Unexpected Lessons from Warhammer 40K and SitecoreAI

warhammer

I know I did, and after 15 years, I even picked up and old hobby of mine: Warhammer 40k

I spent months researching which faction to start with. Read up on their strengths, what would be most fun to paint etc. It required a lot of thought, because I wanted to invest in the right army for me and what I thought was important.

At some point I thought, just for fun: “I wonder if there are any similarities between this and Sitecore AI?”

So here’s the comparison.

1. Choosing a faction – Choosing a system

Before investing in a faction or a system you evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. The complexity, flexibility, long-term viability, limitations etc.

Is this the right choice for what I find important? These are things we look for when choosing our technical platforms. This is also why platforms like Sitecore work so well: they reward teams who know what they want to achieve.

2. Design and paint -> Web design and experience

Painting is a huge part of Warhammer, just like design and user experience, both for editors working in the system and the final experience where visitors interact.

For instance, a well executed design doesn’t necessarily mean it fits its purpose.

You can paint something amazing, but still in a way that clashes with the established theme or identity of the faction. The same applies to web design: just because something looks good doesn’t mean it serves its intended purpose. Design without intent is decoration.

3. Assembling the models -> Building the solution

Assembly mistakes are hard to undo, on both sides. Poor structure has implications further down the line.

It takes time to build something good and long lasting, and shouldn’t be rushed. Yes, implementations move faster today with all available tools and AI, but they don’t eliminate the need for a solid foundation. Speed should not come at the cost of structure.

4. Strategy in use – Strategy in reality

Strategy sets direction. It’s how you use your army/platform that matters most.

With SitecoreAI there are endless possibilities, therefore a good strategy is key. As a Warhammer beginner, I lean on experienced players. With Sitecore, you can do the same by working with experienced partners. And in today’s landscape, adaptation is just as important as having a plan.


Warhammer reminds me that good outcomes are rarely accidental.

They come from:

  • Choosing the right foundation
  • Designing with intent
  • Building carefully (not slow)
  • Letting real-world usage guide strategy

Track SitecoreAI Updates: Changelog Insights

If you don’t already follow the changelog, make sure to track the RSS feed. Since SitecoreAI is constantly getting updates and improvements to Page Builder, SDKs, etc., you really should follow the changelog so you can easily see when new features are released, start using them, and inform your editors. https://developers.sitecore.com/changelog

I thought I’d sum up some of my favorite features and improvements released the last couple of weeks. Not in any particular order

Blok Design System reaches General Availablity (GA)

This is Sitecore’s design system to ensure a consistent look throughout SitecoreAI. I’ve used the Beta when trying new marketplace apps created with the new Marketplace SDK that came earlier this year.
It makes it really easy and the design matches rest of SitecoreAI which makes it look professionally integrated quickly and easy. With this realese it’s now ready for production.

See where your content lives

This brings clarity for editors working in Page Builder. I was working on a marketplace App to give editors more tools in Page Builder, and this was one of the features I had in mind. It’s great that it’s now incorporated in by Sitecore as a default feature.
We want our editors to be able to works as much as possible in Page Builder without having to switch to Content Editor unless needed. This is a step in the right direction.

Improvements and resolved issues for the Page builder

Create support tickets directly from Page Builder, insert link now respects cross-site linking is disabled, but most important maybe is that items deleted in Page Builder now ends up in the recycle bin as expected instead of being instantly deleted.

A nice touch for clarity is that it now says Unpublish if you set a publish restriction on a page, and it removes the page from Edge when triggered.

Share your solutions with the Sitecore community through public Marketplace apps

Marketplace apps can now be made public. When you’ve created an excellent app, you can submit it to Sitecore for review, and if it meets the standards, it can be published for all SitecoreAI to discover and use in the Marketplace. You can choose a free, freemium, or paid tier for your app.

New Search feature and other improvements in the Page builder

In a previous release we got the Layers tab in Page Builder in the left-hand pane. This makes it easier to see all components on your page in the correct order. You can also click a component in the tree to instantly focus that component or field in your editing window.

If you have lots and lots of components on your page, you can now search for specific names to filter out the otherwise long list.

Summary

These are just a handful of updates that have come to SitecoreAI. There are tons more like Sitecore Agentic Studio, Sitecore Marketer MCP and many more.
Make sure to follow the changelog, because SitecoreAI is evolving fast and you don’t want to miss out on new features and improvements!

https://developers.sitecore.com/changelog