Site Migration

A World Between Worlds is now officially up and running with Hugo!

Hugo Theme Constant

Along with the migration comes a fresh new look. Since the site is now powered by Hugo, it features a custom-designed theme, Constant.

The theme is developed upon the Console theme by Marcin Mierzejewski, which draws inspiration from the Linux console. I like its simplicity, particularly the single font size and the seperation between image-based “photos” and text-based “posts”. However, I don’t think of myself as a software person, and I found that its strong Linux-centric elements didn’t align with the broader focus of this site. So, I used it as a foundation to create a more tailored theme that better suits my vision.

Source code of the Constant theme can be found in this Github repo.

The most significant change is the removal of Linux-specific elements, but I’ve also introduced several other features to make the theme more functional and visually appealing. Here are the major updates:

• Redesigned image grid:
  The original Console theme used square grids for images, which can result in cropping large portions of images. To address this, I redesigned it into a flexbox with a constant row height, which better accommodates various aspect ratios.

• Updated fonts:
  The default font has been changed to Maven Pro, an elegant, sans-serif typeface by Joe Prince.
  In addition, I’ve also added support for Chinese (simplified and traditional), Japanese, and Korean with Nowar Neo Sans, an open-source font originally created for World of Warcraft. This combination complements the aesthetic of Maven Pro while providing multilingual support.

• New navigation bar:
  Categories are now featured in the navigation bar, replacing less critical links like “About”, “Posts”, and “Photos”, which are accessible via the homepage.

• An image grid in each list:
  Unlike the Console theme, which displays photos in lists without previews like posts, Constant introduces a photo grid within each list, making it easier to browse through visual content.

• Photo dates:
  Each photo now includes its date, displayed below the title for better context.

• Tag lists:
  Tags are now visible at the bottom of each post and photo, helping to improve discoverability and organization.

• Favicon customization:
  You can now customize the favicon, giving your site a unique identity in browser tabs.

• Configurable site description:
  The site description can be easily customized through the configuration file.

• 404 message customization:
  The 404 error message can also be customized via the configuration file.

• Footer customization:
  The footer now includes copyright information and the option to add a custom logo, configurable via the configuration file.

Why the name Constant? The name holds multiple meanings:

• Typography:
  The theme maintains a consistent font size, with text hierarchy achieved through font weight, color, and spacing, creating a minimalistic and elegant aesthetic.

• Color palette:
  If you know me, you know my constant love for the color blue. In this design, there is only one color featured — the International Klein Blue.

• Homage to Console:
  The name begins with “Cons-”, as a nod to the theme’s original inspiration.

• HITMAN reference:
  It’s also a subtle reference to the game HITMAN, where the leader of the secret society Providence is known as The Constant.

Tags: Hugo

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