Transforming Academic Social Networking: CGNetworks Platform Redesign
Summary
In partnership with Common Ground Research Networks, we redesigned their academic platform to support research sharing, publishing, and scholarly collaboration at scale—consolidating legacy systems into a unified, modern solution.
Setting the Scene
Over the past 15 years, CGNetworks has built one of the world’s largest platforms for academic collaboration—connecting more than 450,000 researchers, educators, and institutions. Operating out of the University of Illinois Technology Park, the platform brings together tools for research sharing, publishing, peer review, and virtual conferencing in a single academic ecosystem.
We partnered with CGNetworks to modernize this complex, multi-layered platform—streamlining the technology, improving performance, and laying the foundation for scalable growth across the global research community.
What We Were Up Against
Behind this broad feature set was a fragmented system architecture. Over time, the platform had grown into a patchwork of disconnected tools—social networking, peer review, event management—each built by different vendors, using different technologies. While powerful in isolation, these components didn’t work well together.
For users, this meant an uneven experience: inconsistent interfaces, sluggish performance, and limited mobile support. For the CGNetworks team, it meant increasing technical debt and shrinking room to evolve. Adding new features or exploring monetization strategies wasn’t just difficult—it was becoming unfeasible without a complete overhaul.
Six Things That Had To Work Perfectly
Guided by early discovery work and user research, we set out to rebuild the platform around a modern, modular architecture—one that could meet the expectations of today’s researchers while supporting CGNetworks’ long-term goals.
Creating a unified, modern platform
that could scale with growing user demands
Strengthening CGNetworks’ core value
as the leading academic social platform
Improving user experience
with a responsive, intuitive interface across devices
Enabling monetization opportunities
through premium features and institutional accounts
Maintaining service continuity
throughout the transition for existing users
Laying the groundwork
for future innovation in academic collaboration
How We Got It Done
We implemented a phased transformation strategy designed to drive innovation without compromising platform stability.
Discovery Phase
Through collaborative workshops and in-depth user research, we mapped the academic journey and identified friction points across the platform. These insights shaped a modular development strategy, starting with the Community features at the heart of user engagement.
Agile Development
We adopted two-week sprint cycles with regular demos for CGNetworks stakeholders. This cadence allowed us to respond quickly to user feedback, adapt features based on real usage, and ensure each release aligned with academic workflows—keeping delivery fast and integration seamless.
Quality Assurance
We built a QA pipeline tailored to the platform’s complexity. Automated tests covered critical workflows, while load testing validated performance under peak usage. Security reviews protected sensitive data, and accessibility checks ensured a consistent experience for all users.
Under the Hood
We selected a modern, scalable stack designed to meet the demands of a global academic community—without overengineering.
Backend Infrastructure
Ruby on Rails powers the platform’s core logic, offering a fast, stable foundation with minimal overhead. We used its mature ecosystem to focus on feature delivery, not infrastructure headaches—building a clean, high-performance API layer to support complex academic workflows. PostgreSQL handles structured academic data with precision, while Redis ensures real-time responsiveness even under heavy load.
Frontend Technologies
We chose Vue.js for its speed, flexibility, and component-first architecture—ideal for delivering a seamless experience across devices. Paired with WebSocket-powered collaboration, the frontend enables real-time updates that feel natural, whether users are co-editing papers or running virtual conferences.
DevOps & Infrastructure
Deployed on AWS, the platform runs on a CI/CD pipeline with Docker to ensure fast, disruption-free releases. This setup gives CGNetworks the ability to scale instantly during peak usage—like major conference weeks or submission deadlines—without missing a beat.
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What It Took to Get There
We began by rebuilding the core experience—focusing first on the Advanced Community Module, the backbone of academic interaction on the platform. It enables rich post creation, smooth content management, and real-time engagement. Features like threaded comments, smart recommendations, and flexible sharing make collaboration feel natural. A built-in chat system supports quick, focused communication, while the discovery engine helps users surface the most relevant work and connections.
From there, development shifted to the Organizations module. This component is built for institutions—introducing premium account capabilities, monetization tools, and features that foster long-term community growth. Integrated analytics give organizations the visibility they need to track engagement and evolve their strategies.
Every feature is shaped through continuous iteration, guided by real user feedback. The goal isn't just technical completion—it's delivering tools that work the way scholars do.
The Complexities Beneath the Surface
Turning CGNetworks into a cohesive, scalable platform required navigating several deep technical and strategic challenges—each demanding careful balance and precise execution.
Balancing Innovation and Reliability
Rebuilding a platform of this scale meant pushing for progress without compromising stability. We adopted an iterative, feedback-driven process—refining features, aligning with user workflows, and continuously testing to ensure each release moved things forward without disruption.
Running Legacy and Next-Gen Systems in Parallel
The original platform had to stay live while the new system took shape. That meant managing dozens of interconnected components, coordinating updates across teams, and planning for a clean migration—all while keeping service consistent for over 450,000 active users.
Designing a Sustainable Business Model
Beyond the tech, CGNetworks needed a model to support long-term growth. Together, we defined and validated premium feature sets, shaped a pricing strategy around academic value, and integrated monetization capabilities directly into the new architecture—ensuring the business layer scaled as naturally as the product.
Every step of the way, we measured success not just by delivery, but by whether what we built actually served the people using it. That mindset is what made this transformation stick.
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What We Achieved Together
The transformation is already delivering real impact—and setting the stage for what’s next.
The Community Module is live and actively used, bringing together post creation, dynamic engagement features, chat-based collaboration, and intelligent content discovery into a cohesive user experience. Academic collaboration now feels streamlined, responsive, and modern.
On the delivery side, a modernized architecture and agile process have increased development speed and consistency. Features are now shipped with greater confidence, tested thoroughly, and maintained with long-term stability in mind—without slowing down iteration.
And critically, CGNetworks now has a business model that can scale. Together, we defined and implemented monetization features, institutional tools, and premium offerings—positioning the platform to support both individual scholars and research organizations moving forward.
"I just spent time going back and forth—creating posts, flagging content, engaging across our communities. And I have to say: what a remarkable system. It’s intuitive, responsive, and built with real scholarly interaction in mind. There’s nothing else like it. In a moment where traditional social media is in flux, we believe this has the potential to become a go-to platform for scholars and educators everywhere."
What Comes Next
With the core platform rebuilt, CGNetworks is now poised for its next evolution: CGScholar KX (Knowledge Experience).
This new phase will go beyond conventional Web 2.0 user experiences—introducing intelligent tools and adaptive workflows shaped around how academic communities create, review, and share knowledge. The vision: a platform that actively supports the work of scholars, educators, and institutions through AI-enhanced collaboration, personalized learning, and community-driven publishing.
Every new feature will reinforce CGNetworks’ mission: to empower knowledge communities with tools that respect academic rigor while embracing the possibilities of modern technology.
Once the platform evolves, it won’t just support scholarly communication—it will help shape what the future of that communication looks like.
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