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May 18, 2026

Understanding the Philosophy Behind Gutenberg & Modern WordPress

For the past few years, most of my WordPress workflow has revolved around Elementor.

Like many other WordPress developers and designers, I was used to building websites through drag-and-drop builders because they were fast, flexible, and visually convenient.

But recently, I started becoming more curious about the future direction of WordPress.

I kept seeing more discussions about:

  • Gutenberg
  • Full Site Editing (FSE)
  • Block Themes
  • Native WordPress development
  • Performance-focused websites

Then I realized something:

WordPress is no longer moving toward “builder-first” development.

It’s moving toward a more native, modular, and performance-oriented ecosystem.

So I decided to start learning Block Theme development from scratch.

And through this blog series, I want to document my learning journey while also sharing everything I learn with other developers who may be curious about modern WordPress development.

This is the first phase of my learning journey.

Why Did WordPress Create Gutenberg?

Before understanding Block Themes, I think it’s important to first understand why Gutenberg even exists.

The Old WordPress Era

In the past, WordPress websites were mostly built using:

  • Classic Themes
  • PHP template files
  • Widgets
  • Page Builders

The workflow usually looked like this:

Install WordPress
→ Install Theme
→ Install Elementor or other Page Builder
→ Build pages visually

This workflow became extremely popular because it allowed users to create websites quickly without needing to code everything manually.

And honestly — page builders changed the WordPress ecosystem forever.

But over time, several problems started appearing.

The Problems With Heavy Page Builder Workflows

Even though page builders are convenient, they often introduce technical issues behind the scenes.

1. Too Many Nested Elements

Many page builders generate very large HTML structures.

For example:

<div>
  <div>
    <div>
      <section>
        <div>

This creates:

  • bloated DOM structures
  • slower rendering
  • reduced performance
  • harder maintenance

2. Heavy CSS & JavaScript Assets

Many builders load:

  • large CSS files
  • large JavaScript bundles
  • animations and effects globally

Even when some features are not being used.

This can negatively affect:

  • loading speed
  • Core Web Vitals
  • SEO
  • mobile performance

3. Dependency on Third-Party Builders

Another issue is dependency.

When an entire website heavily relies on one builder:

  • migration becomes difficult
  • updates may break layouts
  • changing systems becomes risky

The website becomes tied to the builder ecosystem.

Then Gutenberg Was Introduced

To solve many of these long-term problems, WordPress introduced:

Gutenberg

Gutenberg is WordPress’s native block-based editor.

Instead of editing everything inside one large content editor, users now build pages using independent blocks.

Examples of blocks:

  • Heading Block
  • Paragraph Block
  • Image Block
  • Columns Block
  • Buttons Block
  • Group Block

Each block represents a modular piece of content.

Understanding the Core Philosophy of Gutenberg

This is the part that completely changed my perspective.

Gutenberg is not just a “new editor.”

It represents a completely different way of thinking about website development.

From Page-Based Thinking to Modular Thinking

Previously, many developers thought like this:

“How do I build this page?”

Now the mindset becomes:

“How do I build reusable components and systems?”

This is a very important mindset shift.

Because modern WordPress development focuses more on:

  • modular systems
  • reusable layouts
  • scalable design architecture
  • native editing experiences

What Is a Block Theme?

After Gutenberg evolved further, WordPress introduced:

Block Themes

A Block Theme is a modern WordPress theme architecture built specifically for the block editor and Full Site Editing.

Unlike classic themes that rely heavily on PHP templates, Block Themes use:

  • blocks
  • templates
  • template parts
  • patterns
  • theme.json

This allows users to visually edit:

  • headers
  • footers
  • page templates
  • blog layouts
  • archive pages

without needing a traditional page builder.

Understanding Full Site Editing (FSE)

One of the most important concepts in modern WordPress is:

Full Site Editing

FSE allows almost every part of a website to become editable through the block editor.

