Drupal

A/B testing traditionally requires expensive third-party platforms, complex JavaScript integrations, or extensive custom development. But what if you could build a native, context-aware A/B testing system directly in Drupal—one that leverages your existing design system, automates variant creation, and uses AI to intelligently manage experiments?

By combining Figma’s design variants, Make’s automation capabilities, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) for intelligent orchestration, we can create a powerful A/B testing workflow that feels native to Drupal while remaining accessible to designers and marketers.

As AI tools become increasingly integrated into development workflows, a fundamental challenge has emerged: how do AI assistants effectively interact with complex, domain-specific systems like content management platforms? Model Context Protocol (MCP) offers an elegant solution that’s particularly relevant for Drupal developers.

What is Model Context Protocol?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol developed by Anthropic that standardizes how AI assistants connect to external data sources and tools. Think of it as a universal adapter that allows AI models to interact with your systems in a structured, secure, and contextually aware manner.

The handoff between design and development is where beautiful visions go to die. Designers create pixel-perfect interfaces in Figma. Developers build functional components in Drupal. And somewhere in between, consistency evaporates like morning dew.

The problem isn’t lack of talent—it’s lack of system.

A design system is the bridge between Figma and your CMS, ensuring that what designers envision is what developers build, and what gets deployed stays consistent as your site grows. But most organizations approach design systems backwards: they try to document what exists rather than establishing a shared language from the start.

Automated testing is often viewed as a “nice to have” in Drupal development—something teams plan to implement “when there’s time.” But treating testing as optional is a costly mistake. The reality is that automated testing is fundamental to building maintainable Drupal applications, reducing bugs, and enabling teams to refactor and upgrade with confidence.

This guide will walk you through the essentials of automated testing in Drupal, from basic concepts to practical implementation, helping you build a testing practice that actually fits into your development workflow.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of web development, choosing the right foundation for your digital infrastructure is more critical than ever. At MindSing, we’re passionate advocates for open source technologies—particularly Drupal—and here’s why.

The Power of Open Source

Open source software represents more than just freely available code. It embodies a collaborative philosophy that drives innovation, ensures transparency, and provides long-term sustainability for your digital investments.

Transparency and Security

When you build on open source platforms, you’re not locked into a proprietary black box. Every line of code is inspectable, auditable, and verifiable. This transparency is crucial for enterprise organizations and higher education institutions that must maintain strict security and compliance standards.

When your business is growing and your website is struggling to keep up, you face a critical decision: redesign what you have or rebuild from the ground up? This choice can mean the difference between a smart investment that accelerates growth and an expensive mistake that holds you back.

For growth-stage businesses, this decision becomes even more crucial. You need a platform that can scale with your ambitions, support evolving marketing strategies, and integrate with your expanding tech stack—all without draining resources or disrupting operations.

At the 2024 Pacific Northwest Drupal Summit, MindSing sponsored a session exploring the critical relationship between Core Web Vitals, Google Tag Manager, and site performance. The session, “Speedy Delivery, Win the GTM, SERP, and CWV Game with Layout Builder and Tailwind,” demonstrated how to maintain perfect performance scores while meeting the demands of modern marketing teams.

The Performance Paradox

You’ve optimized your Drupal site. Your code is clean, your images are compressed, your CSS is minimal. You run a Lighthouse audit and… 85. Not bad, but not the perfect 100 you were aiming for. What’s holding you back? Often, it’s not your code—it’s Google Tag Manager.

When evaluating a content management system, the initial license fee is just the beginning of the story. The real question decision-makers should ask isn’t “What does it cost to buy?” but rather “What will it cost us to own, operate, and scale this platform over five years?”

The answer might surprise you. Despite aggressive marketing from proprietary vendors positioning themselves as “enterprise-ready” or “all-in-one solutions,” the total cost of ownership (TCO) and long-term return on investment (ROI) consistently favor open source platforms—particularly Drupal and WordPress.