rishi raj's blog

Building Modern Jekyll Themes

1 min read

Creating modern Jekyll themes requires understanding both the technical aspects of Jekyll and modern web development practices.

Key Considerations

Performance

  • Optimize images and assets
  • Use modern CSS techniques
  • Implement lazy loading
  • Minimize JavaScript usage

Accessibility

  • Semantic HTML structure
  • Proper ARIA labels
  • Keyboard navigation support
  • Color contrast compliance

Responsive Design

  • Mobile-first approach
  • Flexible grid systems
  • Touch-friendly interfaces
  • Cross-browser compatibility

Best Practices

  1. Modular CSS: Use SCSS with organized partials
  2. Liquid Templates: Create reusable includes
  3. Configuration: Make everything configurable
  4. Documentation: Provide clear setup instructions

Theme Architecture

The Sobolev2 theme follows these principles:

  • Clean separation of concerns
  • Flexible layout system
  • Easy customization options
  • Performance optimization

Building themes is both an art and a science, requiring attention to both design and technical implementation.