A user interface (UI) is defined as “the means by which the user and a computer system interact, in particular the use of input devices and software.” It is one of the more important web design concepts but is often overlooked.
Having a good user interface ensures website visitors can find what they are looking for, do what they came to do, and most importantly, stay on your website. The moment that your website user interface becomes difficult to use is the moment when the user takes their browser elsewhere.
In an effort to help you provide the best interface, let’s take a look at 20 popular WordPress user interface elements that are sure to help you make your website user-friendly.
1. Responsive FlipBook Plugin
Deliver web content within a beautiful UI with this incredible WordPress plugin.
At first glance, the Responsive FlipBook Plugin looks like a nice way to display content with its cool bookshelf design.
But it’s so much more.
“Create any FlipBook with ease. Comes with: bookshelf, zoom, print, PDF to FlipBook, table of content, hard covers, flat design, custom styles, lazy load.”
Features include:
- mobile zoom
- PDF Wizard
- easy print
- lazy load
- and more!
Create and present a complete collection of online based eBooks with the Responsive FlipBook Plugin.
It’s pretty amazing.
2. Content Timeline – Responsive WordPress Plugin for Displaying Posts/Categories in a Sliding Timeline
This WordPress user interface is unique, and I love it!
The Content Timeline – Responsive WordPress Plugin for Displaying Posts/Categories in a Sliding Timeline is the perfect solution for a large array of content presentation types.
Included features:
- fully responsive with SWIPE function
- 7 embedded script control methods
- 11 settings for easy customization
- keyboard bindings
- and more!
Your timeline doesn’t have to be one single string, either. This plugin allows for more than one element per spot in your timeline.
The Content Timeline – Responsive WordPress Plugin for Displaying Posts/Categories in a Sliding Timeline is unique, beautifully designed, and the perfect WordPress user interface for presenting in a timeline format.
3. UberChart – WordPress Chart Plugin
If you want to share data visually, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to build and present it than UberChart – WordPress Chart Plugin.
It’s highly customizable and ready to drop into your WordPress install.
“UberChart is an advanced WordPress Chart Plugin which gives you the ability to create a great variety of charts with exceptional customizability.”
It’s feature set includes:
- 240 customizable options for each chart
- embedded spreadsheet editor
- import and export data
- fully responsive
And it includes ten different chart types:
- Line
- Area
- Bar
- Horizontal Bar
- Pie
- Doughnut
- Radar
- Polar Area
- Scatter
- Bubble
UberChart – WordPress Chart Plugin is impressive.
4. Theia Post Slider for WordPress
Transform your multi-page posts into slides that are easy to use and easy to read.
Theia Post Slider for WordPress works with existing posts and includes 60 different slider themes.
“…Theia Post Slider for WordPress transforms your multi-page posts into slideshows, making them much more engaging and easier to browse.”
Supports:
- uses AJAX with JavaScript fallback
- vector icons and retina-ready
- titles, headers, and footers
- SEO optimized
- and more
A lot of thought has been put into this WordPress user interface plugin. From SEO to speed and usability to customization, the Theia Post Slider for WordPress really delivers.
5. Progress Map WordPress Plugin
The Progress Map WordPress Plugin is feature rich. I most certainly can’t do it justice with this short summary.
The vision behind this WordPress user interface plugin is this:
“The aim is to help users having websites like hotel listings, real estate listings, restaurant listings, job listings, store listings & more… to list their locations on Google map and to easily navigate through the map using a carousel.”
And it delivers:
- search filter and distance search
- Custom Post Type support
- custom markers
- 70+ map styles
- geo-targeting
- retina ready
- and much, much more
Progress Map WordPress Plugin is easily one of the most robust map plugins you’re going to find.
This plugin is all over the map.
6. Slider Revolution Responsive WordPress Plugin
When you need a slider—especially if you want an easy way to build it—you have to consider the Slider Revolution Responsive WordPress Plugin.
Animations, color pickers, layers—it’s got it all baked in.
Slide types include:
- social media feeds
- media galleries
- hero blocks
- carousels
- sliders
- and more
The number one feature that makes this slider appealing is the powerful visual editor. Sliders are sliders, but the Slider Revolution Responsive WordPress Plugin brings a complete, robust slide designer suite.
