7 Awesome WordPress Plugins To Give Your Dashboard A New Look
Saad BassiIf you are a regular user of WordPress like me then you might get bored of the default user interface of WordPress. Although the User Interface of WordPress is good but there is always room for improvement. Automattic the company behind WordPress has decided to go for Open Source Design Contests to make the User Interface of WordPress even better.
Are you ready to give it a try?
Default WordPress Dashboard
In the article we will take a look on some awesome plugins that can alternate the user interface of WordPress to make it more users friendly.
1. Ozh’s Admin Drop Down Menu
Admin Drop down Menu is one of the best WordPress plugins to change the default user interface of WordPress admin area. The plugin replaces all the admin links with super charged and beautiful horizontal CSS drop down menu. The plugin also saves you from unnecessary clicks to expand the menu and enhances your productivity.
The plugin comes with a comprehensive options page. You can change the color schemes of drop down menu and to make the plugin faster, you can also disable the supported icons for each admin link.
An interesting feature is compact mode which only shows icons for top links and saves space in the drop down menu. The following screen shot elaborates this feature.
2. Fluency Admin 2.2
Give your WordPress an attractive look with Fluency Admin. The plugin replaces all the admin links with splendid vertical CSS drop down menu. Fluency also adds support of Keyboard shortcuts to your admin links hence enables you to control your WordPress with keyboard only. You can switch between full menu view and icon-only view to save the space of your dashboard area with a single click.
Fluency comes bundled with login page theme too which can be enabled from plugin options panel. For custom branding you can also use your own logo at the top of dashboard area and login theme.
3. Easy Admin Color Schemes
The default WordPress installation comes with two color schemes, grey and blue. This plugin adds two more color schemes for your admin panel. Moreover it also grants you to create your own color schemes. You can also export your custom color scheme to use it on other blogs. Depending upon the settings, each user can have its own customized color scheme. Have a look at the Green color scheme and the plugin’s option panel.
4. Qwerty Admin Panel Theme
Qwerty Admin Panel Theme is a nice looking Admin Panel theme. The permits you to style the admin panel and login screen for all users. The WordPress logos can be swapped the with your own logo images for custom branding.
A distinct feature of this plugin is ”
Limited Interface
” capability that helps you in hiding different admin panels from different users of your WordPress installation.
Qwerty Login theme
5. Pop Menus for WP-Admin
This simple plugin will be saving you time by creating quick and easy to use pop menus for your WP-Admin sidebar. Popup menus uses jQuery and CSS to popup animated admin-sidebar links. Moreover it makes the admin sidebar sticking with scrollable page that makes it a real time saver with the help of jQuery.
6. Adminimize
Adminimize is a very comprehensive and advanced WordPress plugin that comes with a lot of features to customize your WordPress backend. The plugin has a lot of options to hide unnecessary items from the WordPress administration menu, submenu and even the ‘Dashboard’, with forwarding to the Manage-page. The plugin has more than 50 options to tweak the backend of your WordPress installation. The following screenshot shows the admin option panel of Adminimize.
7. My Brand
Customizing your WordPress login page can’t be easier than this. Simply install this plugin and with the help of my brand option page you can select the background color or background image for your WordPress login page. You can also upload the custom logo for your login page with the help of my brand. The plugin is very useful for multi-author blogs and user contributed websites.
My Brand Options Panel
If you know more beautiful WordPress dashboard themes or ways to customize the admin panel of WordPress please share them with us.
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Omer Greenwald
Posted 841 days ago 31No doubt Ozh’s Admin Drop Down Menu is one of the greatest plugins.
I wonder why it’s not a built in feature in WordPress?
I thinks most people find horizontal menus more comfortable to use than vertical and that’s why most websites and Apps use them.
.-= Omer Greenwald´s last blog ..Add Images to Excerpts Without a Plugin =-.
jeprie
Posted 843 days ago 30nice article. works great for multi users blog, for personal blog like mine, i think i dont need it.
.-= jeprie´s last blog ..Membuat Poster Wanted Bergaya Koboi dengan Sobekan Kertas =-.
Alex
Posted 843 days ago 29THANKS ALOT!!!
Cahbagus
Posted 846 days ago 28Thats great, I dont know that there are such plugin to redesign the dashboard, thanks for this great post
.-= Cahbagus´s last blog ..Cara Mendaftar Dan mendapatkan subdomain CahBag.us =-.
Kris Jay
Posted 847 days ago 27@Saad Bassi
Hey, great to see you put the ‘My Brand’ login plugin that I made on your list. Thanks!
….I’m adding you to my rss feed list :)
.-= Kris Jay´s last blog ..Changing Up a Bit… =-.
Saad Bassi
Posted 841 days ago 32You are always welcome.:)
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tegar
Posted 847 days ago 26I reblog part of your post in Indonesian
http://tegar.web.id/internet/blogging/plugin-wordpress-tampilan-dashboard/
.-= tegar´s last blog ..Penipuan (Scam) Yahoo Domain $1.99 =-.
Divyun Raje Vaid
Posted 847 days ago 25Nice list! I used to user Ohz’s plugin before wordpress 2.7 came out. it was surely worth using then. But with 2.9 it has to be Fluency Admin plugin for me.
