9 Easy Ways to Modernize the UI of Your Drupal Website

If you’re here looking for solutions to fuel your Drupal website, you must already know of its power as a CMS. But as reality speaks, even the strongest of platforms with a robust backend can’t save you if you have an outdated frontend. A modernized user interface (UI) isn’t limited to just appearance. It’s about building a personalized experience for your visitors, keeping them engaged, and encouraging them to take action.

In this blog, we’ll discuss 10 such tips to help you build a fresh new vibe via your Drupal website’s user interface. Read through this blog to learn about how you can modernize your UI without any complex renovations or technical help.

Less is more

Minimalist design is the new norm today. Cluttered pages with complex buttons, popups, and too many banners flashing on the site are a huge turn-off. Simple, clean, and easy layout with a lot of white space allows your users to focus on what truly matters.

Ensure to take up 2-3 colors alongside 1-2 fonts across the whole website. Keep the design consistent and uniform and make your website naturally appear more polished and professional.

Mobile-first approach can’t be compromised

More than half of your website traffic is covered by mobile devices. If your site isn’t designed for smartphone navigation, you’re losing a lot of traffic.

Make sure to always take up a mobile-first design when you think of redesigning. Test your layouts, menus, and buttons on a phone before you make the necessary changes for desktop. Drupal’s responsive themes simplify creating mobile-friendly designs without having to start from scratch.

Speed matters

What use can a stunningly appearing site do if it takes forever to load? Users want snappy websites, and if yours doesn’t stick to their expectations, chances are you’ll see higher bounce rates on your website than witnessing 404 errors.

Optimize your images, use caching, and minimize the use of heavy modules. Implement Drupal’s built-in caching and modules like Image Optimize to boost your page speed.

Execute modern typography

The typography of your website is what sets the whole tone of its pages. Today, no one has an interest in reading your content in vintage Times New Roman or Comic Sans.

Select fonts that are clean, modern, and easy to read on all devices. For example, Google Fonts can be a great resource to explore the best fonts that reflect your brand personality.

Employ micro-interactions

You must have come across plenty of different sites that use tiny animations when you hover over a button or maybe even when you submit a form. These animations are known as micro-interactions. These micro-interactions can change the way your site feels – it makes it appear more alive and engaging.

Thanks to Drupal’s range of modules and libraries, which simplify adding subtle animations to your website. Apply hover effects, loading spinners, and smooth transitions. But to a limit. Make sure not to overdo it. Keep it simple!

Personalization acts like honey to bees!

Who doesn’t like tailored experiences? Your audience would come back to your website again and again if you deliver a personalized user experience right from the start. Drupal offers a powerful user management system that allows you to customize experiences based on user behavior, preferences, or past actions.

You can display different content to first-time visitors as compared to returning users. Alternatively, you can suggest blog posts based on what a user might have previously read. It’s these little customizations that leave a lasting impression with your users.

Integrate with third-party tools

Users of the digital age have high expectations of websites. Be it social sharing, live chats, or newsletters. Thanks to Drupal, it allows seamless integration with tons of third-party tools to cater to such expectations.

For example, you can integrate with marketing platforms, CRMs, chatbots, and more to ensure that your visitors have a smooth experience across all touchpoints. Additionally, if you’re working with a team offering UI UX design services, you’ll come across smart integrations that supercharge your Drupal website, improving its user experience on a whole other level. 

Accessibility is a priority

You want your site to be accessible to all so that you can cover a broader audience. You see, your business has to have more audience to sustain, right?

An accessible website means it’s visible and usable to all, even people with disabilities. Drupal makes it possible by providing a range of accessibility modules and complying with strict accessibility standards. Make sure to use alt text for images, the navigation is keyboard-friendly, and maintain good color contrast. Such small tweaks can create a huge difference.

Consistent branding

Make sure that your website screams the brand “you.” Starting from the logo placement to the tone of your microcopy should reflect your brand identity.

Use matching colors, fonts, and voice across all pages for uniform messaging. A consistent look and feel builds customer trust and allows your customers to connect to your brand. 

Wrapping It Up

Modernizing your Drupal website’s UI doesn’t mean building it all from scratch once again. You just need to make some smart tweaks. Apply a mobile-first design approach, faster loading times, and micro-interactions that add a fresh, modern feel to your UI, which is also super user-friendly.

However, if you think this is all a bit too challenging, don’t fret. You can partner with professional UI/UX services and step into the competition like a pro. Hiring a team of professionals will give you the edge and help you avoid common pitfalls and create a top-notch level of designs. 

Your Drupal website should look as good as the awesome content it holds. Take a little time to revamp your UI and watch your engagement (and your brand credibility) soar.