Modernist Theme is a free, open-source HTML and SCSS theme for GitHub Pages that provides a minimal, clean layout for project and personal websites. The theme is distributed as raw HTML and styles, making it a straightforward starting point for any static site hosted on GitHub Pages.
What is the Modernist Theme?
The Modernist Theme is a free GitHub Pages theme distributed as raw HTML and styles, originally created for the GitHub Pages default theme collection. It takes plain HTML and CSS/SCSS files as input and renders a minimal, responsive website when served through GitHub Pages. The theme is maintained by orderedlist (as seen in the demo URL) and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.
Key Features
- SCSS-based styling — The theme's CSS is authored in SCSS, with source files in the /sass directory for maintainable customization.
- Pygments syntax highlighting — Code blocks on the site are highlighted using Pygments, which GitHub Pages supports natively.
- LiveReload workflow — The README recommends LiveReload to automatically compile SCSS changes during development.
- Open license — Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported, allowing reuse and modification with attribution.
- Live demo — A working preview is available at http://orderedlist.github.com/modernist/.
Who should use the Modernist Theme?
- GitHub Pages users — Set up a personal or project site by copying the theme's HTML and styles into a repository.
- Front-end developers — Customize the look by editing the SCSS files in /sass and compiling them to CSS.
- Technical writers — Create documentation pages that rely on Pygments to display highlighted code samples.
What can you do with the Modernist Theme?
- Personal landing pages: Build a simple one-page profile with links to your projects and social media.
- Project documentation: Structure a software project's README or docs site with code blocks that benefit from Pygments highlighting.
- Blog or portfolio: Publish posts or work samples as static pages on GitHub Pages with the theme's minimal aesthetic.
FAQ
Is the Modernist Theme free?
Yes, the theme is free and open source, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported, so you can use and modify it freely with attribution.
How do I customize the Modernist Theme?
The theme uses SCSS for its CSS. Edit the .scss files in the /sass directory and compile them to CSS, optionally using LiveReload for automatic refresh during development.
Does the Modernist Theme support syntax highlighting?
Yes, syntax highlighting is provided by Pygments, which is integrated on GitHub Pages, so code blocks in your pages will be highlighted automatically.
Where can I see the theme in action?
You can view a live demo of the Modernist Theme at http://orderedlist.github.com/modernist/.
