As we come down the home stretch of the WordPress 5.9 release, things are moving faster than ever. Not only will this release extend current capabilities with the block editor, but it will also introduce new capabilities for Full Site Editing and global styles.

Against this backdrop, I officially joined the Developer Relations team at WP Engine this past fall. My position is an excellent fit, as it allows me to spend my day immersed in three areas I love: design, WordPress, and community.

As I ramp up, I am assembling a team to help execute a simple mission: accelerate innovation in WordPress and help the community transition to the block editor and Full Site Editing (Gutenberg).

We want to cultivate an interactive and immersive community resource that serves as a treasure chest of knowledge and operates as a conduit between the WordPress project and its users.

As part of this mission, I am excited to announce that WP Engine is acquiring Frost. In alignment with WP Engine’s core value of “Committed to Give Back,” Frost will become a freely distributed, open source Full Site Editing theme that my team will continue to develop as part of our developer relations efforts. You can download the Frost theme here.

Given the change in business model, we will be issuing full refunds to all active customers.

Frost is a culmination of everything I love and have learned in the 15 years I have built for WordPress. It leverages the power of the block editor and includes a multitude of well-designed and functional patterns. These allow you to craft a stylish and sophisticated website with minimal effort.

By open-sourcing Frost and focusing on Full Site Editing, we hope to encourage a community of builders to experiment with the expanding capabilities of the block editor. Given this is the future of WordPress, we believe in its potential and look forward to helping it grow. But like any open source project, it takes a village, and we invite you to join us in making that growth possible.

Stay tuned for more as we enter this new frontier of WordPress.