7. Slick Menu – Responsive WordPress Vertical Menu
Slick. Responsive. Vertical. Menu.
The Slick Menu – Responsive WordPress Vertical Menu is exactly that, with a little extra on the side.
“Slick Menu is more than just a menu plugin. It can be used to create unlimited multi level push menus or content sidebars with rich content, multiple style options and animation effects.”
Customize your:
- background colors
- custom fonts
- patterns
- overlays
- images
- videos
- and more
Each level is independently customizable, making it super easy to build great WordPress user interfaces without expensive design apps or code knowledge.
Slick Menu – Responsive WordPress Vertical Menu is an awesome option for vertical menus and more!
8. Cool Timeline Pro – WordPress Timeline Plugin
Add a timeline to blog posts, organization history pages, and more with the Cool Timeline Pro – WordPress Timeline Plugin.
Create both horizontal and vertical timelines with its built-in designs and beautiful animation effects.
Features include:
- convert any Post Type into a timeline
- pagination for long timelines
- create multiple timelines
- add icons
- and more
Simple, clean, and flexible.
The Cool Timeline Pro – WordPress Timeline Plugin is a great way to build a timeline from your current content or building a new, standalone timeline to help communicate to your reader.
9. LoftLoader Pro – Preloader Plugin for WordPress
Sometimes you need more time for something to load. Videos? Lots of HD images?
Easily add a loading animation to your pages with the LoftLoader Pro – Preloader Plugin for WordPress.
It’s pretty fancy.
Features include:
- adjust minimum load time
- 18 CSS3 animations
- works on all devices
- built-in editor
- and more
The LoftLoader Pro – Preloader Plugin for WordPress makes it easy to add an animated loading screen—no coding required.
10. Superfly — Responsive WordPress Menu Plugin
Replace your current WordPress menu or enhance it with the Superfly — Responsive WordPress Menu Plugin.
This plugin is power packed and easy to use.
“Superfly is a responsive WordPress menu plugin that generates space efficient vertical push/sliding/static navigation, icon toolbar or fullscreen menu on your choice.”
Menu design options include:
- side, skewed, and full screen menus
- image backgrounds
- static or anchored
- iconbar
- and more
The Superfly — Responsive WordPress Menu Plugin also includes display options, making it super easy to build the right menu for the right user interface.
11. Ultra WordPress Admin Theme
There’s customizing the WordPress Admin. And then there’s the Ultra WordPress Admin Theme.
This WordPress user interface takes Admin customizations to a whole new level.
White label branding is just the start of it:
- admin menu management
- create your own theme
- import/export settings
- and much, much more
From the login screen to the admin top bar, the Ultra WordPress Admin Theme makes the entire WordPress Admin experience fully customizable.
12. Different Menu in Different Pages
If you need different menus in different pages, you’ll want to use Different Menu in Different Pages.
It also supports bbPress, WPML, WooCommerce, and BuddyPress.
Easily create multiple menus and locations based on:
- custom taxonomies
- categories
- pages
- posts
- and tags
It also includes a shortcode option to show your menu within content as well.
The Different Menu in Different Pages is lightweight and proves useful in any WordPress toolbox.
13. Popup Plugin for WordPress – Layered Popups
As much as I hate popups, sometimes you just need a popup. The Popup Plugin for WordPress – Layered Popups is the easiest way to build and display popups on your WordPress site.
“[The] internet is full of boring popups. So, it’s a time to break this trend.”
Features included, but certainly not limited to:
- jQuery and CSS3 animations
- social network integration
- A/B campaign stats
- 200+ popup library
- mobile friendly
- and much, much more
Popup types include:
- OnLoad Popup
- OnScroll Popup
- OnClick Popup
- OnExit Popup
- OnIdle Popup
And also features:
- Sidebar Widget
- Link Locker
- Inline Form
- and more
The Popup Plugin for WordPress – Layered Popups is a robust solution that looks great to users and proves useful for admins.
14. The Team Pro – Team Showcase WordPress Plugin
The Team Pro – Team Showcase WordPress Plugin claims to be “the most versatile WordPress plugin available to create and manage your Team page.”
I think they’re right.
