We are excited to announce the availability of a new WordPress theme, “42”, for sites in our Web Publishing service.
Developed by Michigan Engineering’s Communications and Marketing team, the 42 theme brings a more modern design and added flexibility while preserving a familiar editing experience for site owners. It powers the design of the Michigan Engineering website.
What the New Theme Offers
Some highlights of the 42 theme include:
- A more modern, flexible design aligned with Michigan Engineering branding
- Customizable site headers and footers
- Optional full-width page layouts for more dynamic content presentation
- A variety of pre-built design patterns to help structure content quickly and consistently
- An improved editing experience and design for the People/Profiles feature
To preview the new theme, explore these Web Publishing sites already using it:
Our Transition Plan
We are taking a gradual and supported approach to introducing the new theme.
- New sites: As of August 2025, newly requested sites are created using the 42 theme and the Renovation theme will no longer be available for new sites.
- Existing sites: The current Renovation theme remains fully supported at this time
- Optional update: Site owners can request to move to the 42 theme at any time. If you are already planning content updates or a redesign, this is a great opportunity to update your theme. Contact caen@umich.edu for more information.
- Future update: Over the course of 2026–2027, we will work with site owners to update sites to the new theme and will reach out directly to each site owner with more information during that time.