This is part of my WordPress Explorations series, where I’m exploring new, far-out ideas about WordPress.
Product
Strategies, lessons, and deep dives into leading, building, refining standout products.
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Real People
I’m always looking for ways to make WordPress a better experience. It’s powerful, flexible, and capable of much—but the real test of any improvement is how well it helps real people accomplish real goals.
When my friend Chad asked for help with his website, it gave me a chance to see WordPress through his eyes. He runs More Music Foundation, a local nonprofit that makes music education available to underprivileged kids. His website isn’t just a digital presence—it’s how he connects with donors, shares success stories, and builds community support.
Like many, he had run the full gamut of website solutions. He started with a proprietary website builder that got the job done but left him wanting more. Then he hired someone who took the “everything-you-could-ever-want” page builder route—powerful, but bloated and difficult to manage.
It was in rough shape.
So we moved his site to WordPress.com, gave it a fresh design, and embraced the block editor to give him the tools he needed to best tell his organization’s story.
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You don’t need a flashy redesign
Your __________ doesn’t need a flashy redesign; it needs to work better.
You might think that a new coat of paint will solve your problems. But if the core functionality is lackluster, users likely care about sleek interfaces.
Instead of redesigning, focus on the core elements that matter to users. Fix the bugs that frustrate customers, then streamline flows for intuitive navigation and task completion.
Only then, consider adding genuinely useful features that address real user needs and pain points. These improvements, while less visually apparent than a redesign, result in higher satisfaction and retention.
It’s always substance over style. A functional but plain product will outperform a pretty but broken one.
Focus on solving real problems to drive growth, not trendy designs. You don’t need a flashy redesign, for now.
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WordPress Contributors, Think Like a Designer
Open source is beautiful. And open source is often messy.
WordPress, with its global community of contributors, is no exception. We’re a passionate bunch, each bringing our ideas, skills, and perspectives to the table. It’s what makes WordPress different—a competitive advantage. But this freedom comes with a challenge: together, how do we build a cohesive, intuitive, and human-centric WordPress experience?
More than ever, WordPress should be design led.
That doesn’t mean a few designers make all the decisions. Actually, it’s the opposite; every contributor—developer, writer, marketer, or designer—thinks more like a designer.
To think like a designer means looking beyond the immediate task and considering the bigger picture. It requires understanding how every change impacts the user experience and approaching decisions with empathy, ensuring every interaction feels purposeful and seamless.
This approach challenges us to avoid arbitrary decisions and lean on holistic solutions that prioritize user experience. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how beautiful, extensible, or accessible WordPress is. If WordPress is not usable, it can’t democratize publishing.
“It doesn’t matter how beautiful, extensible, or accessible WordPress is. If WordPress is not usable, it can’t democratize publishing.”
Rich TaborI’m not saying WordPress isn’t usable today (although there’s room for improvement), but that open source isn’t an excuse for sloppiness; it’s a call for excellence—especially with a project that matters, like WordPress.
As contributors, we have the opportunity to create a more thoughtful, human-centric experience that empowers people to publish, if we all think more like a designer.
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Practical contentment
I recently discovered Muji’s ethos, where the company champion against a world obsessed with perfection:
“We do not make objects to entice responses of strong affinity, like, “This is what I really want” or, “I must have this.” MUJI’s goal is to give customers a rational satisfaction, expressed not with, “This is what I really want” but with “This will do.”
“This is what I really want” expresses both faint egoism and discord, while “This will do” expresses conciliatory reasoning. In fact, it may even incorporate resignation and a little dissatisfaction.
MUJI’s goal is to sweep away that slight dissatisfaction, and raise the level of the response, “This will do” to one filled with clarity and confidence.”
In product and software development, balancing perfection and completeness is incredibly difficult.
I appreciate this mindset because it’s not about compromising quality, but appreciating sufficiency. It’s a shift from chasing perfection to finding contentment in what meets our needs.
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Introducing the Iceberg markdown editor
I’d like to finally share with you a project I’ve been working on to make writing in WordPress fun again.
Introducing Iceberg.
The WordPress block editor is making considerable strides towards better enabling folks to build beautiful websites. But as a consequence to adding more controls, settings, and even blocks, the experience of writing and publishing content within WordPress has taken a hit.
That’s not to say I don’t love the direction WordPress is heading–I absolutely do. But rather that I feel there’s room for a tool to improve the writing experience within the block editor.
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Introducing CoBlocks
As I mentioned in my 2018 Year in Review, Jeffrey Carandang and I have recently joined ranks, doubling down our efforts to making CoBlocks absolutely brilliant. And after months of very challenging work, we finally have something to show you. We think you’re going to like this. A lot. This is the Gutenberg page builder you’ve been waiting for. CoBlocks will make you rethink what WordPress is capable of.
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Introducing Block Gallery
It’s no secret that I’m a huge proponent of Gutenberg, the new block editor to be released next month in WordPress 5.0. Ever since WordCamp US last year, I’ve been deep into all things Gutenberg, wrapping my head around block development and working on supporting the new editor in all my themes.
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CoBlocks 1.0
As you’ve probably been well aware of, I’ve been living and breathing all things Gutenberg since attending WordCamp US last year. And while I have a few irons in the fire, with a change as profound as the new block editor, there’s not a better time to dive in and continue exploring… cue CoBlocks!
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Running a Successful Product
Seven years ago, I started my excursion into the WordPress product space by building and selling WordPress themes at ThemeBeans.
Since then, there have been many ups and downs, but through it all, I have learned countless valuable lessons, shaping who I’ve become as a person and an entrepreneur. Here are a few crucial lessons I’ve personally digested while running a successful WordPress product shop.
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Meet Login Designer
Over the years of working the WordPress Customizer, I’ve learned the ins-and-outs to leveraging the Customizer to build a truly brilliant customizing experience. Using those skills, I made Login Designer, a new WordPress custom login plugin designed to level-up your WordPress login page.
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10 tips to building quality WordPress themes
A few weeks ago, I published a guide on three key principles to designing functional WordPress themes. This week’s article stays on the topic of WordPress theme design but leans towards actionable tips and techniques to building quality WordPress themes.
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Designing highly functional WordPress Themes
Designing beautiful and highly functional WordPress themes is not as simple as opening your design editor of choice and going to town. There’s a lot more to think about when it comes to developing beautiful WordPress themes that intentionally focus on both form and function.
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Merlin WP, now on GitHub
Good news! After a couple weeks of nailing down some issues and cleaning up the code base, I’m pleased to announce that the public beta of Merlin WP is now open to all.
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Better WordPress onboarding with Merlin WP
You get one chance to make a fantastic first impression. Just one. WordPress itself isn’t particularly known for its first impressions, and WordPress themes in general are notoriously difficult to get rolling.
Sure, it’s easy to install WordPress and upload a theme. But what happens next? Why not make this first impression blow the user away, offering a simple, intuitive, and clever interface to help them get started?
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