Drupal Canvas promises visual page building, and its headless mode promises a modern JavaScript frontend. We put both to work on a real client project, and many of the hardest lessons came from working closely with the client: regular demos, open conversations about trade-offs, and the corner cases nobody spotted at the start. This session shares what we learned, what we missed, and how we adapted.
Key Discussion Points
- Working with the client, not just for them: using early demos and frequent feedback to shape decisions, and turning editor feedback into product changes.
- Finding the corner cases we missed: scenarios that surfaced only once real editors used the system, such as previewing unpublished pages and needing different layouts for the same type of content, and how we resolved them.
- Balancing structure and editor freedom: keeping key content structured for listings and search, while giving editors room to build pages their way.
- Editorial workflow and publishing: aligning Drupal's review and publishing tools with Canvas, and agreeing with the client on how content moves from draft to live.
- Making delivery decisions together: choosing hosting, repository setup, and whether to rely on unreleased features by laying out cost, risk, and long-term maintenance for the client.
Learning Outcomes
- Run client conversations that surface requirements and edge cases early, rather than after launch.
- Spot the corner cases a headless Canvas build tends to hide, and plan for them up front.
- Balance structured content with editor flexibility in a way clients understand.
- Present technical trade-offs such as hosting, cost, and risk in terms clients can act on.
- Leave with a checklist for deciding whether Drupal Canvas headless fits your next project.
Target Audience
- Developers, tech leads and architects building with or evaluating Drupal Canvas.
- Project managers and client-facing team members who shape requirements and manage expectations.
- Agencies and teams planning decoupled Drupal projects with Next.js.
- Some Drupal experience helps; no deep Canvas or Next.js knowledge is needed.