[Idea] Urgent feedback regarding Hummingbird 2.0 layout and mobile UX

[Rogwalk]

The problem

No response

The solution

To improve Hummingbird 2.0 and better serve its user base, I propose a fundamental shift in the design philosophy for the default theme. Specifically, the following improvements are needed:

1. Optimize for Mobile and Tablet Devices

The current layout, especially on larger tablets like the 12.9" iPad, needs a thorough overhaul. The visual presentation is not meeting modern standards. We need a modern, polished, and professional-looking interface that works perfectly across all screen sizes out of the box.
2. Create a "Ready-to-Go" Standard Template

The goal for PrestaShop should be to provide a high-quality default theme that allows merchants to go live immediately. A new user should not be forced to hire a developer or purchase a premium theme just to have an acceptable design. The current default, with its visual choices like the blue font, does not convey a professional image. We should aim for the standard set by competitors like Shopify, where the basic theme is aesthetically pleasing and functional from day one.
3. Add Native Customization Features in the Admin Panel

It is critical that basic styling changes can be made directly from the backend. The standard template must include easy-to-use options for:

Changing button colors

Changing menu colors
Third-party templates always provide this flexibility, and it should not be missing from the core product's default theme.

4. Shift Away from the "Basis to Build Upon" Mindset

We need to move away from the idea that the standard layout is only a basic framework meant for developers to improve. The average user needs a finished, professional product. A high-end solution like PrestaShop deserves a high-end default template.

In conclusion, focusing on a premium, flexible, and mobile-responsive default design will empower new merchants to start their business professionally without added financial or technical burdens.

Additional context

No response

Do you plan to work on this subject?

• I'm willing to contribute a formal specification.
• I'm willing to provide any wireframes or design assets required for this feature.
• I'm willing to submit a Pull Request that implements this feature.
• I'm willing to help verify that the implemented feature works as intended and produces no unintended side effects.

[Hlavtox]

Hello, this comment is quite disrespectful for the people that just spent years polishing this theme to perfection.

If a merchant wants to have a different color of the theme, he can choose custom themes from many authors or slightly tweak the styles. An user with zero technical knowledge should not be installing Prestashop.

Also, if AI can help you write this essay, I am sure it can help you with modifying hummingbird to your liking. 👍

[Rogwalk]

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback. I apologize if my previous post came across as disrespectful; that was certainly not my intention. My goal is not to devalue the immense work that has gone into Hummingbird, but to provide feedback from a market and merchant perspective.

My suggestions are meant as a contribution to making PrestaShop even more competitive. Here are a few points to clarify my position:

Market Reality: Competitors like Shopify show that a professional, "ready-to-go" default theme is a key factor for success. If PrestaShop wants to grow its user base, the "out-of-the-box" experience is crucial.

Accessibility: Relying on the idea that users must have technical knowledge or hire developers for basic CSS changes (like button colors) creates a barrier that often leads them to choose other platforms.

Collaborative Spirit: I want to help PrestaShop thrive. A modern, highly flexible default theme is not a luxury, but a necessity to keep up with modern web standards and user expectations.

I truly believe that making the core product more accessible to non-technical merchants will strengthen the entire ecosystem, including the developer community. I am happy to contribute further ideas or testing to help move this forward.

Best regards,
Roger

[tblivet]

Hello,

I share @Hlavtox’s opinion. Refactoring Hummingbird v2, as well as the first initiatives made in v1 to improve the theme, required a lot of work to reach this final version, which is, in my opinion, way cleaner than the classic theme we all know.

The goal of this repository is to provide a better base for theme developers to build on and customize properly, with many bug fixes and refactors along the way. I agree that this is not a “fancy” or especially “pretty” theme, but it is a clean one, and the overall quality level has clearly improved.

Regarding responsiveness, I do not really see a problem here, as it has been significantly improved across all pages and screen sizes.

For customization, the global structure has been refactored to make this easier. Of course, some code changes are still required for this kind of work, but that is normal since PrestaShop does not provide native options for everything.

As for shifting direction, that may sound simple in theory, but providing a better theme is already an important step. PrestaShop relies on an entire ecosystem built around Bootstrap, and our role today is not to deliver a fancy theme with many specific modules, but to provide a solid and functional one while introducing better practices for the community.

A more visually ambitious theme would absolutely be possible, but our goal here was to provide a clean PrestaShop + Bootstrap base for users and developers to build on. We also cannot change everything at once, because a large part of the ecosystem still depends on older Bootstrap versions. With the release of v2, and now that Hummingbird is the default PrestaShop theme, the community will progressively need to adapt their modules to make them compatible. We have to move forward step by step and cannot break the whole ecosystem overnight.

In my opinion, having a solid, clean, and maintainable base first is the right step before going further in terms of visual ambition.