The Mediumish Jekyll theme has become one of the most popular choices among bloggers and developers who want a modern, clean, and stylish layout. But what really makes it stand out from the many Jekyll templates available today? In this guide, we’ll explore its design, features, and real-world usability — helping you decide if Mediumish is the right theme for your next project.
What You’ll Discover in This Guide
- How the Mediumish theme helps you create a professional blog without coding headaches
- What makes its design appealing to both readers and Google
- Ways to customize and optimize it for better SEO performance
- Real examples of how creators use Mediumish for personal and business blogs
Why Mediumish Has Become So Popular
When Mediumish appeared in the Jekyll ecosystem, it immediately caught attention for its minimal yet elegant approach to design. The theme is inspired by Medium’s layout — clear typography, spacious layouts, and a focus on readability. Unlike many complex Jekyll themes, Mediumish strikes a perfect balance between form and function.
For beginners, the appeal lies in how easy it is to set up. You can clone the repository, update your configuration file, and start publishing within minutes. There’s no need to tweak endless settings or fight with dependencies. For experienced users, Mediumish offers flexibility — it’s lightweight, easy to customize, and highly compatible with GitHub Pages hosting.
The Core Design Philosophy Behind Mediumish
Mediumish was created with a reader-first mindset. Every visual decision supports the main goal: a pleasant reading experience. Typography and spacing are carefully tuned to keep users scrolling effortlessly, while clean visuals ensure content remains at the center of attention.
1. Clean and Readable Typography
The fonts are well chosen to mimic Medium’s balance between elegance and simplicity. The generous line height and font sizing enhance reading comfort, which indirectly boosts engagement and SEO — since readers tend to stay longer on pages that are easy to read.
2. Balanced White Space
Instead of filling every inch of the page with visual noise, Mediumish uses white space strategically. This makes posts easier to digest and gives them a professional magazine-like look. For mobile readers, this also helps avoid cluttered layouts that can drive people away.
3. Visual Storytelling Through Images
Mediumish integrates image presentation naturally. Featured images, post thumbnails, and embedded visuals blend smoothly into the overall layout. The focus remains on storytelling, not on design gimmicks — a crucial detail for writers and digital marketers alike.
How to Get Started with Mediumish on Jekyll
Setting up Mediumish is straightforward even if you’re new to Jekyll. All you need is a GitHub account and basic familiarity with markdown files. The steps below show how easily you can bring your Mediumish-powered blog to life.
Step 1: Clone or Fork the Repository
git clone https://github.com/wowthemesnet/mediumish-theme-jekyll.git
cd mediumish-theme-jekyll
bundle install
This installs the necessary dependencies and brings the theme files to your local environment. You can preview it by running bundle exec jekyll serve and opening http://localhost:4000.
Step 2: Configure Your Settings
In _config.yml, you can change your site title, author name, description, and social media links. Mediumish keeps things simple — the configuration is human-readable and easy to modify. It’s ideal for non-developers who just want to publish content without wrestling with code.
Step 3: Add Your Content
Every new post lives in the _posts directory, following the format YYYY-MM-DD-title.md. Mediumish automatically generates a homepage listing your posts with thumbnails and short descriptions. The layout is clean, so even long articles look organized and engaging.
Step 4: Deploy on GitHub Pages
Since Mediumish is a static theme, you can host it for free using GitHub Pages. Push your files to a repository and enable Pages under settings. Within a few minutes, your stylish blog is live — secure, fast, and completely free to maintain.
SEO and Performance: Why Mediumish Works So Well
One reason Mediumish continues to dominate Jekyll’s theme charts is its built-in optimization. It’s not just beautiful; it’s also SEO-friendly by default. Clean HTML, semantic headings, and responsive design make it easy for Google to crawl and rank your site.
SEO-Ready Structure
Every post page in Mediumish follows a clear hierarchy with proper heading tags. It ensures that search engines understand your content’s context. You can easily insert meta descriptions and social sharing tags using simple variables in your front matter.
Mobile Optimization
In today’s mobile-first world, Mediumish doesn’t compromise responsiveness. Its layout adjusts beautifully to any device size, improving both usability and SEO rankings. Fast load times also play a huge role — since Jekyll generates static HTML, your pages load almost instantly.
Integration with Analytics and Metadata
Adding Google Analytics or custom metadata is effortless. You can extend the layout to include custom tags or integrate with Open Graph and Twitter Cards for better social visibility. Mediumish’s modular structure means you’re never stuck with hard-coded elements.
How to Customize Mediumish for Your Brand
Out of the box, Mediumish looks professional, but it’s also easy to personalize. You can adjust color schemes, typography, and layout sections using SCSS variables or by editing partial files. Let’s see a few quick examples.
Customizing Colors and Fonts
Inside the assets/css folder, you’ll find SCSS files where you can redefine theme colors. If your brand uses a specific palette, update the _variables.scss file. Changing fonts is as simple as modifying the body and heading styles in your CSS.
Adding or Removing Sections
Mediumish includes components like author cards, featured posts, and category sections. You can enable or disable them directly in the layout files (_includes folder). This flexibility lets you shape the blog experience around your audience’s needs.
Using Plugins for Extra Features
While Jekyll themes are mostly static, Mediumish integrates smoothly with plugins for pagination, SEO, and related posts. You can enable them through your configuration file to enhance functionality without adding bulk.
Example: How a Personal Blog Benefits from Mediumish
Imagine you’re a content creator or freelancer building an online portfolio. With Mediumish, you can launch a visually polished site in hours. Each post looks professional, while the homepage highlights your best work naturally. Readers get a pleasant experience, and you gain credibility instantly.
For business blogs, the benefit is similar. Brands can use Mediumish to publish educational content, case studies, or updates while maintaining a clean, cohesive look. Since it’s static, there’s no server maintenance or database hassle — just pure speed and reliability.
Potential Limitations and How to Overcome Them
No theme is perfect. Mediumish’s minimalist design may feel restrictive to users seeking advanced functionality. However, this simplicity is also its strength — you can always extend it manually with custom layouts or JavaScript if needed.
Another minor drawback is that the theme’s Medium-like layout may look similar to other sites using the same template. You can solve this by personalizing visual details — such as hero images, color palettes, and unique typography choices.
Summary: Why Mediumish Is Worth Trying
Mediumish remains one of the most elegant Jekyll themes available. Its strengths — simplicity, speed, SEO readiness, and mobile optimization — make it ideal for both beginners and professionals. Whether you’re blogging for personal growth or building a brand presence, this theme offers a foundation that’s both stylish and functional.
What Should You Do Next
If you’re planning to start a Jekyll blog or revamp your existing one, try Mediumish. It’s free, fast, and flexible. Download the theme, experiment with customization, and experience how professional your blog can look with minimal effort.
Ready to take the next step? Visit the Mediumish repository on GitHub, fork it, and start crafting your own elegant web presence today.