The switch is from Magento’s default Luma theme to the new Hyvä frontend solution. It marks a big change in eCommerce development. This journey offers better performance and user experience. But, it also brings challenges and opportunities. Developers and businesses must navigate them. In this article, we share practical insights and considerations from IT delight - one of Hyvä’s reliable partners. We clarify the process and effects of migrating to Hyvä.
What is Luma?
Luma is the default theme that comes with Magento. It is an important theme to understand because it showcases the key technologies and approaches that Magento recommends for building an eCommerce website’s frontend.
Some key points about Luma:
- It is built using the following core technologies:
- RequireJS - a JavaScript file and module loader
- LESS CSS precompiler - an extension to CSS that adds features like variables, nesting, and functions
- UI Components - Magento’s modular UI building blocks based on Knockout.js
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Luma shows how to use these technologies. They can create a fast and customizable store.
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Luma also supports Progressive Web App (PWA) technology . PWA lets you make app-like web experiences with features like offline support and easy updates.
- Magento sees Luma as the ideal frontend that should have been the default from the early days of the platform. It showcases Magento’s recommended approach to frontend development.
What is Hyvä?
Hyvä is a modern, open-source theme for Magento 2 that aims to improve the developer experience and website performance. Mageplaza is also updating our Hyva compatibility extensions . Some key things to know about Hyvä:
- Opinionated Framework: Hyvä is an opinionated framework, meaning it makes certain decisions about the technology stack and development approach.
- Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js: Hyvä uses Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js. Tailwind is a utility-first CSS framework and Alpine is a lightweight JavaScript framework. They simplify front-end development.
- Improved Developer Experience: Hyvä aims to reduce the complexity of Magento front-end development. It does so by using modern tools and a more streamlined approach. This makes it easier for developers to work with.
- Enhanced Performance: Hyvä is designed to achieve excellent website performance, with the ability to score highly on Google Core Web Vitals metrics.
Main advantages
Hyvä represents a significant advancement for the Magento ecosystem. Here are three main advantages highlighted:
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Seamless Transition: Transitioning from Luma to Hyvä was straightforward for Alex because it operates on the same logic and structure.
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Modern Development Tools: Hyvä leverages modern development tools like Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js, which are continuously improving and offer superior performance.
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Focus on Results: Hyvä allows developers to concentrate more on the end result rather than the development process, providing a simpler approach to customization.
Main disadvantages
Hyvä has many advantages, including an easy learning curve and an active community. But, it has a big drawback: third-party modules and custom JavaScript may not work with it.
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Compatibility issues: Existing third-party modules and custom Javascript features were written for the Luma theme. They might not work with Hyvä’s new technology stack due to compatibility issues. This means that these components may need to be rewritten to work with Hyvä.
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Migration challenges: Migrating from an existing Magento 2 project to Hyvä can be time-consuming. It may require rewriting some parts to work with the new front-end.
Hyvä offers many benefits for front-end development. But, it is crucial to consider the challenges. They relate to compatibility with third-party modules and custom JavaScript features. Despite these challenges, implementing Hyvä could foster innovation and improvements in the development process.
How Hyvä Changed the Work Process of Developers?
Hyvä has significantly improved the work process for Alex and Manuel. They appreciate the modern technologies Hyvä offers, which have enhanced their performance as developers.
Easier customization
Hyvä provides an easier way to make customizations. It lets developers focus more on the outcome than the process. This saves developers time and enables them to deliver results to clients faster.
Reduced front-end complexity
Hyvä has reduced the complexity of the Magento front-end, making the daily work of developers much easier. People prefer modern tools like Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js. These tools provide more examples and solutions to common problems. People prefer them over dealing with a more complex structure of fewer files.
The Effect of Hyvä on Website Speed
In today’s digital world, website performance is a key consideration, and experts often stress its importance. They point out how website complexity affects speed, with Manuel noting that Hyvä simplifies websites. This enhances optimization methods and improves front-end understanding.
While custom themes can deliver good metrics, they tend to be more complex. The Hyvä theme can achieve nearly perfect scores in Google Core Web Vitals. This makes it an excellent choice for those who want to greatly improve their website’s performance.
Downsides of other frameworks
Excessive JavaScript can adversely affect metrics, particularly the Time to Interactive (TTI) score. Alex discusses his experience with a Magento-based framework called Silver. He says that default Magento themes still struggle with Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) and TTI scores.
Read more: Magento Hyvä Theme FAQ: 20+ Questions & Answers
How Does Hyvä Affect Businesses?
Reduced Development Complexity
Hyvä simplifies front-end development. It lets teams focus more on adding the features customers need and adding value to the platform. This can help businesses minimize the time-to-live for new features, reducing financial expenses.
As the Hyvä community continues to grow, businesses can benefit from the expertise and support available within this community. This can help online businesses compete. They can use the knowledge of other Hyvä developers to improve their platform.
Hyvä can achieve near-perfect scores in Google Core Web Vitals. This can improve businesses’ websites. This can enhance the user experience, increase customer satisfaction, and potentially improve search engine rankings.
Hyvä contributes to the Magento ecosystem by promoting best practices in frontend development, fostering innovation, and supporting businesses in delivering exceptional eCommerce experiences.
Conclusion
Navigating the migration from Luma to Hyvä involves balancing the benefits of improved performance and streamlined development with the challenges of compatibility with existing modules and custom JavaScript features. Through the experiences shared by IT Delight, we see that while this transition requires careful planning and effort, it also presents an opportunity for innovation and optimization in frontend development.
As businesses continue to adapt and refine their e-commerce platforms, the insights gained from such transitions are invaluable for leveraging the full potential of Hyvä in enhancing customer engagement and driving business growth.
