Instead of immediately integrating Algolia, we validated whether a WooCommerce store with 800 products actually needed a dedicated search platform. By building a client-side search index, we achieved instant autocomplete, fuzzy matching, SKU search, and better relevance—all while reducing server load and keeping the architecture simple.
After experimenting with countless approaches, I built a lean WordPress starter theme designed for developers who want speed, structure, and flexibility without the bloat. Powered by Vite, Bootstrap 5, and a clean architecture, this framework is the practical result of my earlier exploration into modern theme structures — now ready to clone and use in your own projects.
Here begins my little journey toward modernizing and redesigning my blog — a process full of experiments, missteps, and small victories.
Traditional starter themes often felt limiting in my workflow. In this post, I share my journey toward a modern WordPress theme structure — modular, scalable, and aligned with today’s development practices. From components vs template-parts to adopting a src/ folder, this is the foundation that eventually led me to create my own modern starter theme framework.
I’m Andrei Josanu, a full-stack WordPress developer from Moldova with 8+ years of experience. I’ve spent maybe too much time in WordPress, building custom themes, plugins, and scalable solutions — while sometimes still feeling like a junior learning something new.
