Projects / Work

The centerpiece of your agency site:

• Title (text, required)
• Client (reference) — link to clients collection.
• Description (rich text) — project overview.
• Challenge (rich text) — what the client needed.
• Solution (rich text) — what you delivered.
• Results (rich text) — measurable outcomes.
• Featured image (image, required) — hero image.
• Gallery (multi-image) — project screenshots/photos.
• Services (multi-reference) — which services were involved.
• Industry (select) — client's industry.
• Year (number) — when the project was completed.
• Testimonial quote (text) — client feedback.
• Featured (boolean) — show on homepage.
• Order (number) — display order.

Clients

• Name (text, required)
• Logo (image, required)
• Website (url)
• Industry (select)
• Featured (boolean) — for logo bar on homepage.

Services

What your agency offers:

• Name (text, required) — e.g., "Brand Strategy", "Web Design", "Development".
• Description (rich text)
• Icon (image)
• Order (number) — display order.
• Featured (boolean)

Team members

• Name (text, required)
• Role (text, required)
• Photo (image)
• Bio (rich text)
• Department (select) — design, development, strategy, operations.
• LinkedIn (url)
• Order (number)

Blog / Insights

Thought leadership content:

• Title (text, required)
• Body (rich text, required)
• Author (reference) — links to team members.
• Category (select) — design, development, strategy, culture.
• Featured image (image)
• Date (date)
• Tags (multi-select)

Key relationships

• Projects → Client (single reference)
• Projects → Services (multi-reference)
• Blog → Author / Team member (single reference)
• Clients → Industry (select)

Tips for agency CMS

1. Projects need rich media — multi-image galleries, video embeds, and large featured images. Plan for visual-heavy content.
2. Separate clients from projects — a client may have multiple projects. Use a reference field, not duplicate text.
3. "Featured" fields everywhere — agencies curate heavily. Use boolean featured fields on projects, clients, and services for homepage displays.
4. Results are the differentiator — add explicit "challenge / solution / results" fields to projects. Do not bury outcomes in a general description.
5. Order fields for manual sorting — creative portfolios need manual ordering. Add a number "order" field to projects, services, and team members.