This month we sit down with powerhouse theme developers ThemeFuse
Who is ThemeFuse?
ThemeFuse is a web design studio specialised in WordPress themes, started initially by 4 friends that were interested in building something new and exciting in web design. At a certain point in time, we’ve decided to start something on our own and make a name for ourselves in the WordPress themes industry, which we thought was the perfect place to start.
Nowadays, our team has more than 15 members, which might seem fairly big for a WordPress themes shop, but it’s the right amount of workforce that we need right now, given all our latest endeavours, like the launch of BitBlox platform- the newest addition to our ThemeFuse family.
How long have you been developing WordPress themes?
We’ve started ThemeFuse in December 2010, when the WordPress theme industry looked very different than where we are now. The 4 of us who started ThemeFuse, combined, have more than 20 years of experience with web and WordPress in particular. We’ve come a long way since, when it comes to the products we release as well as in terms of the team, which as i’ve said already counts more that 15 members.
Why did you choose WordPress as your platform?
Back in 2010, WordPress was the up-and-coming platform when it came to functionalities and support by developers. It was also pretty versatile as a platform and was maintained and supported by a very committed company like Automatic. So the choice was clear for us, all we had to do was bring something new and original to the table with our designs and UX. And we believe we’ve achieved that, from the get-go.
What is your design/development philosophy?
The thing that differentiates us from other WordPress theme shops is the original design style (at least in our eyes) and niche ideas for our themes. For example, we try to cover niche templates like hotels, coffee shops, medical offices, sports magazines, and lawyer offices themes instead of doing the same run-of-the-mill, generic templates that you see for sale on many competing shops.
Also, we have a great team of developers and this allows us to create from scratch a lot of the functioning parts of the theme, without relying on 3rd party plugins like many themes nowadays do. This is a plus in our eyes because the more integrated the theme is the better it will run, the less resources it needs, and generally just feels smoother. Also, the support is offered only by us on our website because we have built everything in the theme and we know everything there is. This is a big plus for our clients because they don’t get sent to other 3rd party developers that built some plugins used in the theme, as this makes it a painful experience for the end user being ushered around from a support desk to another.
What advice do you have for theme developers just starting out?
Our advice would be this one: DON’T! ((smile))) Joking aside, this industry is getting crowded really fast and if you don’t have the enthusiasm, knowledge, skills and ability to create something that leaves all other theme shops out in the dust, then it’s probably not worth it.
What’s your favorite theme on the Marketplace? why?
If we had to pick one of our babies, then it would probably be The Core, because it is our best and most complete theme. It comes with almost 20 different demos and lots of options that make it very easy and fun to use. We keep adding new demos to it and we add new features and functionalities with each monthly update.
What would you say your themes are best used for?
We like to say we have a theme for every niche or industry out there, but the best use of our themes is for sites that need to be more special, that want an original look and a bit of extravagance. We rarely build themes that do not break the mould, or that are too generic / clean / minimalistic.
Do you have any tips for users trying to choose a WP theme for their project?
Sure, we advise all users to test the themes before buying, and we offer a 14 days free testing account for anyone interested in our themes. In our TestLabs area you can play with any of our themes just like you would if you’d bought one. It’s a very transparent way of doing things and we like it when clients purchase our themes after reviewing them in TestLabs. It gives us confidence that what we’ve built is really appreciated for what it is and not a theme bought blind or based on reviews of others.
What do you do when you’re not coding?
We like to spend time with our loved ones, play as much as we can online and offline ((smile)) exercise, travel and generally have fun by being very active.
