Meet LightSpeed: Innovators in the WordPress Community

Since its founding in 2003, LightSpeed, led by Ash Shaw, has been a pioneering force in the WordPress community. From developing innovative themes and plugins to organising and sponsoring local WordCamp events, LightSpeed has made substantial contributions to the open-source ecosystem. This article explores our journey, highlighting our commitment to driving innovation, fostering community engagement, and continually enhancing the WordPress experience.

We’re honoured to be featured by Jonathan Bossenger, lead WordCamp Cape Town organiser, in his talk “We are WordPress”. Our contributions to the WP community have been a key part of our journey.

Community Involvement

Strengthening the WordPress ecosystem

LightSpeed has consistently engaged with the WordPress community, contributing through various activities and initiatives to foster growth and collaboration.

• Organiser and Speaker: Ash organised WordCamp Cape Town in 2011 and 2012, growing the event significantly.
• Global Engagement: Global WordCamp events: Ash Shaw’s involvement in WordCamp events globally has been a cornerstone of LightSpeed’s community engagement, enhancing the visibility and impact of WordPress on a global scale. Attended WordCamp San Francisco, WordCamp Europe, and other global events, fostering connections and sharing insights.
• Contributor Days: LightSpeed’s participation in Contributor Days highlights their commitment to improving our use of WordPress standards and best practices.
• Theme Review Team: Active participation in the WordPress Theme Review team, helping to maintain high standards for theme development.
• Code Contributions: LightSpeed has contributed code to various WordPress projects, ensuring the platform’s continuous improvement.
• Translations: Submitting Afrikaans translations to various WordPress projects.  

The LSX Classic WordPress Theme marked the beginning of LightSpeed’s journey into the open-source community. Launched in 2014, it addressed the limitations we faced with existing themes and set the foundation for our future developments. This theme not only showcased our commitment to quality and innovation but also played a crucial role in establishing our presence in the WordPress ecosystem. Through the LSX Classic Theme, we began to understand the power of community collaboration and the importance of adhering to WordPress standards and best practices.

Development and Evolution

Initially launched in 2014 after discussions at WordCamp Cape Town, the LSX Theme started as a very basic theme. During this event, Ashley Shaw discussed with Matty Cohen the issues LightSpeed was experiencing with the WooThemes Canvas theme. Frequent changes to the Canvas theme were causing breaking changes to customer sites upon upgrades. Matty suggested developing their own theme, leading to the inception of the LSX Theme, which started development well before WordCamp San Francisco.

Following this, Ashley attended WordCamp San Francisco, which provided further insights and inspiration for the theme’s development. The event facilitated networking with the WordPress theme review team and deepened the understanding of WordPress standards and best practices.

The LSX Theme was the only open-source product that LightSpeed ran with for the first couple of years of releasing open-source software. It was essential in helping LightSpeed deliver their projects efficiently.

LSX Features

The LSX Theme featured a clean, minimalist design that prioritised ease of use and customization, catering to both novice users and experienced developers. Key theme features included the ability to Modify layouts, colours, and fonts easily without touching any code, thanks to the intuitive theme customizer.

Modular LSX Extensions

WordPress.org themes are not permitted to contain plugin style features, which meant that over the years LightSpeed developed a host of LSX Theme extensions that were released as plugins on wordpress.org. 

To comply with WordPress.org’s guidelines, LightSpeed developed several extensions as plugins to enhance the LSX Theme’s functionality.

Community Impact

Although the theme took a few years to gain traction, it eventually reached up to 500 active downloads. However, the majority of its users were LightSpeed’s customers. Despite its limited broader adoption, the LSX Theme played a crucial role in LightSpeed’s ability to deliver quality projects to their clients.

Discontinuation

In 2024, after 59 releases on Github and nearly ten years of actively developing the LSX Theme, LightSpeed decided to discontinue the LSX Theme. This decision was made to align with LightSpeed’s strategic goals and focus on innovation, resource optimization, and commitment to quality.

