Visual Content Constructor - a CMS built for people who build websites

One flexible foundation instead of starting from scratch

In the 2000s, I developed my own content management system for Visual Shapers: Visual Content Constructor (VCC). The idea was simple: build a reusable technical foundation that could support different websites without rebuilding everything for each project.

VCC separated presentation from content and used reusable blocks and extensible modules. This let website builders work with their own designs while adapting functionality to each project's requirements.

From an independent project to real-world use

VCC was more than a personal experiment. Another web company used the system to deliver websites for its clients. I supported those implementations and developed extensions when individual projects called for something beyond the standard functionality.

Examples from that period include:

• Acda en de Munnik: the website required a frame-based layout. I adapted the VCC core to support dynamic frame updates.
• Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival: I developed a scheduling module for films and screenings across different venues, rooms and times.
• Theo Thijssen Museum: an existing web design was translated into reusable CMS blocks and editable pages.
• Muziekeducatie op School: I built functionality that allowed students and teachers to upload files through the website.

The partnership itself is part of the historical record: an archived partner page from February 2005 lists Visual Shapers under 'partners', describing CMS and web applications as its areas of expertise.

Why this project still matters

VCC is a historical project, not a CMS I currently offer for sale. But it demonstrates an approach that still shapes my work: create a flexible technical foundation, solve practical problems and extend the software when a real situation demands it.

It also gave me early experience with a business model I still find interesting: building software that other companies can use to serve their own customers.

Technology: PHP, MySQL, HTML, XML, JavaScript, modular CMS architecture and custom development.