Funkyflex is a Hugo theme that turns Markdown content into a light personal website with two side navigation bars, no header or footer on large screens, and built-in math and icon support.
What is Funkyflex?
Funkyflex is a Hugo theme created by KevCaz for personal websites, originally built in January 2020 and reworked in September 2023 and again in 2025. It accepts Hugo content (Markdown files with front matter) and produces a static site with a distinctive layout: two navigation bars, one on each side, and no header or footer on large and medium screens. The theme is available on GitHub and is marked as a work in progress, meaning it has not yet reached a stable release.
Key Features
- Dual navigation bars — The layout places one nav bar on each side of the viewport on large and medium screens, replacing the conventional single header.
- No header or footer — On large and medium screens, the theme deliberately omits both header and footer elements, relying on the two sidebars for navigation.
- KaTeX v0.16.22 — Math typesetting is included so Hugo sites can render LaTeX-style formulas like those used in academic writing.
- Fontawesome v6.7.2 — The free Font Awesome icon set is bundled for adding scalable vector icons to pages.
- No CSS framework — The author wrote custom responsive styling instead of depending on Bootstrap or similar frameworks; native Hugo features are used where possible.
- Lightweight asset load — The site loads only two icon sets, KaTeX, and two small custom JavaScript files written by the author.
- Custom responsiveness — The layout adapts to different screen sizes, with the two-bar design applying to large and medium screens and presumably a different arrangement on small screens.
- Built on Hugo — Uses Hugo's native templating and static site generation, so no Node.js build step is needed.
Who is it for?
- Personal website owners — People who want an unconventional layout with side navigation instead of a typical top header and footer.
- Academic or technical writers — Those who need KaTeX math rendering to display formulas in Hugo-based course notes, papers, or blogs.
- Hugo enthusiasts — Developers looking for a light theme that avoids CSS frameworks and demonstrates a custom responsive approach.
What can you do with Funkyflex?
- Bloggers — Publish Markdown posts that include Font Awesome icons and KaTeX math, with readers navigating via the two sidebars.
- Technical writers — Build documentation or notes with a layout where both sidebars can hold navigation menus.
- Design experimenters — Use the theme as a starting point for a site without a conventional header/footer structure on desktop.
FAQ
Is Funkyflex stable?
No. The repository carries a WIP (work in progress) status badge, indicating initial development is ongoing and there is not yet a stable, usable release for the public.
Does Funkyflex support math equations?
Yes, it bundles KaTeX v0.16.22, so Hugo pages can render math formulas written in LaTeX syntax.
What icons does Funkyflex include?
The theme bundles Font Awesome v6.7.2, specifically the free icon set.
Does Funkyflex rely on CSS frameworks like Bootstrap?
No. The author avoided frameworks and implemented the responsive layout with custom CSS and small JavaScript files, leaning on native Hugo features.
Who creates and maintains Funkyflex?
The theme is developed by KevCaz, who first built it for a personal website in January 2020 and returned to improve it in September 2023 and 2025.
