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Drupal Strategy
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8 min

How Do We Make Drupal the Cool Kid Again?

John Faber
November 16, 2022

How Do We Make Drupal the Cool Kid Again?

Did you know that about 60% of Drupal sites are still on D7, even with D10 about to be released in December? There’s been chatter that many folks are waiting to decide whether to stick with Drupal or slow-roll their upgrade because D7 has been more challenging than anticipated. We know upgrading to D9 (or now D10) results in a much better experience than D7, but for those still unsure where they’re headed, we’d like you to consider this:

Drupal can be fun. No—super fun, at least in the developer and content editor sense.

Read on, please.

Drupal's Future Can Be Fun

So, how do we make Drupal fun and exciting to work on? Here are four ideas to spice things up:

  1. Focus on the Native API Platform
  2. Use Next-Drupal as a TWIG replacement
  3. Embrace modern developer workflows
  4. Adopt a composable web stack

Focus on the Native API Platform

A lesser-known but powerful feature in recent versions of Drupal is its JSON:API-native capability. Everything Drupal can do is available via API with full CRUD support.

This allows developers and site builders to focus on content architecture and editorial experience instead of wrestling with TWIG templates. That alone is enough to make any dev happy.

Using Next-Drupal as a TWIG Replacement

Next-Drupal, developed by Chapter Three, replaces the TWIG template system without compromising editorial features. It allows front-end developers to use Next.js—a framework they already love—to build modern, fast, flexible interfaces.

With Next-Drupal, developers aren’t locked into PHP templates. That flexibility will attract a broader talent pool to the Drupal ecosystem and keep projects moving fast.

Modern Developer Workflows

Drupal workflows haven’t evolved much in years. Moving databases, pushing code, and managing updates can be a heavy lift—even with specialized hosting.

By switching to a decoupled API-only model, developers can streamline their workflow using platforms like Vercel, which offer:

  • Git-based preview workflows
  • Real-time branch-based deployments
  • A frontend-first focus that gives marketers and developers shared visibility

This shift dramatically improves the overall digital workflow.

Embrace a Composable Web Stack

Trying to do everything with one platform on one host introduces complexity. A composable model—where each technology is selected for its strength—makes the system easier and more fun to work with.

A simple decoupled stack looks like this:

  • Content Management (Drupal) – Used strictly for content modeling and editorial interface. Accessed via API.
  • Front-End (Next.js) – Lightweight, fast, and modern. Exciting to build with and easy to scale.
    • NextOps unifies IT and marketing in a Git-powered workflow.
  • Hosting (Vercel) – Handles the Next.js front end. Optimized for performance. No need to worry about frontend scaling.
  • Drupal Hosting (LAMP) – Slimmed down to serve only API and editorial traffic. No TWIG, no render stack, fewer layers of caching. Easier to maintain and cheaper to run.

Speed Matters with Vercel

Moving to a composable model eliminates the technical baggage of monolithic setups. In its place: a lightweight, fun system for developers, editors, and marketers.

Conclusion: Keeping Drupal Light Makes Drupal Fun

To keep technology fun, you have to innovate. The Drupal front end is ready to be reimagined.

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