Jay Callicot on DrupalX, Decoupled Architectures, and the Future of Drupal Development

Jay Callicot, Senior Drupal Architect at Promet Source and the creator of DrupalX is a seasoned leader in the Drupal community with nearly two decades of experience. Driven by a passion for open-source innovation and a commitment to enhancing developer experience Jay now explores decoupled architecture and React frameworks like Next.js, and is excited about the transformational power of artificial intelligence. His work on DrupalX reflects this vision, offering modernized tools and workflows aimed at overcoming some of the longstanding limitations of traditional Drupal development.

In this interview with The DropTimes (TDT), Jay sits down with sub-editor Alka Elizabeth to discuss the inspiration behind DrupalX and its role in shaping the future of enterprise web development. He introduces the dual approach of DrupalXD (a decoupled framework) and DrupalXS (a modernized, coupled system) and explains how these innovations address the distinct needs of developers and organizations. Jay also shares his thoughts on how AI, tools like Storybook and Tailwind CSS, and the broader shift toward API-first development are transforming Drupal’s relevance.

Throughout the conversation, Jay offers a candid reflection on the challenges facing Drupal’s growth, particularly its reliance on legacy technologies. He stresses the importance of prioritizing developer experience to ensure Drupal remains competitive against emerging headless CMS platforms. For developers, site builders, and enterprise stakeholders, this interview provides key insights into the future of Drupal and the transformative potential of DrupalX.

TDT [1]: You’ve been involved in the Drupal community for over a decade, starting your career as a developer and growing into leadership roles. Can you take us through the early stages of your journey with Drupal?

Jay Callicot: I first started exploring Drupal back in 2005–2006 while searching for a CMS platform suited for freelance work. At the time, there weren’t many solid options available. I was immediately drawn to Drupal’s flexibility—its modular system, hooks, and the ability to override every aspect of the front-end theme. It was love at first sight, and that discovery launched a journey that has spanned nearly two decades.

TDT [2]: Considering the rapid evolution of web technologies, what were some of the challenges you faced as an early Drupal adopter, and how did these experiences influence your approach to open-source development today?

Jay Callicot: Twenty years ago, the choice wasn't difficult due to limited options. WordPress was a contender but wasn't as developer-friendly as Drupal. I also considered Ruby on Rails, though it was a framework rather than a CMS. Client content management capability was crucial, which was rare in open-source solutions in the early 2000s. This experience shaped my approach to technology adoption—I focus on identifying and investing in technologies likely to gain widespread adoption and support.

TDT [3]: DrupalX is one of your more recent projects aimed at empowering enterprise developers. Can you tell us more about what inspired you to create DrupalX, and how it addresses the unique challenges of enterprise-level website development?

Jay Callicot: DrupalX represents over a decade of ideas aimed at addressing Drupal's limitations, primarily focusing on improving the developer experience for building enterprise-level sites efficiently. The project has a targeted scope: enhancing Drupal's frontend system while providing solid editorial tools for content management and creation.

TDT [4]: The integration of tools like Bootstrap 5, Storybook, and advanced layout builder components in DrupalX brings modern web development practices into the Drupal space. How do you foresee these tools shaping the future of Drupal development?

Jay Callicot: DrupalX has evolved to standardize Tailwind, Storybook, and Paragraphs as its core toolset. This modernizes Drupal's dated theming system, enabling developers to rapidly build high-performance web applications. Our goal is to lead the Drupal community by championing these proven tools and practices to ensure Drupal's continued growth.

TDT [5]: With DrupalX on one side and traditional Drupal tools like Twig, jQuery, and render arrays on the other, what makes DrupalX the better choice for modern development? Why do you encourage developers to move beyond these older tools and embrace DrupalX for enterprise-level projects?

Jay Callicot: Traditional Drupal is falling behind, relying on legacy technologies like jQuery and Twig that no longer meet the demands of modern development. To address this, DrupalX introduces two options for moving forward. The decoupled version replaces Twig entirely, leveraging Next.js and React to deliver faster, more dynamic frontends. For teams staying with a coupled architecture, the standard version enhances the frontend with component-driven development using Storybook and streamlines styling with Tailwind CSS.

These approaches address critical challenges for developers and enterprises alike. Modern tools improve developer efficiency, enhance performance, and deliver a better experience for end users. Whether fully decoupled or streamlined with updated technologies, DrupalX enables developers to embrace a future-ready approach and move beyond the limitations of outdated systems.

