ISRIC
For ISRIC, the mission has always been crystal clear: providing the global scientific community with reliable data on our planet's soil. As the market leader in their field, they hold a massive database of information, but their digital presence started to lag behind. Built on an aging Drupal system, the website had become a vast library where the "bookshelves" were dusty and the "sign posts" were missing, making critical data difficult to navigate for researchers. The platform was technically outdated, and the navigation no longer met the needs of modern users. ISRIC wasn’t just looking for a vendor to fix a technical problem; they were looking for a partner who truly understood their global mission.
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What we did
Umbraco, Development, Design
Visit the website
https://isric.org/
A Partnership Rooted in Human Connection
Our journey began with a strategic session at ISRIC's office in Wageningen to sharpen goals and set clear priorities. From that very first moment, the collaboration felt less like a traditional agency relationship and more like a shared mission. ISRIC’s Communication Manager reflected on this bond:
"We weren’t just looking for someone to build a website; we needed a partner who actually understood our global role. From that first strategic session, they felt less like an agency and more like an extension of our own team. I never felt like ‘just a number’ during the process."
Working closely with design agency Norday, we created a look and feel that is fresh and modern, yet retains the professional authority required in the scientific sector. We developed the platform across three intensive, working with a compact team that was perfectly in sync.
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Strategic choices for a global reach
To realize an ambitious vision, we had to make strategic technology choices that maximized impact. We selected Umbraco Cloud for its accessibility and seamless management.
"We chose Umbraco to stay efficient... it is one of our partners that is most accessible within a limited budget.” - Martijn, Front-end Developer at Twentyseven
For ISRIC’s team, the new system transformed their daily operations:
"The new system is a lifesaver. It is flexible but provides the right framework through templates, which reduces the margin for error and ensures a consistent, professional appearance across the site.” - Communication Manager at ISRIC
Built for the edges of the world
By utilizing the Vue-based Lux framework for the frontend, we gave ISRIC a platform that is lightning-fast and ready for future innovations. A major point of pride is the platform's global performance:
Low-bandwidth optimization: Engineered to load rapidly for researchers working in regions where high-speed internet is not a given.
Mobile-first design: Ensuring that critical data is accessible on any device, anywhere in the world.
Seamless navigation: Moving from a "dusty library" to an intuitive digital ecosystem where users can finally "dig deeper" into global research.
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Empowering the team and the mission
Beyond the surface, we transformed the way ISRIC manages information. Transferring years of research from Drupal to Umbraco was a massive undertaking, but the result is an intuitive digital ecosystem where users can finally "dig deeper".
"We set up standard templates so they only have to fill in the content, saving time and ensuring everything looks professional without them having to look at it too much”. - Jos, .Net Developer at Twentyseven
Today, ISRIC.org is a modern gateway for global science. We haven't just updated a website; we have worked alongside ISRIC to bring the world of soil science into the modern age.