Today we are talking about HTMX, What it is, and why it could be a game changer for Drupal with our guests Shawn Duncan & Carson Gross. We’ll also cover RefreshLess as our module of the week.
For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/514
TopicsShawn Duncan - HTMX intiative fathershawn Carson Gross - bigsky.software 1cg
HostsNic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Rich Lawson - richlawson.co rklawson
MOTW CorrespondentMartin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu
Technically, Drupal is one of the most secure open-source platforms out there. It has an active developer community, frequent patches, and a robust architecture. But the reality is that cyber threats aren’t slowing down even in 2025. If you still think updating modules is enough, that’s one of the biggest mistakes today.
You know, cybercriminals in 2025 are sharper than ever. Hacking a site used to take time previously. Now they need just a few minutes, especially when site owners overlook basic security. Drupal may be powerful and built for high traffic, but without proper setup and maintenance, it can be breached. Read this article to learn how to protect your Drupal website from emerging threats.
Hooks are used in Drupal to allow modules and themes to listen to or trigger different sorts of events in a Drupal system. During these events Drupal will pause and ask if any modules want to have any say in the event that is currently being triggered.
For example, hooks are commonly used when content is viewed, created, updated, or deleted. So, if we delete a page of content then a delete hook is triggered which allows modules to react to that content item being deleted. Using this, we can react to this and perform clean up operations on items of content that don't exist any more. Our custom module might want to remove items from a database table, or delete associated files since they wont be needed.
This is just one example of how hooks are used in Drupal as they are used in all manner of different situations, and not just listening for content events. Another example of a common Drupal hook is when creating a custom template. Many modules will use a hook called hook_theme() to register one or more templates with the theme system so that they can be used to theme custom content.
Hooks have been used in Drupal for a long time (probably since version 3) and have always been one of the harder things for beginners to understand. Module files full of specially named functions that seem to be magically called by Drupal is not an easy concept to get into and can take a while to get familiar with.
New in Drupal 11.1.0 is the ability to create object oriented (OOP) hooks, which is a shift away from the traditional procedural based hooks that have been a part of Drupal for so long. This OOP approach to hooks can be used right now, has a backwards compatible feature, and will eventually replace procedural hooks (where possible).
In this article we will look at how to create a OOP hook, how to transition to using OOP hooks in your Drupal modules, and how to create your own OOP hooks.
Last week’s Drupal AI webinar, Choosing the Right AI Tools for Content and Marketing, brought together a global audience and a powerhouse panel. Jamie Abrahams, Alan Botwright, and Matthew Saunders spoke while being moderated by Paul Johnson. Together, we tackled pressing topics facing digital leaders: how to harness AI to deliver real marketing value without getting lost in hype or hamstrung by complexity.
The webinar attracted attendees from more than 20 countries and nearly 80 participants at its peak. This session wasn’t a technical demo. It was an honest conversation about challenges of implementing AI in today’s constrained marketing landscape.
Paul started the conversation by framing the discussion with some statistics. Budgets are under pressure.
Gartner released a report indicating that marketing budgets have dropped to around 7.7% of company revenue, down from 11% in pre-COVID days and this is looking to be the new normal. Combined with that, expectations are rising. Boards want more measurable results, greater efficiency and faster delivery. So everyone needs to do more with less. 59% of CMOs have insufficient budget to execute their strategies and most of them are looking towards AI to have as a possible lever to address this gap or at least try and bridge it. But there are real risks here. Teams are often starting with the technology and then going looking for problems to solve with that technology and that rarely delivers value and often leads to stalled initiatives. How do you help your clients avoid this solution-first mindset and what does a more structured problem-led approach look like in real marketing environments?
– Paul Johnson
Highlights & Key Insights 1. Start with the Why, not the ToolToo many teams jump into AI with a solution-first mindset. The panel pushed hard against that.
You need to understand the whats and whys before you start tackling the hows.
– Matthew Saunders
We stressed the importance of identifying repetitive, data-heavy, and feedback-loop-dependent processes. Things like content review gates or asset tagging as the most valuable opportunities for automation.
2. AI is not Magic, It’s Smart MathJamie framed Large Language Models (LLMs) not as creative geniuses, but as very good pattern recognizers. They’re more “clever librarians” than original thinkers.
LLMs are not doing reasoning in the human sense, they’re more like an extremely good search engine of human knowledge.
– Jamie Abrahams
Expecting them to invent breakthrough creative or strategy will leave you disappointed. But as support for summarising, filtering, and speeding up content workflows? They become an efficiency booster.
