Finding inspiration in the mundane

A few years ago I hit a creative block. Now, I know this is nothing new. Whether it's a short block specific to a project or a longer period of burnout, everyone has those times where they're feeling uninspired. I've certainly had my share of times where I felt it since then, but this particular …

An interview with a Theme Wrangler

The main task of a Theme Wrangler is to create themes for WordPress.com. Thomas Guillot tells us a bit more about himself and what he does. Hi Thomas, can you tell us about how and when did you become a "Theme Wrangler"? After I graduated from University in 2012, I got a job at a …

From a marathon to a sprint

Developing and launching a theme on WordPress.com is a long, multi-step process that can take weeks, if not months in some cases. We would typically do it all alone, working in relative seclusion, sharing our progress only at certain points. This approach has a few drawbacks — it limits the potential for synergy, it makes …

Organization Experiments in Progress

When I started my career in technology I thought the best thing ever was the ability to make things work, so I started learning multiple programming language and building things. I then realized people using my software were having problems, so my next guess was to learn graphic design. Better, but something was still off: …

Exclusion by generalization

How often do designers struggle when presented with a new user interface? It may take us a few moments to read it, but because our cognitive muscle is so developed for these tasks it takes far less time than an individual that doesn't work in this industry. It's even harder when an interface was designed …