Flexible CMS WordPress Platform for Global Food Security

Global Food Security (GFS) is the UK’s cross-government programme on food security research. Their role is to coordinate and communicate complex information, research outputs, and policy insights across multiple agencies and audiences. With a growing need for clarity and accessibility, GFS contacted Make Do to upgrade their website following ongoing issues with functionality, content management, and performance.

The customer wanted a site which could handle large-scale traffic while providing a hassle-free publishing workflow for new and often complex content types.

Project Challenges

The existing GFS platform was fragmented and outdated. Their main site was running on an old CMS, while a separate WordPress blog was used for publishing articles. This led to poor user experience, difficulties in publishing, and inconsistencies in content.

Our challenge was to:

• Migrate and consolidate the entire system into one unified WordPress CMS
• Create a flexible, modular design that could adapt to the programme’s diverse content types
• Develop tools that went beyond what existing plugins could deliver—especially for handling complex research documents
• Ensure the site was fast, scalable, and mobile-first to support a wide audience, from policymakers to researchers and the general public

What We Did

Make Do completely redesigned and rebuilt the GFS website from the ground up, using WordPress as a robust and extensible CMS.

Key features included:

• Flexible Widget-Powered Layouts A drag-and-drop system that allows administrators to build new pages quickly using customised widgets.
• Reusable Content Cards A library of flexible “cards” for blog posts, news, features, publications, and research documents. Each adapts to screen size and content type while maintaining design consistency.
• Custom Document Management System Off-the-shelf plugins were not sufficient for GFS’s needs, so we built a bespoke solution from scratch. The new system allows for advanced filtering, categorisation, and display of research documents—ensuring a seamless experience for both editors and end users.
• Mobile-First Responsive Design The new site was designed to be clean, accessible, and consistent across all devices, while staying true to the GFS brand.

Long-Lasting Benefits

The new Global Food Security site has transformed how the programme manages and presents its content:

• Publishing complex research and policy content is now fast, intuitive, and flexible
• The Document Management tool ensures consistency across hundreds of publications, making them easier to search, filter, and read
• Editors can build rich layouts without needing technical support, reducing bottlenecks and saving time
• Branding and usability are now fully aligned with GFS’s mission to deliver clarity and authority in food security research