Nick Hamze’s recent call for bold and unconventional designs in WordPress themes has sparked a heated discussion within the web development community. Hamze, a well-known advocate for innovation, emphasized the need to break away from traditional, uniform layouts and embrace more creative, rule-breaking designs.
“WordPress desperately needs your creativity, your weird ideas, your willingness to break the visual rules,” Hamze stated. “The future of the web shouldn’t be a monochrome landscape of identical layouts. We need themes that make people say ‘Wow!’ or ‘That’s different!’ rather than ‘That’s clean and professional.’”
According to Hamze, great themes should have a distinct point of view, embrace bold aesthetics, cater to specific use cases, and thoughtfully break established design rules. His remarks come at a time when the future of WordPress themes is being questioned, with over 13,000 free themes currently available in the repository but very few that push creative boundaries. Several discussions and articles have recently explored the stagnation of WordPress themes, including claims that the business of themes is in decline.
Vova Feldman of Freemius highlighted these issues, pointing out that the annual pricing for single-site themes has barely grown in six years and has even declined by 9% since 2019. Feldman’s concerns reflect a broader trend of diminishing innovation and profitability in the WordPress theme market.
One notable example of this creative struggle is the Ollie theme, which generated significant excitement but faced pushback from the WordPress Theme Review team. Despite support from prominent figures like Matt Mullenweg, Josepha Haden Chomphosy, and Justin Tadlock, the theme was featured in the repository only after removing its innovative onboarding features.
Hamze’s call for bold themes, however, has not been without controversy. Accessibility experts and community leaders have raised concerns about prioritizing “weird” designs over accessibility and usability. Amber Hinds, CEO of Equalize Digital, argued that WordPress themes need to prioritize accessibility and user-friendly interfaces. “Not ‘weird’ designs that confuse people or kill time on site,” she noted.
Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress, responded to these concerns by comparing the debate to critiquing a Rothko painting for its lack of contrast, a statement that drew criticism from several community members. Katie Keith of Barn2Plugins questioned Mullenweg’s tone, calling it disrespectful to accessibility experts. “Why would the leader of the WordPress project say something so dismissive?” she asked.
Others echoed similar sentiments. WordPress developer Earle Davies lamented what he sees as a lack of commitment to accessibility within the project, while accessibility expert Alex Stine emphasized the importance of balancing creativity with inclusion. “Sure, themes should be eye-popping and fun. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be accessible too,” he said.
Despite the criticism, many supported Hamze’s push for innovation. Carolina Nymark of Yoast argued that themes could be both experimental and accessible, provided developers prioritize high-quality standards. Similarly, WordPress developer Brian Coords noted that true creativity often thrives within constraints, urging designers to create meaningful experiences that resonate with diverse users.
This debate highlights a deeper tension within the WordPress ecosystem: the balance between innovation and inclusivity. While some advocate for breaking away from conventional designs, others stress the importance of creating themes that cater to all users, including those with disabilities.
Meanwhile, broader industry developments have added another layer of complexity to the conversation. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently fined AI accessibility startup accessible $1 million for misleading advertising, underscoring the importance of genuine accessibility efforts in web development.
As discussions about WordPress themes continue, the community faces critical questions about the direction of theme development. Will the push for bold and unconventional designs usher in a new era of creativity, or will it deepen the divide between innovation and accessibility? For now, the debate remains unresolved, with stakeholders on all sides advocating for their vision of WordPress’s future.