There is so much war going on between the fanatics of the different open-source content management systems. I’d say it’s between Wordpress, Joomla and Drupal. They each have their pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses, and I’ve used all of them. I have seen a ton of designers make their online portfolios based on a Wordpress installation, and it’s always bothered me. I had a lot of debate with myself which one to use for my portfolio site, or if I should even bother using one at all, and in the end, I chose Drupal. Here’s why:

Customizability, Scalability, and Flexibility

Absolutely every stitch of information on this website, from header to footer, is somehow contained and managed by Drupal. I can easily move content around to different locations on the page, or different pages altogether. I can just as easily edit or remove that information. The whole web site was designed with complete flexibility – I can change to whatever I would need it to do in the future easily and efficiently. A Drupal site can grow as your business grows.

The Shoe Fit

Drupal certainly is complex and confusing, there’s no doubt about that. I can definitely agree with everybody that getting a customized Wordpress installation up and running is way easier than Drupal. However, Drupal can be made to do whatever you want. It’s confusing because it’s customizable. It can be made to fit whatever purpose you want it to fill.

I’m a Control Freak

It’s probably the same reason I love PCs. I built many of my own computers and love the ability to decide how my computer runs at every level. I don’t like Mac for the simple reason that it puts handcuffs on me when I turn it on. Some people think it makes the experience easier, I think it takes away the control I love.

A Drupal site is very much the same way. There are probably thousands of very different uses of a content management system and there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all. Drupal, however, can be molded and shaped via modules and customized programming. This can make it the perfect tool for just about any web project, assuming you have the know-how to set it up.

Speed Test

I only started with Drupal this year and have since set up a handful of sites for pro bono clients as a way to learn more about the system. I have been converted! I still love Wordpress, and definitely recommend it and use it, but it has it’s very specific place. With the projects I’ve gotten involved in, I felt my skills were sharpened enough that I knew what I was doing and wanted to see how fast I could set up a Drupal site. I can’t tell you how long it actually took, as I am employed full time and had a brand new baby boy in the middle (congratulations to me!) but in the end, I think that it does take a little longer than some of the other options out there. I do think that the extra time makes for a much better result, as you have a completed website with complete scalability and flexibility, and all the other things I mentioned previously.

I’m certainly a Drupal convert, and I urge all other fellow designers out there who are overwhelmed by the complexity of Drupal to sit back with a few cold beers and plow in! It’s a tough road, but there’s a pot of gold at the end.