Improve the Optimizely CMS Language gadget icons

You don’t need to redesign the whole CMS to make editors smile, sometimes a small icon tweak is enough to make things feel just a bit nicer.

I'm all for improving the experience for CMS editors, and one thing that started bothering me was the outdated-looking flags in the Languages gadget. On top of that, some languages, like Polish, didn't even have a built-in icon.

Luckily, there's a simple fix for this!

I decided to use the same flag images the customer already uses in the external site’s language selector. This way, the visuals stay consistent across the entire website, and editors get a cleaner, more cohesive experience. What I did was simply to add the icons in code: 

Then I went in to CMS Admin > Settings > Manage Website Languages

Selected the languages and added the new paths to the Template Icon field > Save.

Thats it, done in 2 minutes!

Improving the CMS editor experience doesn’t always require big changes, sometimes it’s the small details like thoughtful icon design that make all the difference. By giving editors clear, meaningful visuals, we reduce friction and make the publishing process a little more intuitive and enjoyable. After all, when the tools feel good to use, the content only gets better.