Product Introduction

1. Swarm is an open-source exhibition website builder designed specifically for designers, artists, and visual creators to showcase collaborative projects or group exhibitions online. It is built on Kirby CMS, a file-based content management system, and provides a streamlined platform for creating visually focused websites without requiring advanced coding skills.
2. The core value of Swarm lies in its ability to simplify the creation of collaborative exhibition websites, enabling creators to centralize and display works from multiple contributors while maintaining full control over design and content. It eliminates technical barriers by offering pre-configured templates and automated workflows for user submissions.

Main Features

1. Swarm allows users to create dedicated websites for group exhibitions, including customizable homepages with introduction blocks, About pages, and dynamic grids for displaying uploaded works. The platform supports image uploads, metadata management, and responsive design adjustments through Kirby CMS’s panel interface.
2. The product includes a self-service registration system where contributors can submit their work directly via a public form, bypassing manual moderation. This feature uses Kirby’s user authentication and file-handling capabilities to automate uploads, ensuring submissions are instantly published or stored for review.
3. Administrators can manage all website elements via Kirby CMS, including setting global styles (background colors, text fonts, favicons), configuring SEO metadata, and editing page content. The system supports real-time updates, allowing users to modify exhibition details without redeploying the website.

Problems Solved

1. Swarm addresses the difficulty of creating collaborative exhibition websites that require input from multiple contributors, a common challenge for curators and artists managing group projects. Traditional solutions often involve complex coding or fragmented third-party tools for submissions and content management.
2. The product targets designers, visual artists, and curators who need to showcase collective work professionally but lack technical expertise or resources to build custom platforms. It also serves institutions organizing open-call exhibitions requiring public submissions.
3. Typical use cases include creating a website for an art collective’s annual showcase, hosting a digital gallery for a themed competition with public submissions, or building a portfolio site for a multidisciplinary design team to display collaborative projects.

Unique Advantages

1. Unlike generic website builders, Swarm is purpose-built for visual exhibitions, offering specialized tools like bulk image uploads, contributor self-registration, and exhibition-specific metadata fields. Competitors like Squarespace or Wix lack native support for collaborative content workflows.
2. The integration with Kirby CMS provides a file-based architecture that ensures portability, security, and ease of hosting, distinguishing it from database-dependent platforms. Users can host Swarm on any PHP-enabled server without vendor lock-in.
3. Swarm’s open-source nature allows developers to extend its functionality, such as adding payment gateways for submission fees or integrating third-party APIs for social media sharing. This flexibility is absent in closed-source alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can I customize the visual style of my Swarm website? Yes, Swarm provides full control over colors, fonts, and layouts through Kirby CMS’s panel, allowing users to define hex color codes, upload custom favicons, and adjust grid layouts for artwork displays without editing code.
2. How does Swarm handle user-submitted content? Contributors register via a public form, upload images and metadata, and submissions are either auto-published or stored in Kirby’s content directory for admin review. The system avoids manual data entry using file-based storage.
3. What technical skills are required to deploy Swarm? Basic server management knowledge (e.g., uploading files via FTP) is needed, but no coding is required for setup. Kirby CMS requires PHP 7.4+ and a web server, with detailed documentation provided for installation.