• Focus on Innovation: Maintaining the LSX Theme became increasingly challenging due to its reliance on older technology. By discontinuing the theme, LightSpeed can focus on newer, more advanced solutions that leverage modern WordPress features. This shift allows the company to stay at the forefront of technological advancements and continue offering cutting-edge products.
• Resource Optimization: Reallocating resources from maintaining the LSX Theme to developing the LSX Design Theme and other new projects enables LightSpeed to innovate more effectively. This strategic move allows the team to meet current market demands and invest in areas that promise greater impact and growth potential.
• Commitment to Quality: LightSpeed is dedicated to providing high-quality, up-to-date solutions. Discontinuing the LSX Theme means that we can shift our resources to focus on LSX Design and LSX Tour Operator, which is a step towards ensuring that their offerings remain flexible, user-friendly, and in line with the latest WordPress standards & block based functionality. This commitment to quality ensures that users have access to the best tools and features available.
• Future Vision: LightSpeed’s vision for the future includes continued development of the LSX Design block theme and the continued redevelopment of the LSX Tour Operator plugin to use the latest WordPress block based technologies. 
• Community Feedback: The decision to discontinue the LSX Theme was also influenced by feedback from the WordPress community. By listening to users and developers, LightSpeed ensures that its products continue to meet evolving needs. This community-driven approach reinforces LightSpeed’s commitment to collaboration and continuous improvement within the WordPress ecosystem.

In summary, discontinuing the LSX Theme allows LightSpeed to focus on innovation, optimise resources and actively develop high quality WordPress block based open source theme & plugin software.

In 2022, LightSpeed embarked on a transformative journey, shifting from traditional WordPress theming to embrace the modern capabilities of block themes. This new direction, inspired by pivotal encounters and community collaboration, marked a significant milestone in LightSpeed’s evolution. 

The LSX Design theme represents not only a technical upgrade but also a renewed commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions that align with the latest advancements in WordPress. Through mentorship, community feedback, and rigorous development, LightSpeed has positioned the LSX Design theme as a cornerstone of its innovative future.

Development and Evolution

The journey of the LSX Design theme’s development and evolution is a testament to LightSpeed’s dedication to innovation and excellence in the WordPress ecosystem.

• Carlina Nymark’s motivation: At WordCamp Europe 2022 in Porto, Ash met Carolina, who inspired him to make the move from classic WordPress themes to block themes. This was a massive shift from the old way of theming. Carolina’s impressive Full Site Editing website was the first extensive resource on the topic of block theme development and using the WordPress full site editor. 
• Dom Nusca’s recommendation: Dom was part of the LightSpeed nearly a decade ago and instrumental in the early versions of the classic LSX theme. At WCEU 2022, Dom recommended that LightSpeed use FrostWP for new block theme based projects. He advised that it was the best example of a block theme that he has found, which helped the LightSpeed team release our first block theme based client websites.
• Frank Klein’s mentoring: Frank’s website WP Development Courses was the catalyst to LightSpeed’s journey in learning about the new WordPress Full Site Editor. After the LightSpeed development team finished Frank’s courses, we moved to doing a 6 week long mentoring exercise with Frank, where he spent 1-2 hours on a Google Meet session with the LightSpeed development team mentoring up on everything from block development to more effective Git workflow and how to leverage Gutenberg Issues & Pull Requests on Github to understand where the block editor was headed.
• Open-Source Commitment: LightSpeed team began developing the new LSX Design theme on Github, allowing for community contributions and continuous improvement. Frank guided us through the initial phases of this theme development.
• Community Collaboration: Before submitting the new LSX Design theme to WP.org, Frank Klein did an extensive code review, using Github Issues he provided detailed input on how LightSpeed should prepare the LSX Design theme for submission to the WP.org theme repository. Once LightSpeed was happy with our new block theme, we submitted LSX Design to the WordPress Theme Review for review. Frank and the Theme Review team’s code audit feedback shape the theme’s early development, the LightSpeed team diligently address all of this feedback and in July 2023 the LSX Design was released on WP.org. 
• Continuous Development: The LSX Design theme has been meticulously maintained and consistently enhanced to align with the latest WordPress features. Our commitment to excellence is evident in the eight releases tagged on GitHub, each incorporating new functionalities and improvements based on community feedback and the evolving WordPress landscape.

