Migrating the Lego ZČU educational portal from the legacy Joomla CMS to a modern headless architecture meant combining the Strapi Headless CMS with the Next.js frontend framework. I carried out this modernization process as part of my bachelor's thesis at the Faculty of Education, University of West Bohemia (FPE ZČU), aiming to speed up content loading, improve mobile responsiveness, and streamline the management of teaching materials.
Analysis of the Original Joomla Site
While analyzing the original setup athttps://lego.zcu.cz/web/, I encountered the constraints of an outdated monolithic architecture and slow response times. I conducted a comprehensive content audit, inventorying educational articles, methodological worksheets for Lego robotics, and media assets earmarked for migration.
Designing the New Architecture
I chose to decouple the system into a Strapi CMS backend paired with a Next.js frontend as the optimal strategy. This setup enabled lightning-fast rendering speeds, enhanced security, and flexible content management via REST API endpoints.
Data Modeling and Migration
Inside Strapi, I designed custom Collection Types and Dynamic Zones tailored specifically to the needs of FPE ZČU. I exported legacy data from the MySQL database, cleaned up invalid HTML bloat, and imported it into the new system via a custom script.
Frontend Development and Testing
I developed the user interface in Next.js, emphasizing accessibility, SEO, and responsive design. The updated version was then deployed and thoroughly tested in a staging environment athttps://www.lego-dev.fpe.zcu.cz/.
My bachelor's thesis successfully demonstrated the benefits of a headless architecture for academic educational portals. Transitioning from Joomla to Next.js and Strapi significantly enhanced both the user experience and overall performance of the Lego ZČU site.
