Non-Profit Association
From WordPress to Drupal: DamFailures.org Gains a Platform Editors Can Run
THE CHALLENGE
A specialized knowledge base stuck on the wrong platform
DamFailures.org is an educational initiative by ASDSO, built for dam safety engineers, regulators, dam owners, emergency managers, researchers, and students. Its content is specialized and critical. WordPress couldn't keep up.
- Security and maintenance issues had accumulated on the WordPress installation
- The editorial team needed marketer-friendly tools rather than a developer-dependent workflow
- The old WordPress setup had an improper media structure
- Search returned only title matches, so users couldn't find content across descriptions, tags, or metadata
- A tight six-week window to complete the migration and launch
THE SOLUTION
Moving from a mission-critical archive to a CMS built for non-developers
Choosing Drupal CMS and redesigning the site
Given the team's emphasis on editorial independence and marketer-friendly tools, Specbee proposed the newly launched Drupal CMS: Drupal's enterprise security in an interface built for non-developer teams. The work started with a complete UX and visual redesign to improve clarity, accessibility, navigation, and consistency.
- Newly launched Drupal CMS proposed for editorial usability and AI capabilities
- Complete UX and visual redesign
- Simplified content layouts and clearer navigation
WordPress to Drupal CMS migration
The migration moved DamFailures.org's archive, including case studies, technical papers, videos, photographs, glossary terms, and webinar materials, from an improperly formatted WordPress setup to Drupal CMS. Structure, relationships, and metadata were preserved, with custom handling for the content that needed it.
- Structured migration with structure, relationships, and metadata preserved
- Full archive carried over: case studies, papers, videos, photographs, glossary terms, webinars
- Custom handling for content that didn't map cleanly from WordPress
- Completed within the six-week window
Drag-and-drop editing and AI content tools
Drupal's Layout Builder gave the editorial team a flexible, drag-and-drop way to manage layouts and build pages. AI-assisted content management was enabled to help the team maintain the knowledge base.
- Layout Builder drag-and-drop page building for non-developers
- AI-assisted content management enabled
Search and content discovery
The old site returned only title matches. Specbee integrated advanced search and filtering so professionals could reach the right case studies and lessons quickly.
- Advanced search across the archive, not just title matches
- Filtering to reach case studies and lessons faster
Hosting, performance, and delivery
The site runs on AWS for scalability and reliability, with a fully automated CI/CD pipeline so updates ship faster and with less risk. Accessibility and performance were prioritized throughout, taking the performance score from 52 to 98.
- Hosted on AWS for scalability and reliability
- Automated CI/CD pipeline for faster, safer releases
- Accessibility and performance improvements, performance score 52 to 98
BACKGROUND
DamFailures.org's content is niche, specialized, and genuinely important for public-safety professionals: dam engineers verifying failure modes, emergency managers preparing for risk scenarios, and students building foundational knowledge.
KEY INSIGHT
This was about the editorial team, not developer capability.
DamFailures.org needed tools that matched how a small, non-developer staff actually worked. Drupal CMS, built for non-developer content teams, was the fit.
"We knew our website needed some major attention, but as a small staff of non-developers, we were concerned about the level of effort and time needed to complete the project. Luckily, transitioning our website from WordPress to Drupal CMS felt quick and seamless! The Specbee team was knowledgeable and responsive, which made the project an easy lift. We are very happy with the new look and functionality. Immediately upon logging into the new website, our staff could begin making updates and exploring the new features because the interface was intuitive."
The Results
A specialist knowledge base that editors can manage
Security resolved, editorial independence achieved, full archive preserved.
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| CMS platform | WordPress | Drupal CMS |
| Performance score | 52 | 98 |
| Editorial workflow | Developer-dependent | Drag-and-drop via Layout Builder |
| Search | Title matches only | Advanced search and filtering |
| AI content tools | Not available | Enabled via Drupal CMS |
| Content archive | WordPress | Migrated, structure and metadata preserved |
52 → 98
Performance score
A faster, smoother site for users and editors.
Resolved
WordPress security issues
Drupal CMS's security baseline replaced accumulated vulnerabilities.
Self-serve
Editorial independence
Drag-and-drop page building — no developer tickets for routine updates.
Live
AI content tools
AI-assisted content management enabled through Drupal CMS.
From security breach to community-first DXP for International Center of Photography
64% more lead-intent activity after rebuilding Master Bond's product discovery around the engineer's workflow
A personalized research library for the Michael J. Fox Foundation, serving every stage of the Parkinson's journey
Work With Us
Talk to the team that delivered this
Most conversations start with a 30-minute call and a look at where you are today. No pitch deck. No pressure. Just clarity on what the right path forward looks like for your platform.
Typically respond within 1 business day · 100% Drupal-focused team · No generalists