WordPress 3.8 features: MP6 admin, dashboard refresh, redesigned widgets UI

After a three-hour IRC meeting, Matt Mullenweg confirmed the feature set for WordPress 3.8: a brand-new MP6 admin interface, a refreshed dashboard, the THX38 theme-install experience, and a redesigned widget chooser.

Unlike earlier releases, every planned feature is first built as a standalone plugin for early testing before it’s merged into core.

Some of these plugins are already available in the WordPress plugin repo, including MP6 and the widget chooser.

Widgets Area Chooser: easier widget selection

Before the meeting, developer Shaun Andrews proposed bringing the Widget Area Chooser plugin into 3.8 core. It gives the widgets interface a fresh experience and lets users place widgets from the theme customizer. Mullenweg called it a great addition and asked Automattic’s Andrews to test thoroughly before merging. Here’s a screenshot of the widget chooser:

DASH: the new dashboard home

DASH is fully ready for core; WordPress 3.7 users can already try it via a plugin.

THX38: redesigned theme installation

THX38 has been described as “more fun and friendly.” It still needs some optimization and speed improvements before landing in core.

MP6: a new responsive WordPress admin

MP6 has been polished by an independent team for nearly a year and battle-tested by plenty of users, so its inclusion in WordPress 3.8 is no surprise.

You can install these directly from your WP admin or download them here:

MP6: http://wordpress.org/plugins/mp6/

Widgets Area Chooser: http://wordpress.org/plugins/widget-area-chooser/

THX38: http://wordpress.org/plugins/thx38/