MIT Technology Review

MIT Technology Review hired me as an in-house leader to completely re-architect their website, moving from a traditional Drupal system to a headless WordPress CMS, a cutting-edge approach at the time. This project involved integrating advanced e-commerce systems, custom user account features, and a digital archive of legacy content dating back more than a century.

Challenges

MIT Technology Review needed a solution that addressed several unique challenges:

  • Transitioning from Drupal to Headless WordPress: Required a platform migration to a modern, scalable CMS that could support a Node.js and React frontend.
  • Alumni Access & Account Management: Needed an advanced e-commerce system to verify MIT alumni and offer free account access.
  • Legacy Content Archiving: Required the digital preservation and accessibility of archives dating back to the early 20th century.

    Solutions

    Headless WordPress CMS Architecture

  • Proposed and implemented a headless WordPress CMS, a forward-thinking solution at the time, connected through Heroku with a Node.js and React-based frontend.
  • Enabled a seamless and highly flexible content management workflow for editors and contributors.

    Advanced E-commerce and Alumni Account Integration

  • Developed an e-commerce system that allows MIT alumni to gain free access after verifying enrollment.
  • Included advanced user account features to enhance personalization, user engagement, and subscription management.

    Legacy Content Digital Archive

  • Digitally archived and organized legacy content dating back more than a century, ensuring historical content remains accessible and usable.
  • Created a user-friendly interface for exploring archived materials, preserving MIT’s rich history.

    Results

    The re-architected MIT Technology Review site achieved:

  • A scalable, high-performance CMS architecture that reliably powered the website for over 7 years.
  • Enhanced user account management and alumni access capabilities, improving engagement among the MIT community.
  • A well-organized, accessible digital archive of legacy content, providing a valuable resource for readers and researchers.