Welcome to Shaping WordPress, where I share every couple weeks what’s top of my mind and what’s shaping up for WordPress. <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=28657b2fc9&e=e546897b23>
Hey there,
Welcome to Shaping WordPress <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=6a0b9ee223&e=e546897b23>, 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 <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=8f61c43b17&e=e546897b23> .
Read on <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=bad0a1468e&e=e546897b23> rich.blog <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=aeebfb98a0&e=e546897b23> One big thing I’m working on
It’s not uncommon for website builders to offer a perspective that allows you to see more of your site by stacking sections of a page together. In WordPress, these are called “Patterns <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=2ce983213d&e=e546897b23> .”
I envision a similar experience within WordPress, especially as patterns continue to become more and more significant for the WordPress page building experience. <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=8901722067&e=e546897b23>
Composing pages with patterns from a zoomed-out view reduces the granularity of editing, while further simplifying selection, rearranging, removing, and styling of entire sections of a page at a time—providing more confidence that a design is coherent and visually appealing.
This is much more than a different perspective, but rather a first iteration towards a “simple mode” for editing sections of a page at a time and composing new pages <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=ce3d141e8d&e=e546897b23>. On that front, it would be interesting to explore engaging content-only editing <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=2047416b9c&e=e546897b23> as you select a section of a page to edit when zoomed out.
This is a bit far out yet, but I wanted to share a potential where WordPress core page building is headed. Blocks I’m building
I’ve started sharing the blocks I built <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=9e5bfe61ef&e=e546897b23> for my blog because I find them interesting and believe you might learn something new by checking out the code. Your suggestions for improvement are also welcome—it’s a learning opportunity for both of us.
I recently built a dark mode toggle block <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=637e6cc631&e=e546897b23> and a cards block <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=9e49777c86&e=e546897b23>, each using different techniques to showcase various methods for building WordPress blocks <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=a59fc28f0f&e=e546897b23>. I also have a video on YouTube <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=04a7a2f76a&e=e546897b23>where I cover the basics of building a dynamic block with the help of ChatGPT. [image: Sixteen dark mode toggles with different shapes.] <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=ffda790f42&e=e546897b23>
There’s a few more blocks I’m working on, including the Comments Avatars block and the Link Card block, both of which you can see on my posts <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=2a53a55024&e=e546897b23> page. Other bits I’m pushing forward
1.
I’m still pushing for more consistent root padding <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=0b37933d9c&e=e546897b23> so that toggling on content width adds root padding, and patterns don’t need to hard-code padding which disrupts the global styles layout padding functionality. I would appreciate it if you could take a look and see if you notice anything unusual with any existing themes or patterns. 2.
There’s a good discussion happening around reducing CSS specificity in WordPress 6.6 <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=6d1133b1d3&e=e546897b23>. The goal here is to make it easier for you to override core editor styles, which also supports section styles <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=ef8e57830c&e=e546897b23> . 3.
As a bit of a side-quest, I’ve been working on a few tiny details <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=1ce30437f8&e=e546897b23> for the upcoming WordPress 6.6 release, like interface skeleton shadows <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=c0a40bb50f&e=e546897b23> and simpler block outlines <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=be68acaff2&e=e546897b23>. I’ve been looking forward to cleaning these interface edges for some time now.
WordCamp I’m attending next
I’ll be leading the Design table for Contributor Day <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=dfb019191d&e=e546897b23> and just may be participating in my friend Jamie Marsland’s <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=c7ad5005c4&e=e546897b23> live, in-person WordPress Speed Build Challenge <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=06241a7049&e=e546897b23>. It’ll be one for the books.
Will I see you there?
That’s everything for now.
If you’re finding this newsletter helpful, please share this with a friend <us6.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=a00537d916&e=e546897b23>. I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to reply here or reach out to me on X/Twitter <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=565b27062b&e=e546897b23>. Is there anything you want to read more, or less, of? Thanks.
Rich
P.S. Ask me anything about WordPress <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=35e93e3c5a&e=e546897b23>
X <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=6a711277d0&e=e546897b23>
Blog <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=a141774809&e=e546897b23>
YouTube <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=ae9441de63&e=e546897b23>
WordPress <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=d73d8480ec&e=e546897b23>
No longer want these emails? Unsubscribe <blog.us6.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=3ad25ea4f0&t=b&e=e546897b23&c=a00537d916>
Rich Tabor · PO Box 82 · Moreland, GA 30259 · USA
Hey there,
Welcome to Shaping WordPress <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=6a0b9ee223&e=e546897b23>, 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 <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=8f61c43b17&e=e546897b23> .
