WordPress released its first edition in 2003, and to commemorate its 15th birthday, the development team is all set to release the next most significant update since 2014. WordPress 5.0 is all about bringing some considerable changes to the software, including a brand new editor.
Along with the release of this massive update, several WordPress website design trends and technologies are already taking over the world in 2018.
The Brand New Gutenberg Editor
The new editor, codenamed Gutenberg, introduces plenty of new features and alterations to the admin user interface you are familiar with. At the heart of this new editor is a visual editor that breaks down your content into blocks. Arranging these blocks – paragraphs, image gallery, lists etc. – is as simple as dragging them quickly to your preferred location, and formatting them.
In fact, the new editor is more of a visual editor that allows you to add and arrange just about anything apart from the text. The most prominent advantage of the Gutenberg editor is that you no longer need to use hacks like the kitchen sink, plugins and shortcodes. The editor is WordPress team’s first major attempt at making designing your website even more comfortable.
Rest API
WordPress 4.4 introduced the world to the Rest API, which allowed third-party platforms and services into the creation of WordPress websites. API upgrades in WordPress 5.0 bring in a new era of open WordPress software. You can get content from any other website on the web as well as allow sites and mobile Android and iOS apps to do the same.
Installing plugins that make use of Rest API will one day replace the WordPress default dashboard if you so wish! WordPress is fast transforming to becoming a platform that allows the sharing and management of content across the web.
The Rise of Duotone Designs
The new colorful Duotone web design will make its appearance in more and more WordPress new release themes. This design style involves an image with two colors. The effect will help vividly highlight a website’s typography.
Micro-Interactions for Better UX
With the web world evolving, designers will delve deeper into creating tinier user interface interactions called micro-interactions. Some popular websites are already integrating this trend into their designs, and WordPress themes are doing the same. Through micro-interaction, you can provide your web readers with excellent visual feedback using smooth transitions.
Page Builders are Rising
Powerful WordPress page builders are on demand as users explore more straightforward ways of adding and formatting rich content. The release of the Gutenberg editor is an endorsement of what new page builder plugins offer when it comes to editing WordPress content. At the basic level are blocks that resemble features you would find in a Page Builder plugin.
Overall, what you are getting is a visual editor that allows you to work with rich content without ever switching to text mode. Since WordPress is tiptoeing into the world of third-party page builder WordPress plugins, expect the creators to up their game.
Virtual Reality-Based Websites
In the near future, virtual reality will offer a different dimension from your own reality. Already, VR is in use in devices, virtual tours, and games. Websites too will not remain untouched, as WordPress now fully supports VR content and accessories such as Google Cardboard and Oculus Rift.
Currently, WordPress is the best Content Management System (CMS) in the digital realm. If you have any intentions of setting up your business website using WordPress, it is time you take advantage of the trends above to ensure you make the most of the platform.