Mike McAlister

How to Leverage Full-Site Editing as a Modern Day Design System

In this session, Mike McAlister demonstrates how WordPress Full Site Editing (FSE) is transforming the way modern websites are built — making professional, cohesive design accessible to everyone, not just developers. Through the example of his free Ollie theme, Mike shows how global styles, typography, color palettes, and spacing controls come together to form a practical design system right inside WordPress—no custom CSS or coding required.

He walks through how patterns, style variations, and presets empower users to maintain design consistency across every page, explaining how FSE replaces the old model of fragmented templates and style sheets with a flexible, visual, and scalable approach. This session offers a roadmap to building faster, smarter, and more consistent websites, all while embracing WordPress’s move toward a truly no-code future.

What You’ll Learn

  • Understand how Full Site Editing enables a true design system inside WordPress—no CSS required.
  • Learn how to use Global Styles to define typography, color, and spacing that apply site-wide.
  • Discover how patterns and style variations streamline design and ensure visual consistency.
  • See how to create, customize, and reuse pre-designed components to speed up site building.
  • Explore how spacing presets and fluid typography contribute to cohesive, responsive design.
  • Gain practical tips for leveraging the Ollie theme as a foundation for your own design system.
  • Learn why FSE represents the future of no-code, professional-grade web design in WordPress.