Shaping WordPress: Style Variations, Speed Challenges & WordCamps
Welcome to Shaping WordPress, where I share every couple weeks what’s top of my mind and what’s shaping up for WordPress. If you haven’t already, subscribe.
One big thing I’m wrapping up
I merged this lift supporting section styles into the Assembler theme I’ve been experimenting with, and have this follow-up ready to go. I have a full post incoming, but here’s the gist:
- Assembler now offers alternate color palettes and font sets for mixing and matching.
- Assembler uses JSON partials for block style variations, letting you style entire groups of blocks at a time while also maintaining those styles independently of content.
This results in 720 styles in one theme, with an interface that is no more complex. You choose a color palette and a font set that bot fit closest to your vibe, then personalize them further in the Site Editor. Too easy.
Theme designers have been creating style variations to provide alternate color palettes for as long as theme style variations have been introduced, with the caveat that changing colors will change all other styles and settings.
When WordPress 6.6 lands next month, there will finally native support for modifying colors and typography independently, without affecting other styles and settings.
This is a clear evolution of theme style variations, enabling individuals, freelancers, and agencies to rapidly develop WordPress sites by using a library of customizable style configurations—whether provided by a theme or curated otherwise.
And if you don’t want style variations, don’t add them to a theme—or remove them—like I said, the interface is no more complex with style variations.
WordCamp I recently attended
WordCamp Europe 2024 in Turin, Italy, heavily emphasized topics centered on the WordPress editor, block building, and block theme creation with an unprecedented 16 sessions dedicated to these topics—a new record for any flagship WordCamp. It was a great event in a great city. 10/10.
My main takeaway from Turin is the noticeable shift within the WordPress community, as more people are experiencing firsthand how capable the out-of-the-box WordPress editor is.
Though I strive to be a positive voice in the community, those who work with me know I am also WordPress’s biggest critic, always pushing to meet end-users’ expectations. There is much to be done to make the simple things intuitive, and complex things possible, but I am proud of the work happening daily to push WordPress in that direction—and it’s nice to see the results of that work on people’s faces.
We’re no longer just talking about the future of WordPress; the future of WordPress is here.
WordPress Speed Build Challenges I competed in
Jessica Lyschik and I rebuilt the Isamu Noguchi Foundation homepage in a 30-minute live WordPress Speed Build Challenge at WordCamp Europe.
In a full room, with attendees both sitting on the floor and spilling out the back doors, we both showcased how you can build something beautiful in the WordPress editor, quite fast.
It ended up being a unique, low-key, casual, and engaging WordCamp session where folks could watch us build live, asking us questions along the way.
Despite using different WordPress themes, Jessica and I quickly created high-fidelity representations of the original homepage. It’s remarkable how WordPress’s built-in editing tools allow you to create virtually any design. Not convinced? I’m sure Jamie wouldn’t mind website suggestions for folks to build on future challenges—reach out to him on X.
Aside: I also participated in another one of these challenges online, a couple weeks ago. More good fun.
WordPress 6.6, landing next month
Apart from my intentional explorations above that leverage the upcoming bits in WordPress 6.6, as Design Lead I’ve been helping to coordinate and design the release assets.
The microsite in particular is a relatively new focus for releases, but one that is incredibly important to sharing the good work that’s happening. Here’s what contributors built for 6.5, 6.4, and 6.3—super nice.
And if you didn’t know, these are assembled in public. Please give it a look over and leave a comment if something isn’t landing right.
A note on contributing
Well, a video. I recently shared why I contribute to WordPress, and how I work with folks to get things done. Give it a watch if you’re a contributor, or looking for a nudge to get involved.
In short: blog about ideas, find a party of folks interested in the same areas of work, and get at it, together.
That’s it!
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Rich