case: Appnovation
A continuously integrated CMS
We collaborated effectively with Appnovation to deliver Continuous Integration and Content Management System solutions for one of the largest tourism websites in the United States.
Fully automated integration pipeline
We collaborated closely with Appnovation to develop a microsite and an entire marketing platform, encompassing over 30,000 content nodes, utilizing Drupal and Gatsby.
Our initial objective was to integrate code contributed by ten different developers. We achieved this by establishing a Continuous Integration pipeline and ensuring secure and reliable environments for Quality Assurance and User Acceptance Testing.
Our services played a pivotal role in the project's success. The implementation of a CI pipeline streamlined the software development lifecycle. Through CI, we devised a tailored solution for Appnovation, leveraging an optimized infrastructure and an integrated pipeline.
Technologies
Bitbucket
Google Cloud Platform
Jenkins
Kubernetes
Challenges
Based on Appnovation's requirements, two specific objectives were identified within the realm of Continuous Integration. These goals included:
- Establish a Continuous Integration Pipeline: This was crucial to facilitate the support and integration of code from ten developers collaborating on the project.
- Ensure Secure and Reliable Environments: The aim was to create environments that are secure and dependable, facilitating internal Quality Assurance and User Acceptance Testing processes.
Journey
In pursuit of these objectives, we meticulously selected the most suitable features and technologies for this project.
The primary aim was to expose content in Drupal through a GraphQL API to feed the Gatsby site during build time. To achieve this, Jenkins was chosen to automate the development lifecycle. It took on responsibilities such as deploying Drupal, executing maintenance and clean-up tasks, and synchronizing the build process for the Gatsby site.
As for the source code repository, Bitbucket was employed. Google Cloud Platform played a crucial role in providing cloud computing services for data storage, analytics, and infrastructure. Lastly, Kubernetes facilitated container orchestration and automated tasks related to deployments, scaling, and overall management.
Destination
Thanks to the combination of the technologies used and our expertise, we established a Continuous Integration pipeline capable of building 30,000 content pieces from Drupal 8 into a React static site.
Redesigning the interface and content management
A tailored Content Management System was paramount for Appnovation, considering the travel industry's need for flexibility and the ability to adapt to seasonal changes. Our focus was on providing a straightforward method for uploading, editing, and sharing content while ensuring a seamless experience for end-users.
The second phase of this project involved crafting a fast and visually appealing user interface, complemented by a redesign of the business information architecture, all aimed at achieving an enhanced sales conversion rate.
The custom CMS delivered to Appnovation provides a flexible solution that can adjust to the dynamic nature of the travel market.
Our collaboration with Appnovation was fruitful, effective, and aligned with the crucial and pertinent changes required for a successful website thriving within the travel industry.
Technologies
Drupal 8
Elasticsearch
Gatsby
GraphQL
Lingotek
React
REST API
Challenges
- In response to Appnovation's requirements, we established two objectives to develop a custom Content Management System.
- As a primary goal, Appnovation sought an authoring system that would elevate the overall digital experience for end-users.
- Beyond delivering an effective FrontEnd, Appnovation also required a redesign of the business information architecture to enhance the sales conversion.
Journey
To achieve these objectives, we utilized cutting-edge technologies in the industry, providing an efficient and dedicated toolkit for this case.
Drupal served as our CMS of choice, offering a reliable, secure, and versatile headless application programming interface (API) server. For this project, we developed the CMS in Drupal 8, the latest release at that time.
Gatsby was employed to craft a sleek and responsive FrontEnd that enhanced performance, minimized loading times, and reduced waiting. Leveraging Gatsby's lightweight nature, we streamlined the building process from 9 hours to 30 minutes, accelerating the deployment phase.
Integration of Lingotek allowed us to implement content translated into 12 languages, meeting Appnovation’s international requirements.
GraphQL played a crucial role in reducing server load, facilitating building processes, and centralizing multiple sources, a necessity when dealing with a large team of independent collaborators. The UI was developed using React, and its component library was organized using Storybooks.
Elasticsearch was employed to identify and debug errors at an early stage, providing search integration between Gatsby and Elasticsearch through the Drupal connector.
Finally, REST API was utilized to store data in the CMS, offering an alternative to GraphQL mutations.
Destination
Thanks to a successful UI redesign, we revolutionized Appnovation's consumer digital experience, turning it into a robust and high-speed platform.
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