Have you heard?
We have exciting plans to roll out our new cuTheme within the next few months. Yep, the wait is almost over. Get ready for a fresh new look!
The new theme will combine our existing cms and framework themes so that users (you!) have more flexibility, scalability, and usability.
With the updates to WordPress, you can expect changes to the look, feel, and functionality of your sites. But don’t worry, we promise things won’t be all that different. Your sites will still be accessible, mobile-friendly, and Carleton branded.
Here’s a quick overview of some changes you can expect:
Content Blocks
One of the biggest changes to the new theme is the “content blocks.”
Content blocks are what you use to build the entire content of your site. There are image blocks, paragraph blocks, banner blocks, button blocks, and much more. There is basically a “block” for every kind of content you could possibly want displayed on your site.
Options for editing and customizing each individual page block will be displayed along the right-hand side of your screen.
As a whole, the blocks make the overall building and maintaining of your site simpler and more intuitive. But not to fear, simplicity doesn’t mean you’ll be more limited. You’ll still have the same options you did with the old themes!
Flexible Home Pages
With the new cuTheme, you’ll have more flexibility when it comes to the design options on your homepage. You will have more display options for page banners, headings, text colours, images, and more.
You will also have more options for displaying different kinds of content. For example, you will be able to display images with image tiles, accentuate quotes with custom quote blocks, display directions with google maps, display lists with custom list blocks, and much more.
New “Jump To” Menu
One totally new feature within the cuTheme is the “Jump To” menu, which you will find in the top right of your menu bar.
“Jump To” is a quick access menu bar that lets you list pages that would not be considered part of your main content, but that could still be important to your audience. For example, the “Jump To” Menu would be a great place to link to pages for specific audiences.
Overall, the “Jump To” menu makes it easier for your audience to find content on your site and helps drive traffic to your secondary pages.
Cleaner Look and Feel
Overall, the new cuTheme has a crisper look that will emphasize what’s really important about your site: your content.
The new theme has a more spacious design that will allow the content on your site to breathe. There is also more white space, which makes for an overall cleaner look.
New Menu Bar
The new cuTheme comes with a new menu bar that is more intuitive and easier to use. What’s even better is you will now be able to choose whether your menu will be displayed at the top of your page, or along the left-hand side.
Drop-down items on top-level menus will now stick, without having to hover the mouse over them, making it easier to navigate to secondary pages.
There’s your sneak peek for what’s to come in spring 2020.
Change can be frustrating (and sometimes scary!), so that’s why we’re going to be offering group and one-on-one training sessions once the new theme is officially rolled out. Stay tuned! More information on training will be available in the coming weeks.
Questions? Concerns? Don’t hesitate to contact us or come out to our next Coffee Break session on February 24th!