Denmark's children and young people are spending an ever-larger part of their lives online. On therefore had to make it easier for children, young people and adults to find knowledge, tools and teaching materials about digital literacy, across school, leisure time and home.
7 specialised websites combined in one technical solution
150+ teaching materials gathered across the platform
One central CMS makes it possible to manage content across websites
MACH architecture provides flexibility, scalability and room for further development
Custom-developed plugins and services handle multisite, e-learning and interactive user journeys
1,000+ daily users use the platform
The challenge
How do you build one digital platform that can handle seven different websites, target groups and user needs, without creating seven separate technical solutions? On had to bring together a wide range of digital literacy initiatives in one national platform. The solution had to handle different target groups and content types, while making it easy for editors to work across sites. The platform also had to integrate with YouTube and Vimeo, handle SCORM-based e-learning packages and support interactive learning courses.
The solution
We developed a modern MACH architecture with Strapi as the central headless CMS and React-based front ends. One shared technical foundation powers seven specialised websites, each tailored to its target group and context. With a shared component library and custom-developed technical solutions, content and functionality can be reused across the platform, while editors keep the flexibility to work with the individual sites.
On x iO: One technical foundation for a national effort
On is a national digital literacy initiative for children and young people, created by a consortium of Red Barnet, Børns Vilkår, Medierådet for Børn og Unge and Center for Digital Pædagogik. With DKK 53.4 million in state funding, the ambition was to bring knowledge, teaching materials and tools about digital literacy together on one platform. We worked closely with the consortium to turn many different needs into one flexible technical foundation. The platform had to cater for teachers, professionals, parents, children and young people, without the different target groups having to meet the same digital experience.
How do you bring seven different websites together in one platform?
On was to be one unified national effort, but the needs were far from the same. The platform had to hold everything from teaching materials and information for families to e-learning and specialised courses for professionals. We developed a multisite architecture where one central CMS powers all seven websites. They share the same On identity, technical infrastructure and component library, but present the content differently depending on target group and context. This makes it possible to develop and maintain the solution as a whole, while the individual sites can be developed according to their specific needs.
How do you handle complex digital learning courses?
The On platform had to do more than present content. It also had to handle e-learning and interactive user journeys. We therefore developed three specialised technical components. A Multisite Plugin makes it possible to manage content for all websites from one central admin panel. A SCORM Plugin handles e-learning packages as standalone HTML bundles and automates upload, extraction and setup of CloudFront paths. Finally, a custom-developed Flow service, based on Node.js, ensures that advanced interactive elements can handle user journey data and point collection across the platform.
How do you build a technical foundation that can grow with the ambitions?
With a platform that has to support a national effort over several years, flexibility and scalability are crucial. On is therefore built on a modern MACH architecture with Strapi CMS, Next.js, TypeScript, AWS ECS, Aurora PostgreSQL, Redis Cache and CloudFront CDN. The architecture makes it possible to develop the platform further without having to build new technical solutions from scratch. New functions and components can be reused across the different websites. The result is a platform that can be adapted to new target groups, content types and digital learning courses as needs evolve.
Children's and young people's wellbeing and safety online are under pressure. We need to equip them far better to navigate an everyday life that largely plays out digitally. With On, we want to give children, young people and their adults the knowledge and tools to start the important conversation about screen use and wellbeing. And it has to take place at school, in leisure time and at home.
The numbers
1websites
specialised websites combined in one platform
1+ materials
teaching materials gathered across the platform
1+ daily users
use the platform
1DKK M
in state funding
One digital foundation for digital literacy across Denmark
The On platform has brought together a wide range of digital literacy initiatives in one coherent digital solution. Instead of developing and maintaining seven separate technical platforms, the different websites share a common CMS, component library and technical foundation. The content can also be targeted at the individual target groups, from children and young people to parents, teachers and professionals, without compromising the overall On identity. With a flexible MACH architecture, the platform is also built to evolve. New functions, target groups and digital learning courses can be added continuously, so that On can keep supporting the work for better digital literacy among children and young people.