LightSpeed’s ongoing dedication to open source ensures that the LSX Design theme remains at the forefront of innovation, providing users with a robust, cutting-edge solution that leverages the full potential of WordPress’s capabilities.

Block theme features

The LSX Design theme is packed with features that cater for agencies and website designers looking to leverage the full potential of the WordPress visual editor, the LSX Design theme offers a robust and versatile solution. 

Here are some of the standout features:

• Customizable Patterns: The LSX Design theme includes an extensive library of pre-designed, responsive patterns that can be easily customised. These patterns allow users to quickly create visually appealing layouts without needing to start from scratch, saving time and effort while maintaining design consistency.
• User-Friendly Integration: Designed with user experience in mind, the LSX Design theme integrates seamlessly with the WordPress block editor. This integration ensures that users can leverage the full power of the block editor’s capabilities, making it easy to build and customise pages with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality.
• Enhanced Accessibility: Accessibility is a top priority for the LSX Design theme. Recent updates have focused on improving accessibility features, ensuring that websites built with LSX Design are inclusive and usable for all visitors. These improvements are driven by community feedback and thorough research, reflecting LightSpeed’s commitment to creating accessible digital experiences.
• Modular Design: The theme’s modular design allows for flexible customization. Users can easily add or remove components as needed, tailoring the theme to fit specific project requirements. This modular approach ensures that the LSX Design theme can adapt to a wide range of use cases, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites.
• Performance Optimization: The LSX Design theme is optimised for performance, ensuring fast load times and a smooth user experience. By following best practices in coding and leveraging the latest WordPress technologies, the theme delivers robust performance even on content-heavy websites.

The LSX Design theme exemplifies LightSpeed’s dedication to providing high-quality, innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of the WordPress community. With its customizable patterns, user-friendly integration, enhanced accessibility, and regular updates, the LSX Design theme is a powerful tool for creating modern, efficient, and accessible websites.

LSX Design System & Prototypes

Streamlining high-quality web design with our versatile open source tools

The LSX Design System is a comprehensive open source design toolkit available on figma.com designed to streamline the process of creating consistent, high-quality websites. It provides a unified approach to design and development, ensuring that every project adheres to best practices and maintains a cohesive visual identity. The system is particularly beneficial for agencies and website designers who need to deliver scalable and efficient solutions.

Design System

The LSX Design System offers a robust framework that includes reusable components, design patterns, and guidelines. This system is built to enhance productivity and consistency across multiple projects. Explore the LSX Design System here.

Website Prototypes

To demonstrate the versatility and capabilities of the LSX Design System, we have developed three distinct prototypes. Each prototype showcases different use cases and illustrates how the system can be applied to various types of projects. 

• Basic Prototype: The Basic Prototype is designed for simple websites and blogs. 
• Standard Prototype: The Standard Prototype offers a more comprehensive set of features suitable for corporate websites, portfolios, and content-heavy sites. 
• WooCommerce Prototype: This prototype includes specialised components for product listings, shopping carts, and checkout processes, ensuring a smooth and user-friendly shopping experience.

These prototypes demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of the LSX Design System, making it a valuable resource for creating a wide variety of WordPress websites. Whether you are building a simple blog, a corporate site, or a complex e-commerce platform, the LSX Design System provides the tools and components needed to achieve your goals efficiently and effectively.

Evolution from classic LSX theme to Tour Operator plugin

Advancing our open source journey with specialised solutions

The classic LSX Theme was LightSpeed’s first open-source product, which they actively developed and maintained for nearly a decade. This theme laid the foundation for their open-source initiatives and demonstrated their commitment to contributing to the WordPress community.

The next significant step in LightSpeed’s open-source journey was the release of the LSX Tour Operator plugin. This plugin represented an evolution in their open-source offerings, providing specialised functionality tailored for tour operators and enhancing the overall capabilities of the WordPress platform.

LSX Tour Operator Core Plugin

The LSX Tour Operator core plugin, available on the WordPress plugin repository, has historically been designed to work seamlessly with the classic LSX theme. This combination provided a prime solution for building comprehensive, feature-rich, user-friendly tour operator websites. The initial integration with the LSX theme allowed for a cohesive and streamlined experience, despite its somewhat limiting nature.

