Transcript
Introduction
Designing with a block-first mindset. In this lesson, we will explore block composition for WordPress block themes. By the end of this lesson, you’ll understand how to approach design with a block-first mentality, creating modular and reusable components for your website.
Modularity
In the world of WordPress block themes, we need to shift our thinking from traditional page layouts to a more modular approach. Block-first design means breaking down your website into smaller, reusable components that can be mixed and matched to create diverse layouts. Think of blocks as LEGO pieces. Just as you can build complex structures with simple LEGO bricks, you can create intricate website designs using fundamental blocks. This approach not only streamlines your design process but also enhances consistency across your site.
Blocks
Blocks allow you to create complex designs without writing a single line of code. Blocks connect to a file called theme.json which sets default styles. If you are in the Site Editor and select Global Styles, you can tweak these defaults using visual controls, ensuring design consistency while maintaining flexibility. Blocks also adhere to open web standards allowing you to carry them across different platforms. Additionally, the structured nature of blocks also makes them compatible with AI tools. This opens up the possibilities for automated design suggestions.
Reusable components
Next, let’s look at some typical designs you might create as patterns or reusable components using blocks. A block pattern or reusable component is a collection of blocks you can insert into your site and customize with your own content. Let’s look at a few examples. Number one, a featured item. This could be a product highlight, a key blog post, or a pricing table. Design it once and use it throughout your site. Number two is a newsletter sign-up. Create a visually appealing newsletter sign-up form that can be easily placed on various pages. Number three is a testimonial. Design a block for customer quotes that can be used individually or grouped, or lastly, create eye-catching call-to-action.
Block composition principles
Next, let’s look at applying block composition principles, which will help you create a cohesive and flexible design system for your WordPress block theme. Start small and begin with the essentials in your Style Book. Begin with foundational elements like text, images, and buttons. These form the foundation of your design system. Then start building up. Combine these basic elements into more complex blocks. In this example, I’m creating a media and text pattern, and then I will save it as a non-synced pattern and then design the layout. Also, remember to think responsively. Design your blocks to work well on all screen sizes. Let’s look at an example of the Columns block that allows you to stack on mobile. Stack on mobile refers to how content elements such as images, text blocks, or buttons rearrange themselves vertically when viewed on a mobile device. Then, you can preview to check your design on tablet and mobile. Let’s look at the anatomy of the pattern to see which blocks we’ve used to build it. At the top, we have the Group block, our container block, and then our Columns block. In the left column, we have a Paragraph block, a Heading block, another Paragraph block, and then our Buttons block or call to action, and then in our right column, we’ve added an Image block.
Conclusion
In conclusion, when you adopt a block-first mindset, you are not just designing pages but creating a flexible system of components. Remember, the key is to think modularly and design for reusability using blocks and patterns.
Practical
Use WordPress Playground to explore the available patterns that come with the Twenty Twenty-Five theme:
- Make your way to the Site Editor>Patterns.
- Scroll to all the available patterns individually or by category.
- Consider how you could modify these patterns or design your own reusable components for modular site building.
