Drupal is somewhat limited in how it handles the layout of content on the page. It assumes every page on any given site will use exactly the same layout, and that the only really important content on that page will sit right smack in the middle.

Fortunately, we can use the Panels module to build smarter displays of content than Drupal can handle on its own.

Panels offers a variety of layouts for us to choose from, and also allows us to provide our own. After a layout is selected, panels allows us to position our content into that layout however our hearts desire.

In this session you'll learn the basics of the Page Manager user interface, and how to implement some of the the most common uses for panels: including:

• a custom home page layout
• unique landing pages
• strategic content layouts
• better category pages
• useful user profiles

Time permitting, I'll also show you how easy it is to provide your own panels layouts, write your own custom content panes for panels, and even create your own access rules. (code samples available at https://github.com/jenlampton/panelsdemo)

I'll also talk a little bit about what parts of Panels are being moved (refactored) into Drupal 8 core.

Come see how much better your live can be with panels, and find out why I put panels on every site I build!