The website of the local political group Společně pro Jablonec underwent a complete migration from an older version of Drupal to Drupal 11. The project included preserving the existing content, adapting the website to current technical requirements and creating a new, clearer and responsive design.
Starting point
The original website had been created several years earlier and had gradually accumulated a large number of articles, press releases, photographs and information about candidates and the election programme. However, its Drupal version was becoming outdated, and continuing to operate the website would have presented growing security risks and increasingly complicated updates.
The goal was therefore not to build an empty website from scratch, but to transfer the existing content and functionality to a current system while simplifying both its visual design and structure.
What needed to be addressed
The migration involved more than upgrading the content management system. It also required reviewing the modules in use, the data structure and the way individual content types were displayed.
The main tasks included:
- migrating the website to the supported Drupal 11 release,
- preserving articles, photographs, programme content and candidate profiles,
- replacing outdated or unsupported modules,
- fixing links and other minor issues arising during the migration,
- standardising page addresses and maintaining their availability,
- updating metadata and the XML sitemap for search engines,
- creating a new design suitable for both desktop and mobile devices,
- maintaining straightforward content management for the website’s editors.
New design and homepage
The new website uses the responsive Solo theme, customised with my own CSS. Its colour scheme is based on the group’s visual identity, while the overall design is more restrained, modern and better suited to current screen sizes.
The homepage now presents the website’s most important sections in a clear overview. Visitors can quickly access the group’s programme priorities, candidates, latest articles, ways to offer support and contact details.
Particular attention was paid to the mobile layout. The introductory graphics, text and buttons are arranged vertically on smaller screens and remain easy to read and use.
Preserving and reorganising the content
The extensive archive of articles and press releases was preserved during the migration. Content listings, preview images, candidate pages and navigation between the website’s different sections were also revised.
Programme priorities now have a more prominent place on the homepage, while the detailed election programme is divided into thematic areas. A dedicated candidates page presents the whole team clearly, and individual profiles can be expanded when required.
Drupal continues to ensure that newly published articles automatically appear in the appropriate listings and on the homepage. Editors therefore do not need to enter the same content in several places.
Technical completion of the migration
Once the content had been transferred, the website was checked under real operating conditions. Several dependencies on the original configuration had to be resolved, non-existent system paths corrected, and the administration interface, forms, images and internal links tested.
The final work also included configuring metadata for individual page types, checking search-engine indexing and removing duplicate or no longer necessary functionality.
Result
The result is a modern website built on Drupal 11. It preserves the valuable content of the previous site while providing a clearer structure, a more contemporary appearance and improved usability on mobile devices.
The website is ready for further development, regular security updates and the ongoing publication of programme information, candidate profiles and current news.
Visit the website: spolecneprojablonec.cz
Do you need to migrate an older website to a current version of Drupal?
A migration does not have to mean losing your existing content or rebuilding the entire website from scratch. I will first assess the current installation, the modules in use and the data structure. I will then propose a safe migration process, the necessary modifications and an initial cost estimate.