Overview of the UM-Flint Drupal Transition Resources Found Here

The concepts and considerations involved in our move to Drupal are new for all of us.

While this learning curve may at first seem steep, by sharing information, ideas, concerns, helpful hints and resources, exciting new possibilities that will improve the online experiences of our students, faculty, and staff will come into view.

What was once a burdensome afterthought for departments becomes a top priority, and the department website a primary tool through which stakeholder needs are better met.

Depending on your role within your department, some resources will be more relevant than others.

For this reason, resources included here will be divided into the following categories:

Content Strategy

Who visits your website? Why do they visit your website? Where are they when they visit your website? What device do they use to access your website? These questions—and more—are key to the development of a content strategy for your department website that meet the needs of the people your department exists to serve.

Drupal Transition

These resources are intended to help you understand the “what & why” of our move to Drupal. The information here might be thought of as the “business rationale” for the move. It will be less-technical and more theoretical in nature. Put another way, these resources will help you explain to your boss clearly and quickly what we’re doing, why it’s important, and why they should make it a priority for your department.

Responsive Design

These resources here are not so much for those who decide what a website should do for users, but how those user needs are best met on all mobile devices. The chief advantage of a responsive design approach is that web content creators and maintainers do not have to “do everything twice (or more)”—which is the downside of having a dedicated mobile site and desktop version and iPad version, etc. This way, the content you want to show the world adapts to fit every device in the world. Like magic. But different.

Workshops & Training

A project of this size and scope demands that there be frequent opportunities where questions can be raised, concerns expressed, and the best ideas shared. Beginning at the end of March, a series of workshops, webinars, trainings, and working group meetings will be held. The lessons learned in those sessions will be shared here, as will additional resources and topics in need of addressing. More than anything, we want this whole undertaking to be a positive, reciprocal, and yes, responsive one.