Last week Performance team contributors were working on refining their follow-up patches for the multi-mime/WebP feature, after the main work for it was merged into core for 6.1 at the end of July. This includes smaller related items like the shim for non-supporting browsers and adding PDF support, which are being handled in separate tickets. The proposal to generate WebP …
Theme Redone: A New Block-Based Starter Theme for Building WordPress Websites and Gutenberg Blocks with an MVC Framework
In the days before Gutenberg, the maturity of the WordPress theme ecosystem offered a diverse selection of dozens of well-known starter themes where developers were likely to find one that suited their individual preferences or could easily be modified. Theme authors have frequently asked if there is a good starter theme for building block themes, but at the moment there …
WooCommerce.com Brings Back Sandbox Sites for Testing Extensions
WooCommerce.com is bringing back a feature that made it possible for customers to test extensions in a sandbox environment before purchasing them. Select extensions can be loaded up on a private test site for 30 days before the site self-destructs. Although WooCommerce.com already offers a 30 day money back guarantee if users are unhappy with a purchase, the sandbox testing …
Join the WordPress World Photography Day Challenge
photo credit: ChrisEdwardsCE In celebration of World Photography Day, WordPress’ Photo Directory team has issued a challenge designed to get people contributing: Submit a photo that captures something unique about your local area, in a way that helps represent the geographic diversity of the WordPress community. Since its launch, the WordPress Photo Directory has grown to 3,633 free, CC0-licensed photos. …
Jamie Marsland Recreates WordPress.org Homepage in 20 Minutes Using the Block Editor
In response to the recent controversy about how long WordPress.org’s new homepage and download page designs should take to implement, Gutenberg YouTuber Jamie Marsland decided to try his hand at recreating it with the block editor. Matt Mullenweg had commented on the plans for the new designs moving into development, saying that it should have taken “hours not weeks to …
Upcoming Free Workshops: Learn How to Convert Figma Files to a Block Theme and Take Block Patterns to the Next Level
If you’re not following Learn WordPress Online Workshops on Meetup.com, you may be missing out on some high quality events. WordPress experts from across the world have been collaborating on virtual events with instruction at the same caliber of excellence that you might find at an in-person WordCamp. On Thursday, August 18, at 3:00 PM EDT, WP Engine-sponsored developer advocate …
Gutenberg Designers Explore Adding Configuration Options to Block Editor Onboarding Modal
Gutenberg designers are considering replacing the current welcome guide modal with a new onboarding screen that prompts users to configure some of the editor’s many individual preference settings. The existing welcome setup was designed during the earlier days of the block editor when many WordPress users were experiencing it for the first time. It briefly introduces users to the concept …
WordPress Launches New Homepage and Download Page Designs
WordPress.org is now sporting a new look with a refreshed, jazzy design that complements the recently updated News pages. “The new homepage brings more attention to the benefits and experience of using WordPress, while also highlighting the community and resources to get started,” Automattic-sponsored WordPress marketing team contributor Nicholas Garofalo said. “The new download page greets visitors with a new …
OrganizeWP Launches with “Old School Software Pricing Model”
WordPress developer Jon Christopher has relaunched OrganizeWP, a commercial plugin that organizes content in the admin with a single, unified view and UI for streamlining common actions. It’s a utility plugin that Christopher has had on his mind since before he released its predecessor, the Hierarchy plugin, eight years ago. “The WordPress Admin felt really disjointed once Custom Post Types …
New Twenty Twenty-Three Default Theme Now in Development
Last month, WordPress design contributors proposed creating a new kind of default theme that would bundle a curated set of style variations, instead of creating a new theme from scratch. This idea resonated with participants in the discussion and plans are now underway to use a stripped-back version of Twenty Twenty-Two as the base for the new theme. Automattic design …