WordPress Development Review 2024: Gutenberg Updates, Playground Progress & WooCommerce New Themes in Perspective

December 16, 2024, Tokyo, Japan will host the highly anticipated annual "State of the Word"Session.Matt Mullenwegwill deliver his annual keynote address. This session will be organized throughYouTube channelto stream live, which is expected to begin at 9:00 a.m. UTC and will be available for members of the global WordPress community to watch online. During the event, Mullenweg will review the accomplishments and progress of the WordPress ecosystem in 2024 and look ahead to the2025year's direction. The presentation is expected to cover a number of important topics, including WordPress Meetups respond in singing WordCamps of growth,GutenbergThe third phase of the project is collaborative,Playgroundprogress, data liberation and data views, among other key issues.

Gutenberg and the Continued Growth of WordPress

In 2024, the Gutenberg program continued to move forward with the release of theGutenberg plugin version 19.8.. This release attracted 149 PRs from 52 contributors, 6 of which were first-time submitters. Highlights of this release include:

• Optimization of style selectors in toolbars, which enhances the user's ease of operation.
• Font preview in drop-down menu, making font selection more intuitive.
• Notification of successful image editing, by adding "undo (computing)"Links that enhance the user experience.

DataViewsFunctionality has also been significantly improved, enabling users to present data more flexibly.

existGutenberg Change LogIn issue #112, Matt Mullenweg and Sarah Norris discussed Gutenberg 19.8 's major updates and discusses the latest progress on the Create Block theme plugin.

Design team and user experience

The WordPress design team has also been working significantly over the past two weeks, and Joan Asmussen shares a couple of important updates:

• Sidebar MenuVisual adjustment of itemsthat enhances the navigation experience.
• Menu EditorStreamlining of processes, making management more efficient.
• Openverse Icons and Dark Mode Updates, providing a better visual recognition and usage experience.

These updates, while seemingly minor, are all in theContinuously Improving the WordPress User ExperienceThis makes the platform more suitable for all types of sites.

Advances in Plug-ins and Tools

WordPress in 2024communalof plug-ins and development tools ushered in important advances. Plug-ins and development tools likePlug-in checkerrespond in singingCreate Block Themeplug-in (software component)Such a tool greatly facilitates developers and users to create and customize block themes. In particular WordPress Playground, which provides a new way to create and test WordPress sites. Users can experience full WordPress functionality directly in their browser without having to install or set up anything.

WordPress version 6.7The release of this tool further refines the tools and makes them more effective in real-world applications.

Gutenberg and the Full Site Editor (FSE)

In WordPress.Gutenberg Editorrespond in singingFull Site Editor(FSE) relationship is an evolving theme.Gutenberg as a content editing tool has evolved into the second phase of site editingThe entire site can be designed with blocks and templates. Now that site editing is becoming more sophisticated, users no longer need to learn multiple editing methods, and familiarity with Gutenberg allows users to easily manage all aspects of the site, from content to global style configuration.

New block themes and design innovations

The year 2024 also sees a brand new change in the WordPress theme catalog. Multiple new block themes were released which offer more flexible design options and styling variants. Here are some of the new releases of noteworthy themes:

• Circles WP: A bold design that uses color combinations and background circle elements to create an impactful visual effect.

• Streamer: Developed by Automattic, it focuses on font styles and is suitable for modern design needs.

• Anastasi: Posted by Roman Fink, clean and modern for all types of websites.

Fly Themes.ToothwiseWPTravel'sAdvantura Trailsand Suberb Addons'bloggerThemes such as these all offer a variety of options and styles for different types of websites.

Developer community interaction

existWordCamp EuropeLast week, Matt Mullenweg and Jessica Lyschik participated in a design competition called "WordPress Speed Build". The pair had 30 minutes to complete theBobDylanArt.comhomepage design. This event showcases the power and ease of use of WordPress and inspires creativity among developers.

In another important interview.Stephen Dumbaabout how to empower the next generation of tech talent in Uganda through the WordPress Education Program. These events showcase WordPress' role inCommunity Building and Educational Missions Worldwide, helping more developers and students learn and grow.

WooCommerce and the Future of E-Commerce

In the area of e-commerce.WooCommerce Announcing a new entry-level ecommerce theme to be launched in mid-2025. The theme will help newbie stores build lightweight, easy-to-use base platforms.The WooCommerce team also announced that it will continue to work with community theme builders to drive innovation with more features.

Ellen Bauer talks to the WooCommerce team about the future direction of the theme, showcasing WordPress' continued innovation in the eCommerce space.

WordPress Playground and Developer Time

WordPress PlaygroundContinue to grow and becomedevelopersIt is an important tool for users to create and test complete WordPress sites directly in the browser without installing any software. With this platform, users can create and test complete WordPress sites directly in the browser without installing any software. This tool provides a convenient platform for testing and demoing plugins and themes, as well as a powerful experimental environment for developers.

In an upcoming Developer Time session, Nick Diego and Ryan Welcher will dive into Playground's features to help developers better utilize the tool.