The plugin offers a robust platform for managing tours, bookings, and customer interactions, all within the familiar WordPress environment. Key features include customizable tour listings, an intuitive booking system, and detailed itineraries, which can be efficiently managed from the WordPress dashboard. These features enable tour operators to create detailed, engaging content that enhances the user experience.

LSX Tour Operator Extensions

Additionally, the LSX Tour Operator plugin supports various LSX extensions, enhancing its functionality with additional modules for specific needs. Key LSX Tour Operator-specific extensions include:

• LSX Tour Operator Team: Manages and displays team member profiles with customizable roles and biographies.
• LSX Tour Operator Specials: Creates and manages special offers and promotions.
• LSX Tour Operator Reviews: Collects and displays customer reviews to build credibility.

LSX Content Importer for Wetu

One of the standout extensions developed by LightSpeed and released on WP.org, is the LSX Content Importer for Wetu, which is designed to integrate seamlessly with the Wetu.com content API. This powerful tool has been instrumental in connecting LightSpeed with numerous tour operator customers seeking a robust WordPress solution that leverages the digital itinerary content generated within the Wetu application backend.

The LSX Content Importer for Wetu enables tour operators to easily import comprehensive tour itineraries, along with associated destination and accommodation content, directly into their WordPress websites. This integration allows for the effortless population of websites with rich media and valuable, engaging content. All imported data is stored within the LSX Tour Operator plugin and, when combined with the classic LSX theme, is displayed beautifully on the website.

By using the Wetu importer, tour operators can streamline their content management processes, ensuring that their websites are always up-to-date with the latest itineraries and relevant information. This collaboration with Wetu has strengthened LightSpeed’s position in the industry, providing clients with an efficient and effective way to enhance their online presence and engage with their audience.

New LSX Tour Operator design system & block based plugin 

Adapting to modern times with streamlined open source solutions

Times change and technology changes rapidly. LightSpeed loves Figma and we have streamlined our open source design processes. We release a new open source LSX Tour Operator Design System to facilitate effective & consistent Tour Operator website design. To keep up with the new block based times, LightSpeed decided to redevelop the LSX Tour Operator plugin. For more information, read the links for full stories on these topics.

Impact and Future Directions

LightSpeed’s ongoing contributions have significantly shaped the WordPress community, setting benchmarks for quality and innovation. As we look to the future, our commitment to pushing boundaries and fostering community engagement remains stronger than ever.

Industry Influence

LightSpeed has established itself as a respected organisation within the WordPress community, renowned for its high-quality contributions and active community involvement. Our dedication to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with WordPress has resulted in innovative open source solutions. A prime example of recent open source work is our transition to a block-based Tour Operator plugin, showcasing our commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements.

Future plans

Looking ahead, LightSpeed is dedicated to continuing its legacy of innovation and community engagement, with several key initiatives and goals on the horizon. LightSpeed’s open source commitment and future plans: 

• Ongoing Innovation: Plans to further enhance the LSX Design theme and the LSX Tour Operator plugin, integrating the latest WordPress block based features for greater flexibility and functionality.
• Community Engagement: We believe in the power of community and the importance of giving back. LightSpeed will continue to participate in WordPress events and Contributor Days, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, ensuring sustained contributions to the community.
• WordCamp Sponsorships: LightSpeed is committed to supporting the local WordPress community through ongoing sponsorships of WordCamp Cape Town. These sponsorships help facilitate valuable networking, learning, and collaboration opportunities for WordPress enthusiasts, further strengthening the community and promoting the open-source ethos.

By maintaining our focus on innovation, community engagement, and strategic partnerships, LightSpeed is poised to continue making a significant impact on the WordPress ecosystem, driving forward both our own growth and the success of the community we serve.

Conclusion

LightSpeed’s journey reflects a deep commitment to the WordPress community through innovative development, active participation, and a steadfast open-source philosophy. These efforts have not only enhanced the WordPress platform but have also fostered a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement within the community. As we look to the future, our focus remains on driving innovation, optimising resources, and engaging with the community to deliver high-quality, cutting-edge WordPress solutions.