Step 1: Choose the Right WordPress Theme

Start with a minimal, customizable theme as your foundation:

• GeneratePress – Lightweight and highly customizable
• Astra – Fast and flexible with good typography options
• Blocksy – Modern with excellent customization options
• Kadence – Performance-focused with good design controls

All of these themes have free versions that will work, but premium versions offer more styling options.

Step 2: Essential Plugins

• Elementor or Gutenberg Block Editor – For drag-and-drop layout design
• Advanced Custom Fields – To create custom post types and fields
• WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache – For performance optimization
• Animation and Effects – “Animation and Scroll Effects” plugin or similar

Step 3: Typography Setup

The Soda Report site uses clean typography with emphasis on readability:

• Import “Inter” as your primary font (or similar sans-serif like Montserrat)
• Set up typography scales for different screen sizes
• Use larger fonts for headlines (32px+) and comfortable reading sizes for body (18-20px)

Custom CSS for Typography:

/* Add this to your theme's Additional CSS section */
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@300;400;500;600;700&display=swap');

body {
    font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif;
    font-size: 18px;
    line-height: 1.6;
    color: #333;
}

h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 {
    font-weight: 700;
    line-height: 1.2;
    margin-top: 1.5em;
    margin-bottom: 0.5em;
}

h1 {
    font-size: 3.5rem;
}

h2 {
    font-size: 2.8rem;
}

h3 {
    font-size: 2.2rem;
}

.entry-content p {
    margin-bottom: 1.5em;
}

@media (max-width: 768px) {
    h1 {
        font-size: 2.5rem;
    }
    h2 {
        font-size: 2rem;
    }
    h3 {
        font-size: 1.8rem;
    }
    body {
        font-size: 16px;
    }
}

Step 4: Color Palette

The Soda Report uses a clean, minimal color palette:

• Primary background: White (#FFFFFF)
• Text: Dark gray (#333333)
• Accents: Light gray (#F5F5F5) for card backgrounds
• Highlights: Choose 1-2 accent colors (like #4A90E2 or #FF6B6B) for links and buttons

Custom CSS for Colors:

:root {
    --primary-color: #4A90E2; /* Change to your preferred accent color */
    --background-color: #FFFFFF;
    --text-color: #333333;
    --card-background: #F5F5F5;
    --subtle-accent: #F0F4F8;
}

body {
    background-color: var(--background-color);
    color: var(--text-color);
}

.card, .wp-block-column {
    background-color: var(--card-background);
    border-radius: 8px;
    padding: 30px;
    transition: transform 0.3s ease, box-shadow 0.3s ease;
}

.card:hover {
    transform: translateY(-5px);
    box-shadow: 0 10px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);
}

a {
    color: var(--primary-color);
    text-decoration: none;
    transition: color 0.2s ease;
}

a:hover {
    color: darken(var(--primary-color), 15%);
}

.button, .wp-block-button__link {
    background-color: var(--primary-color);
    color: white;
    padding: 12px 24px;
    border-radius: 4px;
    display: inline-block;
    transition: background-color 0.2s ease;
}

.button:hover, .wp-block-button__link:hover {
    background-color: darken(var(--primary-color), 10%);
}

Step 5: Creating Card-Based Layouts

Create a card-based layout for your content using Gutenberg or Elementor:

Option 1: Using Gutenberg Blocks

    
    

        
        
Card Title
        
        
        
        
Your content goes here. This will be styled as a card with the CSS we added earlier.
        
        
        
        

            
            
Read More
            
        
        
    
    
    
    
    

        
        
Another Card
        
        
        
        
More content for your second card.
        
        
        
        

            
            
Learn More
            
        
        
    
    

Option 2: Custom Post Type for Cards

For a more organized approach, create a custom post type for your cards:

// Add this to your theme's functions.php or a custom plugin

function create_card_post_type() {
    register_post_type('card',
        array(
            'labels' => array(
                'name' => __('Cards'),
                'singular_name' => __('Card')
            ),
            'public' => true,
            'has_archive' => true,
            'supports' => array('title', 'editor', 'thumbnail', 'excerpt'),
            'menu_icon' => 'dashicons-grid-view',
            'rewrite' => array('slug' => 'cards'),
        )
    );
}
add_action('init', 'create_card_post_type');