3. Human-in-the-Loop is Non-NegotiableAI isn’t a replacement for people, it’s a partner. Matthew walked through a mini case study where AI was used to aid in brand guideline compliance audit, reduce SLA reporting times by 80%, and streamline asset pipelines. But in every case, humans remained in control.
We never removed people from the loop. The AI was an assistant, not an overlord.
– Matthew Saunders
This framing, AI as a force multiplier, resonated across the panel. Alan added:
You can never spend too much time framing the problem. Once that’s clear, everything else starts to fall into place.
– Alan Botwright
Jamie suggested that human soft-skills are going to be increasingly important and that those with educational backgrounds not grounded in computer science might adapt more quickly.
People with psychology or literature backgrounds often adapt to AI tools faster than engineers. Soft skills are a real superpower here.
– Jamie Abrahams
4. Data Sovereignty MattersThe team then tackled one of the biggest blockers to enterprise adoption: where does your data go?
If you’re using a public LLM, your data is not private. Full stop.
– Matthew Saunders
The options? Either host your own (complex, but sovereign) or work with a trusted provider who can guarantee control over data storage and model access.
5. Cost Isn’t Just About TokensLicensing, training, integrations, governance, and internal change management all add up. Matthew suggested teams run a “pre-mortem”:
Ask: a year from now, this AI rollout failed. Why? Map every reason—and you’ll surface the hidden costs before they become real.
– Matthew Saunders
Jamie added that the best outcomes come from constrained agents and narrowly scoped tasks. Not sprawling generalist bots.
If you make your agent or LLM do as little as possible, it’s much more likely to get it right.
– Jamie Abrahams
6. Open Source + Drupal = Strategic AdvantageWhen asked why Drupal AI matters and what it means to organizations, the panelists had quite a bit to say:
You can build and demo an end-to-end AI prototype in 5 minutes on Drupal. No other open platform gives you that kind of agility.
– Matthew Saunders
This isn’t just a tech shift—it’s a change program. Trust, communication, and alignment across teams are critical to success.
– Alan Botwright
Drupal’s built-in abstraction layers mean you can swap models, switch providers, and adapt as the AI landscape evolves—without rearchitecting everything.
Final ThoughtsThis was a real-world conversation grounded in experience: how to launch, govern, scale, and sustain AI in environments with limited budget, complex regulation, and high user expectations.
If you missed the session or want to share it with your team, the full recording is available here:
Got questions or want to connect around Drupal AI or implementation strategies? Drop by the Drupal AI Slack channel or check out the Drupal AI LinkedIn page.
File attachments: Choosing_the_right_AI_tooling_for_your_business_image.pngThinking about AI for marketing? Discover how to identify high-impact use cases for AI adoption and avoid common pitfalls in our recorded expert-led AI webinar.
The pricing conversation has been interesting to watch, especially as it relates to development team orchestration and resource allocation. The comments, the ecosystem convergence discussion, and industry thoughts on agency transformation all point to the same thing: we're in the middle of a shift in how development work gets organized.
I mentioned thinking there might be a better approach to this. Here's what I had in mind.
The Orchestration ModelThink about how Kubernetes works - it's a container orchestration system that automatically manages where and how applications run across multiple servers. You don't manually decide "we need 3 web server pods on server A and 2 database pods on server B."
Instead, you define what services you need (web servers, databases, caches) and how they should scale based on demand. Kubernetes figures out how many of each type to run based on current load and metrics, then figures out where to place them based on available resources and constraints.
What if we applied that same orchestration model to development teams?
Instead of throwing senior-level rates at routine maintenance, or abandoning smaller projects because they don't fit traditional agency economics, we coordinate talent based on what each task actually requires.
A technical architect acts like that Kubernetes orchestration system. They look at project requirements and figure out what types of expertise are needed and how much of each. Then they coordinate between client requirements, available talent, and project constraints to assign the right people to the right tasks. Whether that's a senior developer handling complex architecture decisions, a mentored developer working on implementation tasks, or AI handling routine code generation.
It's about matching the right resource to the right task.
Why This Matters NowThe ecosystem pieces we've been discussing are reducing coordination costs: affordable hosting, professional themes under $500, mentored developers through the IXP (inexperienced) program, Drupal CMS for less technical users, Experience Builder for visual personalization. We still need someone to orchestrate how these pieces work together.
That's where the technical architect orchestration model becomes important. It's not about cheaper labor. It's about intelligent resource allocation.
