(From an email I sent to my list today.)
What are you most excited about in web design this year?
For me—and I’ll admit this surprises even me a little…
It’s WordPress itself.
You might wonder: what’s there to be excited about?
Let’s face it—WordPress is in rough shape right now.
Gutenberg
Eight years in, the block editor is still an awkward, inconsistent mess. Even Matt Mullenweg finds the block editor too hard to use (Warning: only watch this if you want to cringe so hard it makes your toes hurt).
The blame for this, by the way, is poor leadership and direction from the top—not hard-working contributors and volunteers. The same leadership, by the way, that increasingly treats those contributors like an inconvenience.
Legacy Vibes
WordPress feels like legacy software—stagnant, bloated, built on ancient foundations, and frustratingly fragmented.
Compare it to modern SaaS tools like Webflow, which offer cohesive, intuitive UIs with built-in features like custom fields and post types that should be deeply integrated into any web design tool these days.
No jumping between clunky unintuitive admin screens or scattered interfaces. (Yeah, I know, Webflow has other drawbacks of its own.)
Market Share
While newer SaaS tools are rapidly gaining ground, WordPress’s market share has flatlined—or even dipped. It’s no wonder.
Leadership Drama
I mostly avoided getting into the blow-by-blow weeds of the WP drama last year, but last year’s antics from Matt Mullenweg were both embarrassing and highly damaging to confidence and trust in the WP brand.
With all that said, it’s no wonder WordPress feels like it’s hit rock bottom.
But when you hit rock bottom, the only way is up.
And that’s exactly why I’m feeling optimistic.
I’m seeing bold, exciting ideas emerge from leaders like Joost and Karim—like clearer leadership models, fresh software direction, and a renewed focus on collaboration.
These could lay the groundwork for WordPress to evolve into a more cohesive, modern tool that serves one audience really well, instead of failing to serve anyone very well.
For years, if you criticised WordPress, you were told, “Well, contribute then, durr.”
But when leadership shuts contributors out, undervalues their work, and provides a flawed vision for the project in the first place—that’s a dead end now.
To move forward, we need to return to the true spirit of open source—a community-led project built on collaboration, transparency, and innovation.
And that certainly means moving away from the current leadership model—and, frankly, the individual at the helm.
Something has to give.
But I truly believe this year could be a turning point—one that makes WordPress something we can be proud of again.
Right now, I’m rooting for WordPress. I see the potential for change, and I’m excited for what’s next.