Modernizing UNOLS: A Drupal 10 Upgrade Focused on Performance and Accessibility

Sector(s)

Education

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Organizations Involved

Inclind Inc

UNOLS Upgrades to Drupal 10 for a Faster, More Accessible Experience

UNOLS, a central coordinator for the U.S. academic research fleet, partnered with Inclind to modernize its website using Drupal 10. The goals were clear: improve performance, strengthen accessibility, and streamline content management. By rebuilding the site from the ground up, Inclind delivered a robust, user-friendly platform with a cleaner design, faster load times, and a WCAG-compliant structure. The result is a more inclusive and efficient experience for researchers, administrators, and the general public alike.

Describe the project (goals, requirements and outcome)

The Challenge:

With Drupal 7 reaching its end-of-life, UNOLS faced the pressing challenge of maintaining a secure, up-to-date website that could support its wide-ranging needs. The existing website was becoming increasingly difficult to manage, with outdated themes and functionalities that did not align with contemporary web practices. Additionally, there was a need to improve content management processes, enhance media handling, and ensure the website was fully accessible to all users.

Our Solution:

To address these challenges, Inclind developed a comprehensive plan to upgrade the UNOLS website from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10, focusing on improving performance, accessibility, and user experience:

Drupal 7 to Drupal 10 Upgrade: We successfully migrated the entire UNOLS website from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10, ensuring a seamless transition while maintaining the integrity of existing content and functionalities.
Theme Upgrade from Bootstrap 3 to Bootstrap 5: As part of the upgrade, we updated the website’s theme from Bootstrap 3 to Bootstrap 5. This modernized the site’s appearance and improved responsiveness and alignment with current web design standards.
Streamlined Content Management: After comprehensively analyzing the existing content management workflows, we identified critical areas for improvement. We simplified the content management system, making it more intuitive and efficient for the UNOLS team to update and manage content.
Enhanced Search Functionality: We improved the site’s search capabilities by leveraging Pantheon Solr, a powerful search solution that provides more accurate and faster search results, enhancing the overall user experience.
Improved Media Management and Rendering: To optimize media handling, we implemented several enhancements that improved the management and rendering of images and videos, ensuring a smoother, more engaging visual experience for users.
Accessibility Compliance: We prioritized making the website accessible to all users. We upgraded the front-end experience to comply with WCAG 2.2 AA standards, making the website more inclusive and usable for people with disabilities.
Comprehensive Testing: To guarantee that the upgraded website met the highest performance and usability standards, we conducted thorough quality assurance (QA) and user acceptance testing (UAT) across all devices and user scenarios.
Advanced Analytics Setup: To provide UNOLS with deeper insights into user behavior, we integrated Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics 4. These tools enable the organization to track key metrics and make informed decisions based on user interactions.
Collaborative Project Planning: We worked closely with UNOLS throughout the project to ensure our solutions were delivered on time and within budget. This collaborative approach allowed us to tailor the project to their specific needs, ensuring a successful upgrade.

Why Drupal was chosen

UNOLS required a platform that could support structured content, facilitate multi-role collaboration, and uphold modern accessibility standards. Drupal provided the flexibility and stability needed to manage complex data types, including vessel profiles, advisory documents, and event listings, while maintaining a clear editorial workflow. Its robust permissions model allowed contributors across the organization to work efficiently within defined roles, and its strong support for WCAG compliance made it the right fit for an organization serving the public and scientific communities.