Style options include:
- slide-ins
- drawer
- circles
- modal
- table
- cards
- grid
- list
With these 8 presets, over 20 style options, and clean designs, your team never looked so good with The Team Pro – Team Showcase WordPress Plugin.
15. UberMenu – WordPress Mega Menu Plugin
This is a WordPress user interface element that I really like but can be difficult to implement.
But it’s easy with the UberMenu – WordPress Mega Menu Plugin!
Your WordPress menu will never be the same again:
- enhanced mobile experience
- easily add images and icons
- build beautiful menu layouts
- columns, rows, maps, forms, and more
Tabbed submenus? Google Fonts? Vertical or horizontal? UberMenu – WordPress Mega Menu Plugin has it.
16. Floatton | WordPress Floating Action Button with Pop-up Contents for Forms or any Custom Contents
This isn’t just another popup. While it does include a popup feature, it includes a number of unique features that get it on this list.
Floatton | WordPress Floating Action Button with Pop-up Contents for Forms or any Custom Contents has a clean design and is one of those plugins that’s always nice to have in your WordPress toolbox.
“Floatton is a premium WordPress plugin that helps you create sticky Floating Action Button with tooltip-styled popup contents to give your user easily accessible contents throughout your website.”
Use it as a:
- comment and contact form
- cookie or legal consent
- newsletter sign up
- shopping cart lists
- announcements
- rating form
- video code
- login
And anything else you can think of!
Add some user interaction. Add Floatton | WordPress Floating Action Button with Pop-up Contents for Forms or any Custom Contents.
17. StickyVideo for WordPress
If you’ve used YouTube on a mobile device, you’ve experienced the great UI/UX feature whereby when you begin to scroll away from the video, it will snap the video into the corner, so you can continue to watch while you scroll through the content.
That’s exactly what StickyVideo for WordPress does, pinning videos to the side when users begin to scroll away.
“Boost viewability rates using a technique employed by CNN, Daily Mail and the Washington Post that pins videos to the side while you scroll!”
This plugin will pin videos hosted by:
- WordPress (Self hosted in Media Library)
- YouTube
- Vimeo
- Dailymotion
- Brightcove
- JW platform
- Youku
- Tudou
- Wistia
- SchoolTube
- Break
- Metacafe
- LiveLeak
- Archive.org
Install, configure, and your videos won’t be scrolled past any longer with the StickyVideo for WordPress plugin.
18. Ultimate Image Hover Effects Plugin For WordPress
Nothing catches a user’s eye more than a tasteful image hover effect. And the Ultimate Image Hover Effects Plugin For WordPress brings hover effects in spades.
No matter which WordPress theme you’re running, you’ll enjoy:
- grid and carousel layouts
- 40 plus box animations
- over 200 effects
- fully responsive
- and more
The Ultimate Image Hover Effects Plugin For WordPress comes with just enough options to be both easy to use and lightweight.
19. Testimonials Showcase – WordPress Plugin
Display and manage your client, customer, and supporter testimonials easily with the Testimonials Showcase – WordPress Plugin.
Testimonials never looked so good.
Features include:
- over 15 layout customization options
- grid or slider layout
- star rating system
- and more
The Testimonials Showcase – WordPress Plugin also includes front-end submissions.
20. WP Logo Showcase Responsive Slider Pro
It’s time to amp up your portfolio page. It’s time for WP Logo Showcase Responsive Slider Pro.
This WordPress plugin is designed to showcase a designer’s work, but it can also be used to display client and partner logos or anything else that fits within this type of user interface.
This responsive slider features:
- includes both a slider and grid widget
- tooltip and custom animation options
- over 15 predefined designs
- drag and drop admin
- and more
Some sliders try to offer everything, while the WP Logo Showcase Responsive Slider Pro focuses on one particular niche and style of slider and nails it perfectly.
Conclusion
Having a good user interface can often make or break your website. You can have a great layout, great colors, and great content, but if you don’t have a good interface, your users aren’t going to use your website.
These 20 popular WordPress user interface elements from Envato Market are certainly worth a consideration, but if you still didn’t find what would work best, you may want to dig into development with the WordPress Plugin Development Essentials, the WordPress Hacker’s Guide to the Galaxy, or some helpful eBooks like Useful Tricks and Techniques for WordPress or Mastering WordPress.
What are your favorite and most effective WordPress user interface elements?
