Add a new core theme

[stpaultim]

Description of the need

Since we are not making any progress on coming to a consensus about fixing CSS in Basis (https://github.com/backdrop/backdrop-issues/issues/4167), I'm inclined to begin to advocate for a new theme in core that we can eventually use as a default theme.

In my view, many UI or potential design improvements are on hold because of lack of any consensus on how to implement CSS changes to basis.

Proposed solution

Add a new theme to core that assume one of the following:

1) Take our time and try to get it right, recognizing that we will have the same inability to fix problems with this new theme, once it has been committed. 2) Make it clear that this is a DEMO theme designed to showcase Backdrop and that we will be making breaking changes to it. Users should only use this theme if they are willing to accept the risk or willing to fork it and use it like a custom theme (no updates). 3) Build this theme with the idea of supplemental stylesheets (https://github.com/backdrop/backdrop-issues/issues/4512) or supplemental selectors (https://github.com/backdrop/backdrop-issues/issues/4782) in mind from the outset.

[indigoxela]

IMO this could be a way out of our deadlock with changes to Basis CSS.

Things to consider: Adding a new theme to core every few years has pros and cons.

A new theme can pick up design trends, that an existing theme never could - Basis starts to look a little "dated". And it's always easier to start fresh.

A new theme every few years, will - over time - stuff the core themes directory with things, we probably can't remove later on. For sure not within a minor release.

[irinaz]

It would be GREAT to have bootstrap5 theme in core :)

[stpaultim]

We had about 15 people in a session devoted to this topic at Backdrop LIVE. Here are some notes I took.

• We should find a way to fix Basis. If we can’t do that, a new core theme may make sense.
• If we do a new theme, we should leverage work that Drupal has done with their core themes.
• Accessibility would be very important for any new theme.
• Dianne points out how important it is for new Backdrop users to have an attractive, reliable theme with basic functionality like drop-down menus and full width heroes.
• Jason - we need a few contrib themes that are easily configurable.
• Rick - assumes the core theme is just there to get started and help you until you get to another theme. A core theme should be very easy, flexible, and well documented. Looks for themes that have lots of users.
• Rob didn’t find Basis flexible enough when he first started and looked for themes that were more flexible. He found Snazzy and really liked it because it looks good and was customizable in the ways that he wanted it to be.
• Sarvasri asked what happens to the theme when you migrate or upgrade.
• Dianne tried several other themes and then came back to Basis because of the mobile menu and it was easy to add CSS.
• Evangelos said that Basis is very primitive in look and that we should have a new theme with a more modern look. Core themes should be modern and simple.
• John - different users expect different things from themes.
• Wilbur - as a project, we’re a bit short on themes. If our focus is on small sites that might not have a developer, we need to have good options for these sites. There is no shortage of available themes to port to contrib. Our dev cycle has been around quite a while and it will be a while before 2.0, that is too long to wait for a new theme.
• Sarvasri - suggests looking at the best themes available for other CMSs and try to port them to Backdrop.
• Greg - If the overhead of adding a theme in core is too high, we should remember how easy it is to add a contrib theme with the project installer. Since things move slowly in core, wouldn’t it be better to focus on more choices in contrib. Also mentioned #3193
• Olaf - putting it in core AND having promoted themes in contrib are both good. In core discussion we have not talked much about how a theme can be configured, but several people here have commented on desiring this ability. We should discuss adding more settings to a core theme.
• Dianne considers a modern, accessible design very important to convince new users to switch to Backdrop. Don’t mess with how people intuitively deal with a website. Would be nice to have a core theme that better allows for panels (stacked regions). A good mobile menu is hard to add, so she would like more themes that have mobile menus.
• Sarvasri - asks how easy it is to port themes from other CMS’s.
• Nate - says that adding a new theme to core should not be an issue of overhead. If this is something we want to do, the issue of overhead should not be the deciding factor. As a core committer, he is open to a new theme in core.
• Jen expressed some clear concern about putting effort into a new theme in core when that effort might also be applied to fixing existing themes or addressing the issue of fixing Basic in a Backward compatible way.