WSB Merito Universities

Project type

Rebranding

Industry

Education

Technologies

Drupal

Vue.js

Scope of work

Web development, post-implementation support

WSB Merito Universities - about the project

merito.pl

Key Project Elements

Comprehensive rebranding (from WSB to WSB Merito Universities) for over 30 websites within one Drupal Multisite platform
Implementation of 50 custom modules and 200 paragraph variants, allowing editors to create various subpage layouts without developers’ assistance
Dynamic educational offer filtering with immediate result updates, without reloading the page
Full price list and offer automation thanks to integration with an internal CRM system

About the Client

WSB Merito Universities is a leader in Poland's private university market. Its roots date back to 1998. Since 2023, the Merito Group has operated as the largest network of private universities in the country, encompassing institutions in 11 cities.

The Challenge

We have been the university’s technology partner for years, responsible for building Drupal Multisite websites and their continued development and maintenance. This time, the challenge went beyond standard support and development work and involved a comprehensive rebranding from WSB to WSB Merito Universities. This change encompassed over 30 websites simultaneously.

The main challenge was adapting the Multisite architecture to the new visual identity. The client wanted to maintain the accessibility and functionality of the existing platform while organizing shared resources (graphics, photos, taxonomies).

The sales layer was equally important – the website required an efficient program listing and CRM integration to improve price list updates.

The Goal

Our primary goal was to transform the platform to fully reflect WSB Merito Universities’ new identity. We wanted individual departments to be able to manage their own websites independently, using a common component base. We also planned to implement solutions that would shorten the path to information – hence the emphasis on a fast search engine and clear educational offer presentation.

The entire project was implemented with long-term development in mind and prepared for a future upgrade to Drupal 11.

The Solution

We designed a centrally managed Drupal Multisite system where each of the over 30 instances shares a common repository of products, media, and graphic components. This architecture allowed us to maintain a unified, secure technical standard while ensuring editorial independence for each department.

To efficiently migrate resources to the new structure and enable media sharing across the websites, we implemented custom migration processes. Thanks to this, we organized the media library and eliminated duplicate image files. This streamlined the editors’ work and significantly reduced the database size.

The architecture was complemented by a hybrid frontend approach. We utilized standard Drupal templates but implemented the key element – the program listing – as a dynamic component. With such an extensive educational offer, traditional navigation methods would be too slow. Now, when users search for information, they experience instant updates without page reloads after selecting each filter.

We also ensured ease of maintenance for such a vast network of websites. We implemented synchronization mechanisms that enable rapid, simultaneous updates to shared elements across all websites. The entire system is built on a scalable infrastructure designed to handle traffic spikes during peak recruitment campaigns.

Solution Details

Multi-installation of Over 30 Websites

We utilized a single codebase across the entire network of Drupal-based websites. This ensures that every security update and new feature is deployed to all instances immediately. This eliminates redundancy, reducing maintenance and development costs.

Simultaneously, we’ve maintained complete data separation – each website has its own, independent content database. This architecture allows for faster global changes while isolating other sites from the effects of potential outages.

Dynamic Program Listing

Standard filtering mechanisms, with hundreds of combinations (city, mode, specialty), generate a significant database load. We offloaded this processing to the frontend by implementing a Vue Embedded Application. The application fetches the complete dataset upon initial load and processes it locally. This enables even complex operations (e.g., changing the city for a selected program) to be performed instantly, without additional server requests.

Advanced Customization and Bento System

To combine a unique look with easy editing, we created two independent themes and approximately 50 custom modules. We implemented nearly 200 paragraph variants for content management, including over 50 Bento components that enable quick creation of complex graphic grids without developer support.

Configuration Synchronization (YAML) and Scalability

We implemented a YAML-based mechanism for synchronizing paragraphs and configurations. This allows for updating graphical components across instances. We also created a central repository for media and taxonomies to streamline resource management across all websites. Everything runs in a Docker environment, ready for future website launches.

The Effects

A Multisite setup combining 30 websites as part of the WSB Merito Universities rebranding

Implementing a brand transformation within such a fragmented structure is a significant operational challenge. We managed the process end-to-end, additionally focusing on improving several crucial elements. Here’s what we achieved:

Implementation of the new visual identity for the WSB Merito University Group.
Streamlined and standardized multisite architecture, prepared for future development.
Faster user access to the educational offer.
Full autonomy for marketing teams in creating landing pages and editing content.
Stable infrastructure during peak recruitment campaigns.
Technological consistency across the entire Merito Group.