WordPress version 3.8 is here. Officially made available from 12th December 2013 it is one of the most dramatic visual changes to the WordPress administration interface in a long time.
WordPress 3.8 has been named “Parker” as an homage to to the late great Charles “Charlie” Parker, Jr. Charlie Parker was a highly influential American jazz saxophonist credited as one of the pioneers of bebop.
Simple and colourful
The 3.8 facelift has banished the grey on grey look for a more modern and vibrant look. We’ve got squarer edged, higher contrast panels. Everything is simpler with more space to breathe. 3.8 also uses a more mobile-friendly and in my opinion, far more legible, font choice. Open Sans has been used throughout the dashboard for a clean and thoroughly delicious, modern look.
Personalise your space with colour
One of the visual treats in WordPress 3.8 is the chance to choose an admin colour scheme. The options available in the Users>Profile section are a welcome addition for that added personalisation. At the moment I really like the ‘default’ combination of dark greys and blues.
Icons go HD
WordPress have replaced their pixel-based icons with vector-based font versions. These tiny wonders are both super-sharp on all screen sizes at all magnifications. They also load really quickly. This is certainly a five star feature. :)
Responsive layout improvements
WordPress have also improved the responsive structure of the dashboard making it easier to manage content on smart phones, tablets, notebooks and other small touchscreens. Button and fonts sizes grow plus columns stack neatly above each other.
Widgets
Widgets management has been updated with a ‘click to add’ option in addition to the normal drag ‘n’ drop system. This is certainly helpful when using touchscreens. It is also useful if you regularly need to scroll to find your chosen widget option.
Summary of WordPress 3.8
WordPress claim 3.8 to be their most beautiful update yet and I’d have to agree. The improvements in this latest update has made website management that little bit easier and is a visual delight.Thank you WordPress. Keep up the good work.
If you have an opinion on WordPress 3.8 we’d love to hear from you. Add a comment below.
Best,
The Zaposphere Team