TDT [6]: With DrupalX now offering both a decoupled version (DrupalXD) and a traditional version (DrupalXS), how do you see these two approaches addressing different needs in enterprise development? For organizations deciding between decoupled architectures and the more traditional Drupal setup, what key factors should influence their choice, and how does each version of DrupalX cater to those specific needs?

Jay Callicot: This is an excellent question. With DrupalXD, my goal is to make decoupling as seamless as possible, transforming it into a viable choice for organizations. Historically, decoupling Drupal has been overly complex and expensive. DrupalXD addresses these challenges by simplifying the process, making it easier for developers to leverage modern technologies like Next.js, while keeping costs manageable for clients. We strongly encourage organizations to evaluate this approach for its potential to modernize their systems effectively.

For scenarios where decoupling isn't the right fit, DrupalXS offers a solid alternative. By integrating tools like Storybook and Tailwind CSS, DrupalXS modernizes the development workflow while retaining a traditional architecture. This fallback approach still represents a significant leap forward compared to traditional solutions, providing faster, cleaner, and more maintainable options for both developers and organizations.

TDT [7]: With DrupalX officially positioned as an AI-powered platform, how do you see the integration of AI, particularly through features like the drupalx_ai module and the creation of React components, transforming the workflow for developers? Are there additional AI functionalities you're exploring for future releases?

Jay Callicot: I’ve started integrating AI features into DrupalXD, and these tools will soon extend to the standard version as well. The aim is to empower developers with AI-driven capabilities that enhance productivity, whether they’re working with Twig-based single directory components or React components. By leveraging AI and automation, we’re focused on making development faster, easier, and more efficient.

Every aspect of DrupalX is designed with the developer experience in mind. By improving workflows and reducing friction, we not only enable developers to work smarter but also deliver a superior product for clients and end users. This focus on innovation ensures DrupalX remains at the forefront of modern web development.

TDT [8]: In your recent reflection, you mentioned that Drupal may have missed some opportunities to fully capitalize on the API-first trend. What do you think caused this lag?

Jay Callicot: This is a great question. In recent years, the rise of API-first cloud CMS solutions like Contentful has highlighted the importance of developer experience in driving adoption. Drupal is uniquely positioned to compete in this space, offering a powerful API-first experience that remains fully open-source. However, the community has not fully capitalized on this strength, instead directing attention toward other areas that, in my view, haven’t significantly boosted adoption.

While it’s essential to consider various user roles, such as marketers and site builders, we cannot afford to neglect developers. Without a strong focus on developer experience, Drupal risks falling behind in the competitive CMS landscape. A compelling developer experience is the foundation for creating solutions that are both innovative and widely adopted.

TDT [9]: Looking ahead, what key steps should the Drupal community take to better position itself in the decoupled architecture and headless CMS space?

The Drupal community needs to prioritize strengthening its APIs. More effort should go into building seamless integrations and enhancing GraphQL capabilities to make Drupal more attractive for modern, decoupled applications. Additionally, hosting providers have a significant opportunity to improve their support for decoupled Drupal. Managed hosting solutions tailored for decoupled setups, comparable to the streamlined experiences offered by platforms like Contentful, could transform how organizations adopt and implement Drupal.

There’s no reason why Drupal can’t compete as a fully open-source alternative in the managed API-first space. I’m actively working to advance decoupled solutions, alongside others in the community, to ensure Drupal remains competitive and continues to evolve to meet modern development demands.

TDT [10]: Reflecting on your community involvement over the years, what do you believe is the key to keeping the Drupal community vibrant and relevant as the technology landscape continues to evolve?

Jay Callicot: I’m increasingly concerned that Drupal is falling behind in the frontend experience. The continued reliance on legacy technologies like Twig, jQuery, and render arrays creates a cumbersome developer workflow and often results in sluggish performance for end users. I would go so far as to say that Drupal’s current frontend approach is fundamentally broken and in need of a complete overhaul.

DrupalX addresses this by modernizing the frontend stack in a way that mirrors the capabilities of API-driven CMS platforms but remains rooted in the open-source ethos. By leveraging the latest technologies, we’re building a system that meets the needs of modern developers and the high expectations of today’s end users. It’s time for the Drupal community to embrace these changes and move beyond outdated technologies to remain competitive and relevant in the rapidly evolving CMS landscape.