.-= Divyun Raje Vaid´s last blog ..Microblogging scripts – Create your own twitter =-.
Yan Charbonneau
Posted 848 days ago 24Nice post! Useful when you sell WP as CMS!
Michael -Make Paper Easy
Posted 848 days ago 23Great list! There are a few on here that caught my eye so I’m going to have to try them out; fluency and the branding one in particular.
.-= Michael -Make Paper Easy´s last blog ..Look 10 Years Younger Without Surgery! =-.
اسعار الذهب
Posted 848 days ago 22thanks alot
i realy love wordpress
it is my best cms
Martin Lucas
Posted 848 days ago 21Nice, the more I’m using WordPress as a CMS for my clients the more relevant tweaking the admin / dashboard is. Personalising is a great idea, and anything to make moving around the admin area easier is a good thing.
wparena
Posted 848 days ago 20these are good plugins
.-= wparena´s last blog ..WordPress MU Premium Plugins and Themes =-.
Robert
Posted 849 days ago 18Very nice collection. I’m going to have to give it a try.
Thanks!
Tom Ross
Posted 849 days ago 14Nice! The pop-menus plugin looks like a real time saver.
.-= Tom Ross´s last blog ..100 Free HD Widescreen Nature Wallpapers =-.
Dainis Graveris
Posted 848 days ago 19Yeah, definitely is ..:) Even if we compare with old WordPress design, now it’s a lot better, but few popups couldn’t hurt :)
ebta
Posted 849 days ago 13Yes, agree with Bisnis UKM..
Drop down menu is worth to try.. familiar with our daily menu
.-= ebta´s last blog ..Gratis Easeus Partition Master Professional, Recovery Wizard dan Advanced SystemCare Professional =-.
Saad Bassi
Posted 849 days ago 15Also Do check Fluency If you are a mac lover like me.:)
.-= Saad Bassi´s last blog ..3 Methods to Create/Build Custom Chrome Themes =-.
Bisnis UKM
Posted 849 days ago 12thanks nice collections, maybe I must try someday, especially drop down menu. It’s look familiar..
.-= Bisnis UKM´s last blog ..Budidaya Perkutut, Antara Hobi dan Bisnis =-.
wparabia
Posted 849 days ago 11nice, thanks for your efforts i love plugin Admin Drop down Menu
Brow
Posted 849 days ago 10Good post. I’ve recently started using WP and am looking for ways to tweak the admin…this will help!
Nicholas Cardot
Posted 849 days ago 9Terrific resources. I just started using the Ozh Admin bar recently and I’m highly impressed with it. I only wish that it would put some padding on the left side where the sidebar used to be so that it looks the same as the right side. There is about 10px or so of padding on that side. And of course, that is a very minor issue.
.-= Nicholas Cardot´s last blog ..The 35 Most Beautiful Websites in 2010 =-.
Saad Bassi
Posted 849 days ago 16Totally agreed with you. But I last night after writing this article, switched to Fluency and M loving it. Now my wordpress dashboard and mac looks the same.:)
.-= Saad Bassi´s last blog ..3 Methods to Create/Build Custom Chrome Themes =-.
Martein
Posted 849 days ago 8I have used few Plugins which you mention in your list and I like 5 of them.
.-= Martein´s last blog ..Warehouse Heating Costs =-.
New York Web Design
Posted 849 days ago 7Really Nice Collection. Am have to try # 4. Qwerty Admin Panel Theme. Its awesome.
Johnny Rocket
Posted 849 days ago 6I use Fluency Admin, and I think it’s great. It definitely helps streamline the admin interface.
.-= Johnny Rocket´s last blog ..Where Is NASA Going? =-.
Saad Bassi
Posted 849 days ago 17Totally Agreed with you.:)
.-= Saad Bassi´s last blog ..3 Methods to Create/Build Custom Chrome Themes =-.
Jim MacDonald
Posted 849 days ago 3Hi Saad
Good looking post, how to give your WordPress dash board sparkle.
I’m using Fluency Admin and remember how I was blown away when I first activated the plugin. Fell in love with it and still am.
Now I’m off looking over Adminimize as you’ve sparked my curiosity – looks very interesting.
Thanks – Cheers Jim
.-= Jim MacDonald´s last blog ..Cashing In Setting Up WordPress Business =-.
Saad Bassi
Posted 849 days ago 4Yes Jim Fluency Admin is great. Gives a mac look. I am using ozh’s admin drop down.am thinking of switching.:).Yes you should give a try to adminimize but its very comprehensive. You will have to spend time to understand it.
.-= Saad Bassi´s last blog ..3 Methods to Create/Build Custom Chrome Themes =-.
Frank Stallone
Posted 849 days ago 2I could never get too attached to a admin theme change because if the interface changes drastically in a .5 rendition I would be stuck with either a broken interface or one what doesn’t look right and needs to be reverted.
That being said this the most elaborate collection of them I have ever seen. =)
Saad Bassi
Posted 849 days ago 5Frank this is not a typical list post. All the themes have been tested with WordPress 2.9.1 before writing this article.:)
.-= Saad Bassi´s last blog ..3 Methods to Create/Build Custom Chrome Themes =-.
Eric B.
Posted 849 days ago 1Great collection! I think I’m going to have to try out that Fluency Admin plugin.
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