Maggie Cabrera is a JavaScript engineer at Automattic. He has been working with WordPress for a long time, but has only contributed to the open source project since 2020. He mainly contributes to theme groups and core groups.
She was one of the potential customers of WordPress version 6.4, the last major release of 2023 and underrepresented by gender. Maggie led the Default Theme team, orchestrating the creation of the flexible Twenty Twenty-Four theme.
Maggie’s WordPress journey is proof that a hobby can turn into a profession if done consistently. Read on to see how Maggie’s curiosity and love of blogging paved the way for a career in web development.
From personal passions to professional pursuits
In 2007, when blogging started to become popular, Maggie joined the wave and created her first blog on Blogger.
However, the limitations of the platform quickly became apparent. Frustrated by the inability to customize her blog, Maggie’s search for creative freedom led her to WordPress. After purchasing a domain and a budget-friendly hosting service, she took her first steps on what would become a lifelong journey with WordPress.
Maggie then became passionate about her online magazine. First, he made basic tweaks like changing colors and fonts and tweaking CSS to change the aesthetic.
Driven by curiosity and a do-it-yourself ethos, Maggie immersed herself in the world of web customization relying on Google and a hands-on approach to learning. During this exploratory phase, software engineering friends provided her with inspiration and occasional advice.
A pivotal moment came when Maggie had a crisis while studying architecture. Questioning her future, she thought about her growing interest in the digital field. The internet, an important part of her life from the early stages, seemed to offer a promising avenue.
“I really enjoy my blog and all the things I learn with it. And I always really liked how the Internet worked. So I said, ‘I think I want to work on that,'” says Maggie. This introspection led her to take a software analyst course in her native Spain. This move marked an official shift towards her career in web development.
After finishing her course, Maggie worked for small companies working with agencies. This became a fertile ground for hands-on experience, cementing her commitment to internet-related projects.
From Maggie’s journey, we can see how constant adaptation and learning is the key to getting to where she is right now.
Community Issues Initiative: Cultivating Creativity and Collaboration
In 2023, Maggie started an experimental effort within the WordPress community – the Community Themes Initiative.
The launch of this initiative goes back to the insightful dialogues at WordCamp Europe 2022 in Porto, Portugal. “We discussed how every time we create a default theme, we have so many contributors working on it for that short period of time, and then they’re all gone,” says Maggie.
It sparked the realization that the process was not only critical to technical progress, but also an effective community-building exercise. It deserved continuity beyond the life cycle of the default themes. “The process is a great learning experience for everyone involved, so I want to maintain that experience in the WordPress community,” he adds.
The Community Themes Initiative is Maggie’s answer to maintaining and expanding this rich learning ecosystem. It sets a benchmark for coding practice, offering a tangible reference for developers of all skill levels to learn from. “Looking at the codebase, people can see that there are so many ways to build block themes,” Maggie points out.
By doing this, Maggie aims to encourage people to create block topics. It aspires to enrich the WordPress theme repository with more high-quality block themes, diversifying the options available to users.
One of the achievements of this collective effort is the creation of Stacks, the first theme created by the WordPress community. It’s a simple slideshow-like theme that showcases the initiative’s ability to bring innovative ideas to life.
The Community Themes Initiative is more than just a project, it’s a move to democratize theme development.
It invites participation in various forms – be it designing, coding, or just participating in discussions. The initiative thrives on inclusion, allowing individuals to contribute as much or as little as they prefer. It reflects the collaborative spirit of the default theme development process, but with a more relaxed and welcoming approach as there are no deadlines.
By fostering a space where learning, collaboration and creativity intersect, Maggie’s initiative is not just about creating topics. It’s a platform where anyone can learn the art of theme development at their own pace, supported by a peer-to-peer network.
This initiative stands as a beacon of continuous improvement and shared support in the WordPress ecosystem, keeping the spirit of innovation and collaboration alive.
Since Maggie only became an active WordPress contributor in 2020, it makes sense that her first Wordcamp was the one held after the pandemic.
“It was my local WordCamp – WordCamp Sevilla 2021. It was the first in-person WordCamp since the pandemic. My local WordPress community is a very willing and one of the most active in the world,” he recalls. “We were still wearing masks… I think by then we were no longer distancing ourselves. That was when everything started to open up again. But we were still tired and anxious, so the event was still very small.”
Despite the small scale and attentiveness of the participants, the event was a heartfelt reunion. “Most of the conversations were basically reminiscing about the pre-pandemic days and all that. It was more social than technical,” says Maggie.
But WordCamp US 2023 stands out as Maggie’s most memorable WordCamp moment. There the default theme was announced. “We worked really hard to give contributors the opportunity to work on the theme during Contributor Day, the first day it was announced,” he explains.
Maggie was so excited to see so many people working on the theme that day. For her, the essence of WordCamps goes beyond the technical learning opportunities – it’s about the invaluable experience of meeting other contributors in person. The physical presence and direct interaction with those he knew only through online partnerships brought a new dimension to their relationships, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.
“I like the camaraderie when you’re at the (contribution) table. I was basically running around, “How are you? How are you? Do you need help?” That was really cool,” says Maggie, taking a trip down memory lane.
Aimed at people who want to contribute to WordPress or technology in general, Maggie emphasizes the evolving nature of theme development, particularly with the emergence of block themes. It encourages those with a design background or limited coding expertise to contribute topics.
“I think there’s a shift in people who usually create issues. Before, creating themes was something that only developers or designers who knew how to code to some extent would do. It’s different now. People who don’t know how to code can also create block topics. The only thing you need to know is how to use WordPress and the block editor,” explains Maggie. “People don’t know there is a possibility for them. People who are designers might make the design in Figma and wait for someone else to select and develop it. They don’t have to anymore. If they want, they can build everything themselves.”
Maggie sees this as one of the most important challenges the WordPress community has – to let people know that the door is wide open for non-developers to make meaningful contributions.
He suggests starting by checking out the Community Themes GitHub repository, as it’s a great way to learn without any pressure.
Through initiatives like the Community Themes Initiative and cultivating supportive environments, Maggie aims to help demystify the theme development process, inviting a new wave of creativity and participation from all corners of the WordPress community.
Maya is a WordPress content writer and contributor. With years of journalism experience under her belt, her main goals are to help people understand complex processes in a simpler way and to tell the stories of people who thrive thanks to technology. When she’s not writing, you can find her watching sci-fi movies while eating ramen. Follow her on LinkedIn.
