flattening wordpress

Ben Dunkle @empireoflight
Toronto WordPress Group, Toronto, ON
Saturday, July 13, 2013

About the talk

This presentation will cover:
  • the history of my role as icon designer for the WordPress project
  • the emerging "flat" paradigm for interface design, and how it relates to the development of WordPress
  • A brief demonstration on making icon fonts using Adobe Illustrator, Glyphs App, and Font Squirrel

About me

  • WordPress guy
  • core designer for wordpress.org
  • admin of Buffalo WordPress users group
  • professor at Canisius College, Buffalo NY




A little history

2004/5 or something

2.0 "Duke"

2.5 - a modern interface

2.7: Coltrane


3.x: retina

2013: MP6

2013: wordpress.com admin overhaul

 

3.?: new dashboard

http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/23333

what is "flat" design?

  • simpler, fewer details
  • tighter or sharp edges
  • consistent or no shading
  • high contrast
  • flexible
  • embrace the medium
  • easier

windows 8

mobile apps


coffley
letterpress

clear


icons

flat ICON Technology

  • before: sprites
    • difficult to update
    • not scalable for devices
    • not semantic
  • after: fonts
    • easy (somewhat) to update
    • expandable
    • scalable
    • more semantic

challenges

  • using your own icon in dashboard
  • browser/os inconsistencies
  • resistance to change

demo

 

QA & thanks!

flattening the wordpress admin

By Ben Dunkle

flattening the wordpress admin

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