🛠️ Architectural Review: Odonatum Website Update
December 2, 2025 • by Marlon Müller •
Devlog Web Design CMS
⚙️ Content Management and Maintainability
I found that the prior dependency on hardcoded content was the primary maintenance liability, and determined that a comprehensive CMS solution was necessary.
- Sanity CMS Integration: Full integration of Sanity CMS was implemented to manage the primary content pipeline. Core site sections, including the homepage and static blocks, are now editable via the Studio, effectively decoupling content updates from code deployments.
- Hybrid Localization: A smart, hybrid localization process was designed. The system prioritizes fetching content dynamically from Sanity, using local configuration files only as a fallback. This workflow ensures content consistency across all language versions.
👥 Structuring Data and Innovation
I ensured that the site structure and data models were updated to more accurately reflect our organizational complexity and the true nature of the work we produce.
- Team Data Model: The model was refined to properly support members holding multiple, distinct roles across different departments.
- RnD Visual Separation: A distinct visual treatment (a dark overlay) was applied to the Research & Development sub-teams to visually separate their specialized work from our main operational departments.
- Interactive Prototypes: The method we use to showcase our projects/artworks was rebuilt. A custom interactive gallery component was introduced on the detail pages, enabling a tactile experience where images stack and reveal on hover.
✨ Consistency and Parity
I made the decision to prioritise visual coherence across the entire site and ensured that every language version delivered a uniform, high-quality user experience.
- Visual Standards: A consistent glassmorphism effect and smooth $\text{fadeInUp}$ animations were implemented across all components to enhance flow.
- Brand Consistency: The colour palette was standardised: "Odonatum Blue" for primary titles and "Spice Yellow" for interactive elements. Headings consistently utilise the Orbitron font.
- Multilingual Parity: A final synchronisation pass was completed to ensure the German audience receives the exact same structural experience as the English visitors. Workflows are now in place to ensure future content updates propagate automatically across languages.
The Odonatum website is now running on a stable stack, ready to scale with the demands of our team.