So many good things! One of my favorite pieces shared by @youknowriad is; there were 52 contributors to Gutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ 5.0 – the latest release!
Widgets to blocks
@melchoyce recently posted an update on these. But there’s even a few updates since that was written! For instance, the Search block is now merged. It’s moving fast. After talking with Riad, it looks like an estimated 4 weeks until they’re all merged in along with the addition of the Classic Widget A WordPress Widget is a small block that performs a specific function. You can add these widgets in sidebars also known as widget-ready areas on your web page. WordPress widgets were originally created to provide a simple and easy-to-use way of giving design and structure control of the WordPress theme to the user. block Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience..
Tag Tag is one of the pre-defined taxonomies in WordPress. Users can add tags to their WordPress posts along with categories. However, while a category may cover a broad range of topics, tags are smaller in scope and focused to specific topics. Think of them as keywords used for topics discussed in a particular post. Cloud – What do you think if the Tag Cloud block got renamed “Word Cloud” so that it’s clear it doesn’t only include tags? The option to switch between tags and categories would still exist, maybe in the block inspector.
The development of the widget screen for the inclusion of blocks is currently on hold until this PR is completed.
Navigation block
The Navigation block has a new issue with the hopes of refocusing and a deeper understanding of the problems people experience when building menus. Because this is such a complex block, there’s going to be really good discussions, so please get involved.
Tightening up
These small incremental changes are adding the polish to Gutenberg making it a real joy to use. One such example is the Focal point picker added to the Cover block. Speaking of the Cover block, there’s conversations about nesting blocks within it for more options to display over the image. Buttons? Did anyone say buttons?
Animations are also getting added bringing an emotional delight to the interface.
The color picker for blocks is getting some much needed clarity.
There’s also been some great headway on notifications in the editor which just need a code review before getting merged.
Research
Make sure to get caught up on the research posts that have been shared on the make/design blog. These reports are informing the design decisions going forward, so it’s important to have a firm understanding of what’s being shared. The latest one from @tinkerbelly concerns the segment of Site-builders.
Accessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility)
A new issue has been opened to address the keyboard navigation of Gutenberg. It’s been a long time coming!
Thanks for reading, staying informed, and contributing anywhere you can!
#design, #gutenberg-weekly, #phase-2