// If using Advanced Custom Fields, add fields for:
// - Card Color (color picker)
// - Card Icon (image field)
// - Call to Action Text (text field)
// - Call to Action Link (url field)

Displaying Cards on Front Page

 'card',
    'posts_per_page' => 6,
    'orderby' => 'date',
    'order' => 'DESC',
);
$cards_query = new WP_Query($args);

if ($cards_query->have_posts()) : ?>
    

        have_posts()) : $cards_query->the_post(); ?>
            

                
                    

                        
                    
                
                

                

                    
                
                Read More
            
        
    
    

Step 6: Adding Animation Effects

Add subtle animations to enhance the user experience:

/* Add this to your theme's Additional CSS */

/* Fade-in animation for page load */
@keyframes fadeIn {
    from { opacity: 0; }
    to { opacity: 1; }
}

.site-content {
    animation: fadeIn 0.8s ease-in;
}

/* Smooth transition for cards */
.card {
    transition: transform 0.3s ease, box-shadow 0.3s ease;
}

.card:hover {
    transform: translateY(-5px);
    box-shadow: 0 10px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);
}

/* For scroll animations, install and configure "Animation and Scroll Effects" plugin */
/* Then add CSS classes like these to your elements: */

.fade-in {
    opacity: 0;
    transform: translateY(20px);
    transition: opacity 0.6s ease, transform 0.6s ease;
}

.fade-in.visible {
    opacity: 1;
    transform: translateY(0);
}

/* Add this JavaScript to make scroll animations work */

// Add this to a custom JS file or in the Additional JS section if your theme has one
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
    const fadeElements = document.querySelectorAll('.fade-in');
    
    function checkFade() {
        fadeElements.forEach(element => {
            const rect = element.getBoundingClientRect();
            const isVisible = (rect.top <= window.innerHeight * 0.8);
            
            if (isVisible) {
                element.classList.add('visible');
            }
        });
    }
    
    // Initial check
    checkFade();
    
    // Check on scroll
    window.addEventListener('scroll', checkFade);
});

Step 7: Responsive Design

Ensure your site looks good on all devices:

/* Add these responsive styles to your theme's Additional CSS */

/* Tablet Styles */
@media (max-width: 992px) {
    .cards-container {
        grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
    }
    
    h1 {
        font-size: 2.8rem;
    }
    
    .wp-block-columns {
        flex-wrap: wrap;
    }
    
    .wp-block-column {
        flex-basis: 100% !important;
        margin-bottom: 30px;
    }
}

/* Mobile Styles */
@media (max-width: 576px) {
    .cards-container {
        grid-template-columns: 1fr;
    }
    
    h1 {
        font-size: 2.2rem;
    }
    
    h2 {
        font-size: 1.8rem;
    }
    
    .card {
        padding: 20px;
    }
    
    /* Simplify animations on mobile */
    .card:hover {
        transform: none;
        box-shadow: none;
    }
}

Step 8: Menu and Navigation Design

Create a clean, minimal navigation menu:

/* Add this to your theme's Additional CSS */

/* Clean, minimal main menu */
.main-navigation {
    background: transparent;
}

.main-navigation ul {
    display: flex;
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    list-style: none;
}

.main-navigation li {
    margin-right: 25px;
}

.main-navigation a {
    display: block;
    padding: 10px 0;
    font-weight: 500;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    letter-spacing: 0.5px;
    font-size: 14px;
    position: relative;
}

/* Underline animation for menu items */
.main-navigation a::after {
    content: '';
    position: absolute;
    bottom: 0;
    left: 0;
    width: 0;
    height: 2px;
    background-color: var(--primary-color);
    transition: width 0.3s ease;
}

.main-navigation a:hover::after,
.main-navigation .current-menu-item a::after {
    width: 100%;
}

/* Mobile menu styling */
.menu-toggle {
    display: none;
    background: transparent;
    border: none;
    font-size: 24px;
    cursor: pointer;
}

@media (max-width: 768px) {
    .menu-toggle {
        display: block;
    }
    
    .main-navigation ul {
        display: none;
        flex-direction: column;
        width: 100%;
    }
    
    .main-navigation.toggled ul {
        display: flex;
    }
    
    .main-navigation li {
        margin-right: 0;
        margin-bottom: 10px;
    }
}