Millions of new sites are launched throughout the year – with such great frequency, in fact, that a new site is created nearly every second. Additionally, new technologies and design concepts have made the Internet even more appealing than before.
Among the great additions to our collective resources was a lineup of gorgeous WordPress themes. Seven of these stood out as particularly beautiful.
Here they are, in no particular order.
1. Snapshot
Not every site focuses on images, but it’s becoming more common with progress in modern smartphones (which often sport built-in cameras of between five and eight megapixels). If you’re one of the many picture bloggers that have recently hit the scene, consider the well-organized, picture showcasing theme Snapshot from WooThemes.
2. MyBlogGuest Minimalistic Theme
If you like minimal designs, you will love this theme: it is clean, lightweight and easy to configure. In fact the code is really clear there, so you won’t have any problem with tweaking it to your needs.
Downlaod the theme here: Free Minimalistic WordPress Theme
3. Irresistible
The design of Irresistible from WooThemes is best summed up as “denim and scrapbooking.” However, “summing up” in this case would be really unfortunate. Take a look at this beautiful, blue design for yourself to see what we mean.
4. Bueno
Bueno is a retro theme with peach and pink polka dots, well suited for a wide variety of blog themes. One of the most impressive elements in this theme is its menu, which features some lovely rollovers and a drop-down. Even if you aren’t a fan of the theme overall, you must agree that designers could learn a lot from the layout and extras.
5. Business Turnkey
Whether you’re planning on establishing a company blog or one for personal use, Business Turnkey from Lively Labs is a great theme. It’s straightforward but attractive in its design, and sports a jquery element at the top that’s perfect for increasing click-throughs to interior pages. Despite its prestigious look, you can download this theme free of charge.
6. SimpleFolio
SimpleFolio is a theme that creates a truly succinct but attractive design in a three-column format. Like Bueno, SimpleFolio shows a particularly impressive menu.
7. Maparaan
Avoiding the mainstream colors used in theme design, Maparaan shows us a beautiful look in russet and gray. The Java feature on the main page of the site is also an ideal example of how themes can appeal to visually-oriented visitors.
This is by no means an all-inclusive list, and there are dozens – if not hundreds – of additional themes from 2010 that truly impressed. However, when it comes to appealing to users in layout, design, and features, these seven topped the list. If you have any 2010 themes that you feel we’ve disregarded, just post a quick link and the reason for your love in the comment section below.
Jennifer Moline writes for the PsPrint Blog and has been covering small-business and freelance news for a number of years. PsPrint is an online printing company providing menu printing services. Follow PsPrint on Twitter.