The Human ElementThis connects to what Dries wrote about the "accountability gap" in his analysis of AI and agency transformation. AI can generate code and automate processes, but someone needs to own the results and make sure everything's going the right direction. Sometimes AI gets confused. Someone has to guide it.
The technical architect fills that accountability layer while coordinating the broader team.
Looking AheadI've been working on how this orchestration model works in practice - the tools, the processes, the communication patterns that make cross-cultural, multi-skill-level teams effective.
The economics are promising. The client gets better value through intelligent resource allocation. The developers get meaningful work that matches their skill level and expertise. And projects that used to be impossible become viable again.
I'll dive into the implementation details in upcoming posts. But first, what's your experience with these kinds of orchestrated approaches? Have you seen coordination models that work well for distributed teams?
The conversation's just getting started.
About We're Still Too Expensive, and We Should Talk About It Author Carlos Ospina Abstract Applying Kubernetes orchestration principles to development teams. How technical architects coordinate talent based on what each task actually requires. Tags Drupal Drupal Planet Technical Architect Development Community Drupal Leadership Team Orchestration Rating Select ratingGive Orchestrating Development Teams Like Kubernetes 1/5Give Orchestrating Development Teams Like Kubernetes 2/5Give Orchestrating Development Teams Like Kubernetes 3/5Give Orchestrating Development Teams Like Kubernetes 4/5Give Orchestrating Development Teams Like Kubernetes 5/5Cancel rating No votes yet Leave this field blank Add new comment
Great month this month, tricky questions answered in Slack, via screenshare, and at Tech Group Drop-in. I'm feeling energised, read on, friends ...
Shopify is the biggest name in the e-commerce space, and for good reason. The platform is relatively easy to set up, performs well, and has excellent marketing. Its app marketplace is constantly growing, adding more capabilities.
For many merchants, Shopify is all they need. Going with the market leader is an obvious choice.
However, when you reach an enterprise scale, with requirements for B2B commerce and increased operational complexity, the story becomes quite different. Shopify says they offer B2B capabilities at scale, and when you’re subjected to their marketing and advertised track record, it's easy to start nodding your head to the beat of their tune.
Let’s dive into the true cost of Shopify Plus. Reading this will help you ask the right questions and better equip you to judge the answers.
The Shopify Plus Sales MachineWhen Shopify's enterprise sales team comes knocking, they arrive with a compelling story. They position Shopify Plus as the solution to all your B2B woes: lower total cost of ownership, enterprise features without enterprise overhead, and the promise that migrating to Shopify Plus will lead to a conversion rate boom.
But often these promises are unrealistic. The pitch typically centers around three key pillars that deserve closer scrutiny.
The conversion rate promiseShopify's sales pitch often includes dramatic claims about conversion improvements—sometimes suggesting compounding monthly increases that would theoretically give you a 55% conversion rate within six months.
Read moreDrupal 7 was released in 2011 and has been the foundation of many websites for years. However, in the world of technology, 14 years is almost an eternity – during this time, Drupal has undergone a huge evolution. Today, the latest version, Drupal 11, is a modern system based on current coding standards and offering features that were once only a dream. In this article, we will look at the key differences between Drupal 7 and Drupal 11. If you last worked with Drupal years ago (e.g., with version 6 or 7), prepare yourself for the "wow" effect – Drupal 11 is a whole new experience.
Interested in exploring this topic more ? Join our live accessibility webinar on August 15 at 12 pm EDT with Janell Sims, Manager of Digital Accessibility Services at Harvard University.
When we talk about web accessibility, it's easy to focus on guidelines and checklists. But in practice, not every feature on a website is easy to make accessible. Some elements—like custom search filters, maps, or dropdown menus—require more testing and creativity than others.
At Evolving Web, we’ve encountered many of these challenges firsthand. In this post, we’re sharing some of the techniques we’ve used when tackling tricky accessibility issues.
To meet WCAG AA guidelines and create genuinely usable experiences for all, we regularly use tools like Axe DevTools, DubBot, SortSite, and Siteimprove. But using accessibility testing during development and QA generally uncovers issues too late in the process. That’s why it’s important to plan for the features that will require extra accessibility work. Designers, strategists, project managers, and QA specialists all play a role in identifying those tricky areas from the start.
Features to Flag for Accessibility Review Making Megamenus AccessibleMegamenus often include more than just a list of links — they might have headings, images, featured articles, short blurbs, or even interactive elements like buttons or embedded search fields. But adding these elements creates accessibility challenges if the keyboard and screen reader experience isn’t carefully planned.
