What are the benefits and drawbacks of using a headless CMS for web design?

There are a multitude of benefits to headless, but where it comes into real focus is the combination of them. Whether that be: - enhanced security due to the delivery method and lack of a traditional server - greater control and flexibility over design approach and coding frameworks - working with the best CMS for that particular project and then connecting to "your" UI front-end - optimal performance, especially with statically generated websites - ease of delivering omnichannel experiences (especially useful for big brands) - avoiding vendor lock-in as you can migrate your content to an alternative solution, re-hook it up to your UI and off you go - and more.

Using WordPress as a static/headless CMS is a gamechanger. The sites load incredibly fast, and there's no public database to worry about getting hacked!

An important benefit of adopting a headless CMS for your website is “content reuse.” In short, content reuse allows content editors to use frequently-used, common pieces of content in a variety of different places and formats without having to write the same thing over and over again, or copy/paste continuously. And when the content needs to be updated, it is updated across all the instances in which it used. Some common types of content that are often reused across many pages of a single website include: blog post cards, product cards, event cards, call-out frame, and quote components. A headless CMS can be a great option for large organizations with extensive public-facing content that is updated regularly, as well as e-commerce sites.

Getting searches to work properly can be a real pain, too. Headless CMSes are fun, but they definitely take a lot of work to set up correctly.

There is a range of complexity where building everything from scratch or integrating a multitude of decoupled services required more work than using a monolithic platform. The entry level also isn't really there either, there are no pre-made themes or website builders in the headless space.

Outlining a MoSCoW (must-have, should-have, could-have, and won't-have) of features is a helpful task and then evaluating the plethora of platforms on the market and find the one (or two) that meet your needs best within your desired budget. There's a lot of conformity between the platforms but it'll be the unique edge-case features that may sway it. That or having a developer/agency team that know and prefer certain platforms for select reasons.

A selected platform and content structure is key in advance as each platform approaches the implementation slightly differently. If it's a composable setup with drag-and-drop components then a design system or component library is the best approach. Alternatively is it's more structured content fields for page templates than a traditional page design works as well - however, as developers, componentisation is always preferable.

When designing sites with a headless, the key is planning content structure early before visual design starts. Work closely with content creators to optimize fields and templates for flexibility across devices. Modular content chunks allow more seamless omnichannel publishing. On the design side, use style guides and pattern libraries to maintain consistency across templates. Focus on optimal responsive experiences instead of page-based design. With content decoupled, you have more freedom to innovate visually. However, don't go overboard with trendy designs that deviate too far from your brand. Maintain familiar branding elements and UX patterns users expect. Headless opens possibilities but design should still align with business goals.