Read on <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=bad0a1468e&e=e546897b23> rich.blog <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=aeebfb98a0&e=e546897b23> One big thing I’m working on
It’s not uncommon for website builders to offer a perspective that allows you to see more of your site by stacking sections of a page together. In WordPress, these are called “Patterns <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=2ce983213d&e=e546897b23> .”
I envision a similar experience within WordPress, especially as patterns continue to become more and more significant for the WordPress page building experience. <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=8901722067&e=e546897b23>
Composing pages with patterns from a zoomed-out view reduces the granularity of editing, while further simplifying selection, rearranging, removing, and styling of entire sections of a page at a time—providing more confidence that a design is coherent and visually appealing.
This is much more than a different perspective, but rather a first iteration towards a “simple mode” for editing sections of a page at a time and composing new pages <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=ce3d141e8d&e=e546897b23>. On that front, it would be interesting to explore engaging content-only editing <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=2047416b9c&e=e546897b23> as you select a section of a page to edit when zoomed out.
This is a bit far out yet, but I wanted to share a potential where WordPress core page building is headed. Blocks I’m building
I’ve started sharing the blocks I built <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=9e5bfe61ef&e=e546897b23> for my blog because I find them interesting and believe you might learn something new by checking out the code. Your suggestions for improvement are also welcome—it’s a learning opportunity for both of us.
I recently built a dark mode toggle block <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=637e6cc631&e=e546897b23> and a cards block <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=9e49777c86&e=e546897b23>, each using different techniques to showcase various methods for building WordPress blocks <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=a59fc28f0f&e=e546897b23>. I also have a video on YouTube <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=04a7a2f76a&e=e546897b23>where I cover the basics of building a dynamic block with the help of ChatGPT. [image: Sixteen dark mode toggles with different shapes.] <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=ffda790f42&e=e546897b23>
There’s a few more blocks I’m working on, including the Comments Avatars block and the Link Card block, both of which you can see on my posts <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=2a53a55024&e=e546897b23> page. Other bits I’m pushing forward
1.
I’m still pushing for more consistent root padding <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=0b37933d9c&e=e546897b23> so that toggling on content width adds root padding, and patterns don’t need to hard-code padding which disrupts the global styles layout padding functionality. I would appreciate it if you could take a look and see if you notice anything unusual with any existing themes or patterns. 2.
There’s a good discussion happening around reducing CSS specificity in WordPress 6.6 <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=6d1133b1d3&e=e546897b23>. The goal here is to make it easier for you to override core editor styles, which also supports section styles <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=ef8e57830c&e=e546897b23> . 3.
As a bit of a side-quest, I’ve been working on a few tiny details <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=1ce30437f8&e=e546897b23> for the upcoming WordPress 6.6 release, like interface skeleton shadows <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=c0a40bb50f&e=e546897b23> and simpler block outlines <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=be68acaff2&e=e546897b23>. I’ve been looking forward to cleaning these interface edges for some time now.
WordCamp I’m attending next
I’ll be leading the Design table for Contributor Day <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=dfb019191d&e=e546897b23> and just may be participating in my friend Jamie Marsland’s <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=c7ad5005c4&e=e546897b23> live, in-person WordPress Speed Build Challenge <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=06241a7049&e=e546897b23>. It’ll be one for the books.
Will I see you there?
That’s everything for now.
If you’re finding this newsletter helpful, please share this with a friend <us6.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=a00537d916&e=e546897b23>. I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to reply here or reach out to me on X/Twitter <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=565b27062b&e=e546897b23>. Is there anything you want to read more, or less, of? Thanks.
Rich
P.S. Ask me anything about WordPress <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=35e93e3c5a&e=e546897b23>
X <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=6a711277d0&e=e546897b23>
Blog <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=a141774809&e=e546897b23>
YouTube <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=ae9441de63&e=e546897b23>
WordPress <blog.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=d73d8480ec&e=e546897b23>
No longer want these emails? Unsubscribe <blog.us6.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=e7267bfd563b8f29ef95ba846&id=3ad25ea4f0&t=b&e=e546897b23&c=a00537d916>
Rich Tabor · PO Box 82 · Moreland, GA 30259 · USA
Leave a Reply