A few years ago, Matt Mullenweg, one of the founding developers of WordPress, thought it would be a great idea to find ways to make web design seem less scary. Although WordPress definitely helps to do that by itself (especially with powerful plugins like BoldGrid), he thought the WordPress community needed something to communicate this at a glance. He believed a proper marketing tool could make users’ first steps into web design much less intimidating.
WordCamp Tokyo
With this mission in mind, Matt asked Japanese WordPress users at WordCamp Tokyo in 2009 to suggest ideas. The Japanese WordPress community suggested that WordPress should have a cute mascot. Matt loved the idea and set about exploring possible ideas. With the help of several artists, a community manager, and the Japanese WordPress community, Wapuu was born.
Wapuu Meets the World
On February 19, 2011, Wapuu made his world debut. He did not yet have a name, but he still managed to make a splash. A few months later, following a community poll, Wapuu had a name. Then, he set out to begin his mission.
Today, Wapuu’s likeness gets distributed under the GPLv2, allowing others to modify him in creative new ways. WordPress community members have created dozens of new Wapuus, and he has become one of the most beloved symbols of the popular content management system (CMS). Today, Wapuu appears on websites, banners, cakes, cards, and more around the world.
BoldGrid Proud to Sponsor WAPU.US
As a strong proponent of making web design easier and less intimidating for everybody, BoldGrid proudly sponsors
WAPU.US. Check out their site, learn more about everybody’s favorite WordPress mascot, and keep an eye out for the cute critter at a WordCamp near you.
In the meantime, see Wapuu’s message in action by
trying out BoldGrid, one of the most powerful and easiest-to-use suites of tools for WordPress.
