We are saying goodbye to the Backoffice Community Team, which has now been disbanded following a successful product release of the new Backoffice (codename “Bellissima”) along with Umbraco 14.
A journey is coming to an end
The Backoffice Community Team is the 2.0 version of the team. The first iteration of the team successfully launched the RFC for the Extension API of the (then) upcoming Backoffice project and was then dissolved. We then started a new application process to get people involved in building the Backoffice. The new team was announced in May 2022 and immediately got to work. Since then, they have been working together on advising Umbraco HQ discussing, designing, and developing what was to become Bellissima - The New Backoffice.
As a dedicated sounding board, we bridged the gap between the developers at HQ and the community.
The members of the Backoffice Community Team visit Umbraco HQ in 2022 to establish the team, from the top: Jacob Overgaard, Laura Weatherhead, Matt Sutherland, Maud Langaskens, Lee Kelleher, and Blake Watt (not pictured: Sophie Neale and Kenn Jacobsen).
A platform for insights and feedback
Our mission was to serve as a platform for dialogue and collaboration during the development of the new Backoffice. We’ve functioned as a touchpoint between Umbraco HQ and the community, offering insights, testing ideas and documentation, and gathering feedback from the people who use Umbraco on an everyday basis.
We’ve had the privilege of:
- Offering feedback on the development progress and Backoffice features.
- Testing and refining the documentation and making sure it’s easier for community members to contribute to the CMS.
- Proposing constructive ways to gather feedback from across the community and giving it back to HQ in a way that helped steer the project forward.
Launching Bellissima
Bellissima launched on May 30, 2024, with Umbraco 14 which meant the team could finally check off its main task of having assisted in building and shipping a new Backoffice.
The team pictured at Codegarden 2023, from the left: Lee Kelleher, Matt Sutherland, Sophie Neale, Blake Watt, Jacob Overgaard, Laura Weatherhead, and Kenn Jacobsen (not pictured: Maud Langaskens)
What’s next?
While the Backoffice Community Team wraps up, our journey is far from over. Two of our team members are now part of Umbraco HQ, where they’ll continue to shape the Backoffice from the inside 💪. Plus, some of our team are stepping into new roles on other community teams, so the contributions continue!
To help keep things moving forward, we have prepared a handover document for Umbraco HQ. This includes our recommendations on how to aid the wider community in adopting Bellissima. We suggest helping users jump to V14+ by offering plenty of documentation. We advise expanding upon the roadmap and highlighting the implications of sticking with older versions.
Guidance should be provided to help users choose the right version for their needs. This will ensure the transition is smooth and everyone can feel confident in their move to the future of Umbraco. We are excited to see how HQ continues this journey with the community on board! 🎉
Signing off and saying goodbye
The team has been involved with the project for more than 2 years. Friendships have been made, business relationships established, and it has felt like we were a family. We will miss each other, and our team meetings, but we all know what it has meant to be a part of this thing.
“Being part of this community team has been an incredible experience and one in which I have continually felt inspired and energised from sharing thoughts with such a wonderfully talented bunch of people. It feels awesome to have been part of delivering something that plays such a pivotal role for Umbraco all whilst sharing time with such fantastic company.”
Matt Sutherland
“Even only being part of the Backoffice Fam for a short time, it’s been amazing to collaborate with such a fab group of conscientious, thoughtful Umbracians to not only achieve the release of V14 but also plan and prepare how the back office can continually evolve for all who work on and work with it.”
Sophie Neale
“In 2019 I joined a community retreat team where we started making a case for moving from AngularJS to something both more supported and more modern - fast forward 5 years, how times have changed! Being included as part of the Backoffice Community Team has been a pure privilege; from getting to see the advances and challenges first hand, to celebrating the launch of the fantastic new Umbraco backoffice, it has been an incredible journey and the team should be so proud! Here’s to the next set of Umbraco adventures 🎉”
Laura Weatherhead
"It has been an absolute honor and privilege to work on the Umbraco Backoffice Community Team alongside both community and HQ experts. Collaborating, reviewing, and contributing to the new backoffice has been a fun experience and one I won't soon forget as I work with the Umbraco CMS. I'm proud to have played a part in shaping the future of Umbraco and really happy that I could give back to the community in this way."
Blake Watt
"Being part of this team has been an absolute blast! As someone who's still finding their way at times, I couldn’t have asked for a better group to learn from—so much talent and experience all in one place! But honestly, the best part has been meeting so many amazing, beautiful people. You’ve all made this journey unforgettable, and I’m leaving with a full heart and a ton of inspiration. Can’t wait to see what we all do next!"
Maud Langaskens
“When I applied to join the new Backoffice team, I did so in the hope of sharing my knowledge and insights from my years of being in the Umbraco ecosystem and agency-land. Two years later, I transitioned from a contributor to a HQ employee, some of my team would say that this has been the longest interview process! Spending time with the team has been invaluable; discussions, debates, feeding back on progress, working through problems; but most of all forming bonds that will outlast the tenure of our community team. Peace out backoffice fam! ✌️”
Lee Kelleher
“Having been part of both the first and second Backoffice team, it's been awesome to see how the community has influenced and shaped the new Backoffice. From ideas on a scratchpad to a complete build, both the teams and the broader community have continuously sparked ideas and challenged the status quo, ultimately leading to a better result for everyone. It's been an absolute pleasure working with all of you ❤️”
Kenn Jacobsen
“One of my first tasks as the team lead of the team that built the new Backoffice was to establish a community team to help us at HQ along. Seeing so many people eagerly volunteering their time took me by surprise. And what a pleasant surprise it has been getting to know and work with everyone on the team. What I take away with me from the team are long-lasting relations and a knowledge, that we have advised Umbraco HQ to the best of our abilities and ensured a solid foundation in the wider community to adopt Bellissima.”
Jacob Overgaard, Team Steward, Umbraco HQ
Having so many people volunteering their time and effort to contribute to our open-source projects means a lot to Umbraco HQ and the community as a whole. It is difficult to put into words to describe the feelings it creates knowing that people experience different things. It is simply put immeasurable. The same feelings go out from Umbraco HQ as well.
“We are so proud of all of our teams but we are especially proud of the teams that get to retire having completed their objectives, as this team has. It’s hard to put into words just how much their influence has been felt throughout the Backoffice project and we at HQ know we wouldn’t be where we are today without their contributions.”
Emma Burstow, Director of Developer Relations, Umbraco HQ
The journey continues in Umbraco 15 and beyond
On Thursday, November 14, 2024, Umbraco 15 will be released. This release continues expanding on and refining the concepts and features we helped foster in Bellissima. It is exciting to see the adoption of the new backoffice expand, both with the official Umbraco add-ons and all the wonderful community packages being upgraded, rebuilt, or launched with the new tech stack.
Signed,
The Backoffice Community Team
#h5yr
Written by: Jacob Overgaard
Published: November 2024