Customizable Content Layers: Building Content Systems That Adapt

Imagine your favorite sandwich. The basic recipe might include bread, meat, veggies, and a sauce – that’s your Content-Base. Now, what if you could easily customize this sandwich for different people without starting from scratch each time?

A chef might add a layer of avocado for California customers, substitute a gluten-free bun for those with dietary needs, or leave away the heavy sauce in summertime for a lighter taste – all while maintaining the core sandwich recipe.

That’s exactly what our Content Layer system accomplishes with knowledge.

The modular base: bitmark

Before we dive into our layers world, let’s remember how digital content in Get More Brain is built. At its core is bitmark, an open-source standard that breaks content down into small, independently effective content nuggets called “bits.”

Each bit is a modular building block that can be structured, annotated, and enriched with metadata. This granular, content-first approach is what makes layering possible – since every piece of content exists as a discrete bit, we can seamlessly exchange, add, or hide single bits across different layers without disrupting the underlying content structure.

This modularity allows publishers and content creators to maintain one source of truth while delivering countless customized variations.

Layers for Localization

Get More Brain’s customization layers work like a sophisticated sandwich assembly line, where the base recipe remains consistent, but publishers and content owners can add commentary, translations, regional variations, and selective ingredient “show/hide” options – all while ensuring that when the base recipe changes, all sandwich variations automatically receive the upgrade.

Content-Base

The foundation layer provided by a publisher or company. This core content is identical for all users and contains essential information on a specific topic. In Get More Brain, this is created as a book in bitmark format, allowing for a modular structure with multimedia, interactive, and responsive capabilities. 

Example: A hotel chain’s standard operating procedures manual containing brand guidelines, service standards, and daily operations that all franchisees must follow.

Comment-Layer

Built on top of the base, this layer allows experts or coaches to add their annotations, supplements, and insights to enrich the core content. 

Example: A regional manager adds specific guidance for implementing the brand’s customer service protocol in high-volume tourist areas, with tips based on successful implementations.

Translation Layer

Enables content internationalization by providing translations of the base content into different languages. 

Example: The franchise’s training materials are translated from English into Spanish, French, and German to support staff training in different countries where the hotel chain operates.

Replace Layer

Enables targeted content replacement, further supporting localization or adaptation to specific conditions. This goes beyond translation to adapt content to local conditions. Particularly useful for franchise businesses that need to customize standard content for different locations. 

Example: Emergency procedures in the base content reference “calling 911” for American properties, but this is replaced with “calling 112” for European locations or “calling 000” for Australian franchises.

DIFF-Layer

Allows bit-by-bit content filtering where specific base content can be shown or hidden for certain audiences. This enables quick creation of customized versions where entire chapters might be omitted or supplementary paragraphs and videos added. Since all content is stored in bitmark format as individual blocks, DIFF-Layers can fine-tune content for specific scenarios, such as learning situations with varying time constraints. 

Example: Front desk staff see only check-in/check-out procedures, while management sees the complete operations manual including financial reporting requirements and conflict resolution protocols.

Updates and Maintenance

What happens when base content changes? The solution is straightforward.

Changes from any layer automatically “shine through” all other layers and appear in all versions. When core information is updated in the Content-Base, these updates flow through the entire system and become immediately visible in all derived content – regardless of how many customization layers have been applied.

This elegant approach eliminates the version control problems that typically raise in traditional content management systems.

Bring experts together

Different authors can manage different layers, which is especially valuable for comment layers where multiple experts can provide their perspectives on the same base content. This collaboration allows for specialized input without compromising the integrity of the core material.

For example, a financial expert might manage a comment layer on budget procedures, while a customer service specialist maintains another layer focused on guest interactions – all building upon the same foundational content. This multi-author approach creates a rich, multi-dimensional knowledge ecosystem that adapts to various needs while maintaining consistency.

Work with aliases

The layer system can be combined with book-aliases, allowing you to create a master book in one location and reuse it in various formats and designs.

This powerful feature enables content creators to maintain a single source of truth while deploying that content across multiple platforms, departments, or user groups. For instance, a corporate training manual can exist as a master book, with aliases appearing in the sales department’s knowledge base, the customer service training portal, and the new employee onboarding system – each potentially using different layers of customization.

When updates are made to the master book, all aliases automatically reflect these changes, ensuring consistency while still allowing for specialized presentation within each deployment scenario.