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Community contributions
1xINTERNET are regular contributors to the Drupal project. Our co-founder Baddy is a board member of the Drupal Association. We co-founded the Icelandic Drupal-user-group and organized the first Icelandic Drupal camp - the Northern Lights Drupal camp.
Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, needed a website to promote the city to visiting tourists. 1xINTERNET stepped in to give the old “Visit Reykjavík” site, built on Drupal 7, a much-needed visual and functional overhaul. Having worked on websites for the City of Reykjavík for several years, 1xINTERNET was entrusted with the backend development of the new VisitReykjavik.is site. We collaborated closely with the team at Hugsmiðjan, who were responsible for the stunning new design and frontend development. As part of the backend development, we meticulously recreated and migrated hundreds of nodes from the old site to the new one.
About the project
Visit Reykjavík needed to upgrade the functionality of their website as the previous Drupal 7 site suffered from an excessive number of content types, resulting in a convoluted user experience. To tackle this, we undertook the task of streamlining and simplifying the content types on the new website, ensuring a more intuitive and organised structure.
Migrating the existing content from the old site to the new one proved to be a complex endeavour. Given the significant differences in content types between the two versions, we meticulously transferred and restructured the content to fit the new simplified architecture. This process involved mapping nodes, as well as merging or renaming content types where necessary.
Through careful planning, strategic execution, and attention to detail, we successfully addressed these challenges. The optimised content structure, coupled with the efficient migration of content, allowed for a more streamlined and user-friendly experience.
Discover Reykjavik
The newly revamped Visit Reykjavík website offers an array of features, enabling visitors to seamlessly explore and immerse themselves in the vibrant city. With this user-friendly platform, tourists can easily access vital information. The new website allows visitors to:
Explore Reykjavík's Attractions: Browse the captivating attractions of the City of Reykjavík, ranging from historical landmarks to options to experience Icelandic gastronomy and vibrant nightlife.
Discover Region-specific attractions: Unique offerings of each region within Reykjavík, providing an opportunity to tailor an itinerary based on specific interests and preferences.
Stay Updated on Local Events: Visitors can access information about the latest happenings in Reykjavík, with a dedicated section showcasing a variety of local events.
Practical Information: Visitors can get essential and practical information prior to their trip, including details about the City Card—a valuable resource for accessing various amenities and attractions.
News: Engage with the latest news articles about Reykjavík.
Custom Structure for Pages
To empower the editorial team, the website incorporates a flexible page creation system. Utilising the versatile "paragraphs" feature, editors can curate content according to their preferences, allowing for seamless customization and reuse of content elements. This unique capability enables the creation of diverse pages, each meticulously tailored to highlight specific content and enhance the overall user experience.
Enhancing the Search Experience
A crucial aspect of the website revamp focused on delivering a seamless user experience and providing visitors with comprehensive information tailored to their interests. Given the extensive content on the website, we implemented ElasticSearch on the backend to optimise the search functionality. This integration dramatically improved the search experience by organising search results into relevant sections, allowing visitors to effortlessly filter content types. The search results dynamically update without requiring page reloads, consistently displaying the most relevant and refined outcomes.
Streamlining Content Organization and Migration
The original Drupal 7 site had a lot of different content types that were used in an inefficient way, resulting in a confusing experience for content editors. To address this, we streamlined the administrative interface on the new website by employing only the most essential content types. Additionally, we implemented numerous settings to facilitate easy filtering of these content types. In the case of attractions, we introduced a three-tier category system and included an "area" filter option to enhance the browsing experience.
Due to the substantial volume of existing content, an extensive data restructuring was undertaken, necessitating the migration of hundreds of nodes. This process involved merging or renaming different content types to ensure a cohesive and streamlined user experience. Furthermore, to improve content organisation and discoverability, new taxonomies were introduced, requiring thorough review by the editors prior to the website's launch.
As a result of these efforts, the current content structure exhibits a logical organisation, making it easier for visitors to locate relevant information. Multiple filtering options have been incorporated, allowing users to refine their searches according to their preferences. The revamped content architecture facilitates seamless navigation and delivers a superior user experience, ensuring that visitors can find the desired content with ease.
Why Drupal was chosen
The City of Reykjavík has a strong commitment to utilising open source software and they were experienced users of Drupal. Given their familiarity with the platform and its advantages, it was a logical and ideal choice for the redevelopment of Visit Reykjavík.
By opting for Drupal, Visit Reykjavík benefited from its extensive features, flexibility, and scalability. Drupal's robust content management system allowed for efficient content organisation and updates, making it well-suited for a dynamic tourism website like Visit Reykjavík.
Moreover, the use of Drupal aligned with the City of Reykjavík's commitment to open source principles, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing within the development community. This choice also provided opportunities for future expansion and integration with other systems used by the City, ensuring seamless communication and information exchange.
Technical Specifications
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