That means:

  • headers are editable
  • footers are editable
  • templates are editable
  • layouts are editable

This creates a more unified editing experience directly inside WordPress.

The Main Philosophy Behind Block Themes

After spending time exploring modern WordPress, I realized Block Themes focus heavily on several important principles.

1. Native WordPress Development

The goal is to use WordPress core features as much as possible.

Instead of relying on many external systems, the website is built closer to the WordPress ecosystem itself.

This creates:

  • better compatibility
  • easier maintenance
  • more future-proof development

2. Performance-First Architecture

Modern WordPress development cares a lot about:

  • loading speed
  • accessibility
  • semantic HTML
  • lightweight frontend architecture

Compared to many heavy builder workflows, Block Themes generally produce:

  • cleaner HTML
  • fewer unnecessary wrappers
  • smaller assets
  • faster rendering

3. Modular & Reusable Systems

One of the most interesting concepts is reusability.

For example, developers can create:

  • Hero Patterns
  • CTA Patterns
  • Portfolio Patterns
  • Testimonial Patterns

Then users can simply insert them whenever needed.

This feels similar to reusable UI systems in modern frontend development.

4. Better Editing Experience for Clients

Another thing I noticed is that Block Themes can create a simpler editing experience for clients.

Instead of opening a large visual builder interface, users can edit content more directly using blocks.

This can reduce:

  • layout confusion
  • accidental design changes
  • dependency on developers for small edits

Elementor vs Gutenberg — My Personal Perspective

After comparing both workflows, I don’t think one is completely “better” than the other.

They simply solve different problems.

Elementor Is Great For:

  • rapid prototyping
  • marketing websites
  • highly visual workflows
  • quick client projects
  • fast layout creation

Gutenberg & Block Themes Are Great For:

  • scalable architecture
  • long-term maintainability
  • lightweight websites
  • native WordPress development
  • performance-focused projects

Personally, I think both still have their place.

But I also believe understanding Block Theme development will become increasingly valuable in the future.

The Mindset Shift I’m Currently Learning

This learning journey is not only about new tools.

It’s also about changing the way I think about building websites.

Previously, I mostly focused on:

  • sections
  • pages
  • visual layouts

Now I’m starting to think more about:

  • systems
  • components
  • reusable structures
  • scalable design architecture

And honestly, this feels very similar to modern frontend development concepts.

What I’m Learning in Phase 1

At this stage, I’m focusing on understanding the foundations first before jumping into advanced development.

Current topics I’m learning:

  • Gutenberg Editor
  • Block-based layouts
  • Full Site Editing
  • theme.json
  • Templates
  • Template Parts
  • Patterns
  • Modern WordPress architecture

Right now, I’m intentionally trying not to rush into custom block development yet.

Because I want to fully understand the ecosystem and philosophy first.

My Goal Moving Forward

My long-term goal is to combine:

  • UI/UX design
  • WordPress development
  • performance optimization
  • modern interactions
  • clean architecture

into a more modern WordPress workflow.

I want to build websites that are:

  • visually modern
  • lightweight
  • scalable
  • responsive
  • accessible
  • enjoyable to use

without relying too heavily on bloated systems.

Final Thoughts

Learning Block Theme development feels a little overwhelming at first — especially coming from a page builder workflow.

But at the same time, it feels exciting.

Because this isn’t just about learning a new feature.

It feels like learning the future direction of WordPress itself.

And through this blog series, I’ll continue documenting:

  • what I learn
  • the mistakes I make
  • useful resources
  • workflow discoveries
  • experiments
  • real projects

Hopefully this journey can also help other developers who are curious about modern WordPress development.

See you in the next phase.

In the next article, I’ll start diving deeper into:

Understanding Gutenberg Editor More Deeply

Including:

  • how blocks actually work
  • layout structures
  • Group vs Stack vs Row
  • nesting systems
  • responsive block thinking
  • Query Loop basics
  • and how to think about layouts without relying on Elementor.
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