Architecting a Headless CMS for Public Design Committees: CCAC 2025 Case Study & Implementation Guide

The Future of Content Management is Headless

Let me show you how we built a modern headless CMS for public design committees, inspired by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee’s 2025 workflow. After years developing content systems for government agencies, I’ve seen firsthand how traditional platforms stumble with complex processes like coin design approvals. Headless architecture solves this by separating content creation from presentation – a game-changer for teams juggling multiple stakeholders and tight deadlines.

Decoding the CCAC Workflow: A Headless CMS Blueprint

The Content Collaboration Challenge

Picture this: Five design portfolios needing simultaneous review by Treasury officials, artists, and public advisors. That’s exactly what the CCAC faced in November 2025. Their workflow demanded:

• Secure handling of sensitive design files
• Real-time feedback across departments
• Version control for iterative changes
• Multi-stage approval chains
• Public-friendly presentation layers

Traditional CMS tools crumbled under these requirements. But a well-architected headless system? Perfect fit.

Headless CMS Selection Criteria

When choosing platforms for government workflows, I focus on three contenders:

• Contentful: Ideal for large-scale content operations
• Strapi: Best for teams needing complete customization
• Sanity.io: My top pick for real-time collaboration

For the CCAC project, Sanity.io’s structured content studio proved invaluable. Its live collaboration features kept Treasury staff and external designers perfectly synchronized – no more version confusion during critical reviews.

Building the Architecture: Jamstack Meets Government Standards

Static Site Generators for Secure Presentation

We paired Sanity.io with Next.js for the public portal, giving us:

• Enhanced security through static generation
• Timely updates via incremental rebuilds
• Optimized image delivery for design previews

Here’s how we connected the CMS to our frontend:

// lib/sanity.js
import { createClient } from '@sanity/client';

export const client = createClient({
projectId: 'your-project-id',
dataset: 'production',
apiVersion: '2023-05-03',
useCdn: true,
});

API-First Content Modeling

Design review processes need flexible data structures. Our content model looked like this:

// Design Portfolio Schema
{
name: 'designPortfolio',
title: 'Design Portfolio',
type: 'document',
fields: [
{
name: 'title',
title: 'Portfolio Title',
type: 'string',
},
{
name: 'designs',
title: 'Candidate Designs',
type: 'array',
of: [{ type: 'designAsset' }],
},
{
name: 'consultants',
title: 'External Consultants',
type: 'array',
of: [{ type: 'reference', to: [{ type: 'consultant' }] }],
}
]
}

Implementation Strategies for Public Sector CMS

Multi-Stage Approval Workflows

The CCAC’s strict review process required:

• Granular role permissions (Treasury staff vs. committee members)
• Version tracking for audit compliance
• Email notifications at each approval stage

In Strapi, we enforced permissions through custom policies:

// config/policies/ccac-approval.js
module.exports = async (ctx, next) => {
if (ctx.state.user.role.name === 'CCAC Member') {
return await next();
}
ctx.unauthorized('Only CCAC members can approve designs');
};

Secure Media Asset Management

Handling sensitive coin designs demanded:

• Automatic image watermarking
• Geo-based access restrictions
• Expiring download links

We achieved this through Contentful’s DAM with Cloudinary transformations, ensuring designs stayed secure until official release.

Performance Optimization Techniques

Edge Caching for Global Accessibility

Speed matters for public portals. Our Gatsby/Cloudflare setup delivered:

• Lightning-fast loading worldwide
• Instant cache updates when designs changed
• Built-in protection against traffic spikes

Real-Time Updates Without Compromising Security

Live meeting dashboards combined:

• Sanity.io’s content listeners
• Next.js’ smart revalidation
• Secure WebSocket connections

// pages/meetings/[id].js
import useSWR from 'swr';

export default function MeetingPage() {
const { data, error } = useSWR(`/api/meetings/${id}`, fetcher, {
refreshInterval: 30000,
});
// Render meeting data
}

Actionable Implementation Roadmap

Phase 1: Content Modeling & API Design

1. Map committee workflows to content types
2. Define user roles and permissions
3. Create secure API endpoints

Phase 2: Headless CMS Configuration

1. Customize Sanity.io workspace
2. Build editorial workflow plugins
3. Set up approval notifications

Phase 3: Jamstack Frontend Development

1. Develop Next.js application
2. Implement government-compliant UI
3. Configure zero-downtime deployments

Conclusion: Modern CMS Architecture for Public Institutions

The CCAC case shows why government teams are adopting headless CMS solutions. By combining Sanity.io’s flexible backend with Next.js’ powerful frontend, public committees gain:

• Faster decision-making through better collaboration
• Fewer publishing errors with structured content
• Enterprise-grade security that meets strict standards

What we built for the CCAC isn’t just theoretical – it’s working right now in government design review processes. When you need to manage complex approvals while maintaining public transparency, headless architecture delivers where traditional systems fail.

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