Gerald Ford Presidential Library & Museum

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portfolio-client-nara-ford-library

Overview

Primary Industry
Education
Duration
16 months and 9 days

Agileana led the comprehensive redesign and redevelopment of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum website under its Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The project aimed to modernize the legacy site, which was previously built in plain HTML, by redesigning the user experience, migrating content, and transitioning to a scalable, accessible platform. Agileana redeveloped the site using Drupal 10 and implemented the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) to meet federal design and Section 508 accessibility standards. A critical component of the project involved the migration of archival materials, such as speeches, photographs, and historical documents, into structured Drupal content types, allowing for improved discoverability and user engagement. 

To support non-technical staff in managing and updating content, Agileana integrated the Gutenberg editor, streamlining editorial workflows through intuitive drag-and-drop functionality and reusable content blocks. Through discovery sessions, stakeholder interviews, and technical audits, Agileana identified key pain points in the legacy system, such as poor navigation, limited search functionality, and inefficient content updates. The team developed new information architecture and user-centered designs, conducted rigorous testing (including mobile responsiveness and screen reader compatibility), and ensured a smooth transition from the old site to the new platform. 

As a result, the redesigned website now offers a modern, mobile-friendly, and accessible experience, significantly enhancing the public’s ability to explore the legacy of President Gerald R. Ford while empowering NARA’s editorial staff with tools that improve operational efficiency and reduce reliance on developers. The success of this project underscores Agileana’s ability to modernize government websites in alignment with federal digital strategy, accessibility mandates, and long-term sustainability goals.

Expert Services

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Drupal Development

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Visual Design

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Web Development

Project Management

Project Management

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Design & User Experience

Scope of Work

Redesign the presidential library and museum website

This task involves a comprehensive UX and UI redesign of the Presidential Library and Museum website, focusing on improving usability, visual consistency, and accessibility across all devices. The redesign process includes user research, wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity interface design aligned with modern web standards and stakeholder objectives.

Redevelop the site in Drupal 10

The site will be rebuilt using Drupal 10, the latest stable release of the open-source content management system. This includes establishing a new information architecture, configuring content types, implementing modern theming with Twig templates, and integrating essential modules to ensure scalability, security, and long-term maintainability of the platform.

Migrate content to the site

Content from the legacy site will be programmatically migrated into the new Drupal 10 architecture using Drupal's Migrate API and supporting modules. This includes mapping content types, transforming legacy data structures, and validating the integrity of pages, media assets, and metadata to ensure a seamless transition with minimal manual intervention.

Comply with the US Wed Design System (USWDS)

The site will be developed in compliance with the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) standards, ensuring consistency with federal digital service guidelines. This includes the use of USWDS-based components, typography, grid systems, and color palettes to support accessibility, responsiveness, and a unified visual experience across government websites.

Leverage the Gutenberg editor to make it easier to manager content

The Drupal Gutenberg module will be integrated to provide a block-based, intuitive editing interface for content authors. This enhances the editorial workflow by enabling non-technical users to build rich, media-driven layouts with drag-and-drop functionality, ensuring greater flexibility while maintaining design consistency and reducing dependency on developers for routine updates.

The Solution

From Legacy to Modern: A Design Transformation

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Gerald Ford library before and after

Empowering Content Creation with Drupal Gutenberg

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Gerald Ford gutenberg editor

Elevating Your Platform: Drupal Migration

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Solution Drupal migration

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