Relaunch of a Customer Web Portal for a DevRel Team
We rebuilt the product as a single, unified system: we updated the UI/UX across all key scenarios, aligned the behavior of forms and tables, and raised the quality of documentation and content through a managed back office. The result is a stable, predictable interface for the Developer Relations team's daily work.
About the Project
A full redesign and technical rebuild of a web portal used by the DevRel team to work with content, developer materials, publications, and internal workflows. The goal was to eliminate an inconsistent interface, create uniform interaction patterns across all modules, bring order to forms, tables, and statuses, and finally give the team a managed way to quickly update pages, reference data, and copy without releases.
About Customer
Rob is a Senior Director of Developer Relations from the USA. He is detail-oriented and demanding about UX quality, interface consistency, terminology accuracy, and the clarity of the platform for developers. Rob wanted to bring the entire portal to a single standard so that every module works predictably, content gets updated without technical routine, and the product serves as a tool for a professional DevRel team.
Redesign of the entire product
The portal was already in daily use. Modules had to be updated in stages without disrupting workflows.
A single design system
It was critical to eliminate situations where the same action looks and works differently in different modules. Buttons, forms, tables, modals, notifications, and more all needed to be standardized.
Complex forms
A DevRel portal typically has heavy forms with dependencies, long fields, validations, lists with bulk actions, search, sorting, and material statuses. These had to be fast and error-free in real-world use.
Content as part of the product
A separate client expectation was the ability to quickly edit copy, pages, reference data, hints, and block structure without releases, with access control and without breaking the layout.
Accessibility
For products that work with developers and documentation, accessibility and correct states (namely focus, keyboard navigation, and ARIA) are a mark of a complete product.
Regression safety
We needed to organize checks of critical scenarios and release discipline so that changes would not cause a series of lengthy rework cycles.
Proposed Solution
We rebuilt the portal as a component system on Next.js/React with TypeScript, where the UI is standardized through a custom design system on Tailwind. Content, reference data, hints, and part of the configuration are managed through Directus, while existing business logic is integrated via stable API contracts without rewriting the core. This made the product equally predictable across all modules, gave the DevRel team manageable content, and kept regression risk under control through staged releases and verification of critical flows.
Directus as the "steering wheel" of the site
We configured the content model so that pages are assembled from managed sections. This lets the DevRel team change copy, block order, navigation, integration pages, CTAs, and service sections without releases.
Next.js as the rendering engine
We built the frontend on Next.js with a component architecture in which every block has clear display rules and doesn't break from content edits. This provides speed, predictability, and a solid foundation for the site's growth.
Unified page structure for DevRel scenarios
We brought the product presentation down to a clear route: "what it is → how to start → examples/integrations → documents → CTA." This shortens a developer's path to action.
"Docs-ready" content model
We designed content types and a structure that scale easily to documentation, guides, integrations, changelogs, releases, and examples. New sections can now be added as content rather than as a new development project.
DevRel content operations in the back office
We set up fields and mechanics so the team can work like an editorial office: with drafts, publishing, section ordering, block reuse, and control over links and service elements.
Performance in the base architecture
We built in optimization of critical rendering, media, block loading, and dependencies so that the site can withstand content growth.
Technical foundation for SEO and indexing
We implemented proper page rendering, metadata, URL structure, and control over which pages should be indexed. This enables growth without fear of losing visibility in future releases.
Integrations and reference data
To add new integrations and materials without touching the frontend, we made integration pages, catalogs, links, promo blocks, and use-case "matrices" manageable through Directus.
We started with how the portal is used day to day: what gets edited and published, where mistakes are common, which tasks take the most time, and which screens are the most fragile. In parallel, we compiled an inventory of modules, recorded bottlenecks in navigation and forms, and set the order of work so that the most critical parts were updated first without breaking the operational cycle.
Results
The portal became fast, predictable, and manageable, and content can be updated without involving developers.
80% less time
spent on typical content updates
77% faster
first useful click to the needed section
Noticeably fewer drop-offs
on graphics- and content-heavy pages
Ready for expansion
and for new pages, modules, and content
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