IssueWhen content beyond basic links is added to a megamenu, users navigating via keyboard or screen reader may:
The ROM museum website opens a megamenu under the “Visit” tab. The menu displays three content columns: a list of links like Visitor Information and Accessibility, a visual tile for Museum Maps & Tours with an image, and another for Location & Parking. On the far right, there’s a panel showing admission hours by date. The layout reflects accessibility best practices by grouping content logically, supporting clear tab order, and offering visual structure that could be paired with ARIA roles like aria-expanded and aria-hidden to ensure screen reader compatibility and smooth keyboard navigation.
In many website navigation designs, especially on desktop, the first-level menu items act both as links and as toggles for dropdowns. But combining these two functions in one element can confuse keyboard users and screen readers. To simplify the experience, we often design navigation so that top-level items with submenus act only as toggle buttons, not links.
IssueWhen a first-level menu item functions as both a link and a dropdown toggle, it can cause:
To provide a clearer, more accessible experience, we:
We implemented this pattern on the Georgia Center website, where the top-level menu items with dropdowns act only as toggles. This makes it easier for keyboard users to explore all submenu items without accidentally navigating away, and it gives screen reader users clear cues about expandable content.
We love using AJAX to make search filters feel fast and responsive—content updates instantly without reloading the page. But while this improves the visual and performance experience, it creates barriers for screen reader users, who may not realize anything on the page has changed.
IssueTo ensure dynamic updates are communicated to assistive technologies, we:
On the Georgia Gwinnett College website, we provided a screen reader announcement for Drupal views that require page reload. We appended the counter to the “skip to main” link with JavaScript so that it’s being read first after the page is loaded.
To support screen reader users, the Georgia Gwinnett College search interface includes a live region that announces updated result counts after filters are applied—ensuring dynamic AJAX changes are clearly communicated without a page reload.Making Custom Select Menus Accessible
Custom-styled form elements are a favorite of designers, especially when a project calls for a more branded or polished look. But replacing native form controls—like <select> elements—with JavaScript replacements introduces accessibility challenges. While native HTML elements are the most accessible by default, they don’t offer the design flexibility that clients and designers want.
IssueCustom select menus often:
To balance accessibility with visual customization, we often use Select2—a JavaScript library that mimics native selects but with better styling and feature support.
Here’s how we make it work:
When showcasing visual content—like photo galleries, product views, or exhibition highlights—designers often rely on modals or lightboxes to create an immersive experience. While these interactions look great, they can easily become accessibility barriers if not carefully implemented for keyboard and screen reader users.
IssueStandard lightbox/carousel libraries often:
To build accessible modals for image galleries, we use Parvus, a customizable JavaScript lightbox. If a modal is used to display content or a menu, we create a custom modal with JavaScript.
Here’s are some things to make sure you do when implementing a custom modal:
On the Royal Ontario Museum site, we use the Parvus library to create the modal lightboxes for exhibits. When users click the info icon on an image, a modal lightbox opens with detailed content and imagery.
Inside the modal:
Sliders and carousels are commonly used to highlight featured content—especially in hero areas or product showcases. But when using libraries like Swiper.js, this can introduce keyboard accessibility issues, trapping users inside the slider with no way to escape.
IssueSwiper’s default loop mode duplicates slides to enable infinite scrolling. This has unintended consequences for keyboard users:
To fix this, we use a custom JavaScript function to control which elements inside the slider can receive focus:
On one project, we implemented a looping slider using the Swiper library to feature linked articles and stories within each slide. However, with loop mode on, all slide links remained focusable—even off-screen—creating an infinite tab loop. To solve this, we added custom JS to make only visible elements focusable.
This simple adjustment allowed keyboard users to tab through the slider once and move on to the rest of the page.
SVG maps can be a visually rich, clickable way to help users explore content—especially for regional directories or filtering tools. But when maps are used as enhancements rather than essential navigation tools, they can create more accessibility challenges than they solve.
IssueSVG-based maps often:
When maps are non-essential to the user experience we can:
On the Canada’s Drug Agency website, we used an SVG-based regional map to help users find programs by region. However, making each region fully accessible (labeling, focus control, keyboard behavior) would have required a substantial custom build. Instead, we provide a link to “View Data Table” that shows all the same content in a structured, accessible way.
