Meet the CEOS _WorkBench, your new command center for turning creative chaos into published perfection
The CEOS Workbench dashboard, showing the content archive and main editor panel. 
The integrated Visual Guide provides step-by-step instructions and visuals to help new users get started quickly 
Managing a document’s journey from “Raw” concept to “Published” work is simple with the clear, color-coded status system. 
The “Keep It Simple, Stupid” (KISS) principle is at the heart of the CEOS Workbench design, focusing on essential features without clutter.
For the past several weeks, I’ve been immersed in a near non-stop coding sprint to build a tool I’ve needed my entire professional life. Today, I’m excited to release the first result of that effort.
It’s called the CEOS _WorkBench.
Tired of scattered files, endless revisions, and a chaotic workflow?
If you’re a writer, developer, or creative professional, you know the struggle. The journey from a raw idea to a polished document is often messy. Your work lives in a dozen different folders, feedback is buried in emails, and keeping track of the latest version is a constant headache.
It’s time to bring order to your creative process.
CEOS _WorkBench is a standalone desktop application designed to streamline your entire document-centric workflow. Built on the principle of “Keep It Simple, Stupid” (KISS), it provides a powerful, structured environment that lets you focus on what matters most: creating great content.
(Consider adding a key features list or another screenshot here)
The Inspiration: Building a More Human Workflow
This project was born out of years of frustration. Since the early 2000s, I’ve built systems in various industries—from managing customer-facing retail businesses to creating high-impact media on tight deadlines for news markets.
A common thread I found was that many professional systems, in their quest for efficiency, created a less humane environment. They offered less, not more, room for the creative juices to flow.
Under the umbrella of Creative_Engine_OS (CEOS), I set out to create a new set of tools guided by a different philosophy—one manifested in transparency and open, user-facing system routines that empower the creator.
How It’s Built: A System That Builds Itself
The core of CEOS is a concept I call “_actors.” An actor is a self-contained component with a specific job. The first one I created was a Builder_Actor.py script that uses manifests (JSON look-up tables or LUTs) to assemble functions that work together predictably.
As I solve new challenges during development, the solutions are stored in the Creative_Engine_OS’s own library of LUTs. This means the system is constantly learning and, in a way, building itself. It has a high level of self-awareness that allows it to be both robust and flexible.
The CEOS _WorkBench module was the first tool I built with this system because I desperately needed it myself. My desk was a clutter of documentation, developer notes, roadmaps, and blueprints. I needed a way to organize this chaos—a workflow for text documents that clearly defines the state of each one. The _WorkBench is the answer to that problem.
Available Now for Beta Testing
CEOS _WorkBench is now available as a “Pay What You Want” beta download for macOS.
As a beta tester, your feedback is critical in shaping the future of this tool. I’d love for you to try it out, see if it helps your workflow, and let me know what you think.
Bastiaan Slabbers 