WordPress.org recently unveiled its revamped Showcase, featuring new block-based components, as part of a collaborative effort between the Design, Marketing, and Meta teams. This initiative, which began last year, is a significant step in the broader modernization of WordPress.org. The launch follows the recent redesign of the WordPress.org homepage and Download page, demonstrating the platform’s commitment to enhancing user experience.
The updated Showcase offers an enhanced browsing experience, particularly on mobile devices. Visitors can explore sites based on categories and tags, with 101 initial sites categorized under Business, Community, Creative, Publication, and Store. Additionally, visitors can filter sites by tags and choose from three flavors: WordPress, WordPress Enterprise, and Multisite.
The featured listings at the top of the Showcase refresh randomly, providing variety with each visit. Each listing includes desktop and mobile screenshots, along with a brief description of why the site is featured. The screenshots are cleverly matched to the website’s main colors, enhancing visual appeal.
Designed to inspire and demonstrate WordPress’s capabilities, the Showcase showcases a diverse array of WordPress-powered sites. From well-known entities like Harvard University, NASA, and The White House to creatively designed sites spanning various disciplines, the Showcase highlights WordPress’s versatility.
This revamped Showcase utilizes block technology, leveraging Core functionalities like Group and Query blocks, as well as custom blocks tailored for WordPress.org. According to Nick Diego, a WordPress core contributor sponsored by Automattic, this approach facilitates the standardization of layout and spacing variables, making updates across WordPress.org more efficient.
For agencies and freelancers creating sites for clients, the updated Showcase is an invaluable resource. It illustrates WordPress’s scalability and adaptability across different industries. Furthermore, the Showcase is open for new submissions, provided they meet specific criteria, including the use of WordPress in a unique or innovative way and representing a notable organization, government entity, or corporation.
WordPress.org contributors are actively working to streamline the submission process, making it more accessible and user-friendly. As these improvements unfold, maintaining the Showcase will become more manageable than in previous years.