01Context
UIL RUA represents workers in universities, research institutions and the arts sector across Italy. It needs a site that publishes news and circulars frequently, guides members and prospects through services, contracts and regional contacts, and remains manageable by a non-technical office. The mandated platform is WordPress with Elementor — the constraint, not the choice.
02Solution
Inside the constraint, custom code: a suite of hand-built HTML/CSS/JS widgets. An interactive SVG map of Italy with union contacts region by region. A news system with dynamic loading for circulars and ministerial notes. Organizational pages (national office, territory, org chart, statute), a photo gallery with lightbox, a newsletter with regional selection. The result doesn’t look like a WordPress theme — and the office updates it on its own.
03The lesson
Institutional projects teach a discipline creative sites never demand: strict hierarchy, clarity before aesthetics, accessibility as a requirement rather than a finish. It’s the range separating those who make websites from those who solve problems.