This regional SVG map was used to visually enhance navigation on a program directory page. Because making the map fully accessible would require complex scripting, it’s hidden from assistive tech using aria-hidden="true", while a structured data table link offers a fully accessible alternative for screen reader and keyboard users.Icons are everywhere on modern websites. Whether used to break up dense content, convey meaning quickly, or support a brand’s visual language, they’re a valuable design tool. But when icons are used as the only way to communicate important information, they become content, not just decoration. And that means they must be accessible.
IssueIcons used as content need to:
To ensure icons are accessible and manageable by content authors, we:
On the University of Georgia (UGA) website, we implemented this solution on the restaurant menu, where icons communicate important dietary info. By structuring the markup to include hidden descriptive text and enabling editorial control in the CMS, we made the interface both accessible and sustainable for ongoing content updates.
Dark mode has become a popular design choice for modern websites. It can reduce eye strain, support user preferences, and create a sleek aesthetic. But enabling a dark mode theme adds an extra layer of complexity when it comes to accessibility—particularly for colour contrast and focus visibility.
IssueWhether you’re a developer, designer, or project manager, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Accessibility isn’t just about checking boxes or following rules—it’s about creating digital experiences that work for everyone. By identifying tricky features early in the process, your team can better plan, estimate, and design with inclusion in mind, reducing the need for late-stage fixes and improving usability for all.
At Evolving Web, we specialize in helping organizations meet these challenges head-on. From accessibility audits to custom component design and strategic guidance, we support teams in building websites that are not only compliant—but genuinely accessible. . If you're looking to improve your website's accessibility or tackle a specific challenge, get in touch with us.
+ more awesome articles by Evolving WebAn extraordinary opportunity exists to support Drupal CMS, boost your organisation's credits, and bring one of the leading minds behind Drupal CMS directly into your organization.
We're seeking sponsors for Cristina Chumillas, the UX and Product Design Lead for Drupal CMS, who has been defining and driving the product direction since the Starshot initiative started in May 2024.
We were lucky to have Cristina engaged in this role full-time for seven months, thanks to Lullabot. Now we're looking to extend this to ensure we can deliver on the strategy for Drupal CMS 2.0 and beyond.
Why Core Contributors Are Business Game-ChangersThe real value of this sponsorship goes beyond supporting Drupal—it's about what core contributors can do for your business.
"Working with a core contributor is like having a superhero on your team,” explains Pam Baronne, CTO at Technocrat and Drupal CMS Product Owner.
"There should be an absolute premium on hiring core contributors. They aren’t just an asset to Drupal -- their skill, knowledge, and connections make them incredibly valuable to your company”.
Sponsoring a member of the Drupal CMS leadership team ensures your organization is not just prepared for what's coming, but also has the insider insight to help position you in the shifting market.
Cristina can bring a depth of experience to your organization that is hard to match. Your sponsorship earns you contribution credits directly, boosting your Drupal Certified Partner ranking. Additionally, she can mentor your team on Drupal contribution, building expertise that elevates your company's productivity as well as your standing in the community.
Meet Cristina - The Designer-Developer Leading Drupal's TransformationAs a designer who later learned front-end development and specializes in Drupal, Cristina brings a diverse range of skills to the role. She has been a core contributor for many years. She joined the Core Leadership Team as a front-end framework manager in 2021, and was recently also appointed as a core UX Manager. Cristina has been coordinating key design and UX initiatives in Drupal since 2017, most recently with the new Navigation in Drupal 11.
Based in Barcelona, Cristina is also active in organising the local community as well as DrupalCon. She will be a featured speaker at DrupalCon Vienna and (pending sponsorship) DrupalCon Nara as well.
The vision for Drupal CMS as a tool for marketers, designers, and content creators requires deep expertise in user experience design—exactly what Cristina brings to the role.
Flexible Engagement OptionsThe structure of the sponsorship engagement is flexible, and we are open to offers:
We're open to alternative arrangements as well, so if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please fill in this sponsorship interest form and we will be in touch.
Drupal's ECA module has been released 3 years ago, and provides an incredible workflow automation and orchestration platform together with an intuitive UI based on BPMN diagrams. Other complex configuration requirements can now be managed with the same tools as the newly introduced Modeler API provides the framework to serve applications like ECA or AI Agents with modern, exchangeable UIs without having to re-implement any of those ever again. This blog post describes the architecture, and the benefits that come out of all this for software developers and end-users alike.
Learn why periodic software refactoring is essential for long-term success. We update Drupal modules and dependencies to reduce costs, improve performance, and accelerate future development cycles.
