WordPress Twenty Thirteen: Soft Launch

The new default WordPress theme, Twenty Thirteen, is being introduced to the public. WP Lead Developer Mark Jaquith announced via the Make WP Core blog that a version of the theme is now available in core.

Check out the WordPress Twenty Thirteen demo site.

The WordPress team has committed to publishing a new default theme every year this decade: “The Twentysomethings”. While the previous (or, rather, current) default theme, Twenty Twelve, attempts to be all things to all sites, Twenty Thirteen is designed specifically with blogs in mind. It concentrates on presenting different post formats in unique ways, and uses more color than every previous Twentysomething combined.

It is a good reminder of a WordPress principle (one which was also emphasized at the WPNYC meetup this week): Decisions, Not Options.

Too much choice can be paralyzing. Good design is about making decisions and cutting things out, like a museum curator putting together a show. Design with a goal in mind, and if some folks have a different goal, well, this isn’t the theme for them.

I like Twenty Thirteen. I think it’s a keeper.