Reimagining App Design in Zoho Creator: A Practical Look at the New Theme Experience

Low-code platforms were initially adopted for speed. The primary goal of teams was to build applications quickly, where complex development cycles wouldn’t delay the process. Although that goal remains the same even today, expectations around the end product have evolved.

Today, teams want internal tools they use to have the same polished feel as customer-facing platforms. It may be a CRM dashboard or an HR portal. The layout, consistency, and overall usability matter to users these days. A poor experience often results in a dip in adoption, even when the systems offer strong features.

Zoho Creator has been steadily evolving, particularly from this perspective. The platform is no longer just about building applications quickly. It’s moving toward helping teams build applications that people actually enjoy using.

What’s New in Zoho Creator Themes?

The latest update marks the General Availability of the new theme system. The features that were previously available in early access are now production-ready and stable for wider use.

This change is not limited to developers. It has a direct impact across the board:

Developers need to spend less time managing UI layers
Businesses can align apps more closely with their brand
End users get a cleaner, more consistent experience

Therefore, the design layer is no longer an afterthought. It’s built into the way applications are created.

Theme Gallery: Ready-to-Use Modern Layouts

The Theme Gallery is one of the practical features that have been added during the update. Teams now do not have to start from a blank canvas or tweak layouts manually. They can access eight pre-built themes.

These are not just visual presets. They define how the application feels in terms of navigation, spacing, structure, and hierarchy.

For most teams, this removes the need for custom CSS or UI adjustments. You select a theme, apply it, and the app immediately looks structured and consistent.

This is particularly useful across common business applications like:

CRM systems where clarity and navigation matter
HR portals where employees interact regularly
Inventory systems that need clean data visibility

There’s also a clear direction from Zoho that more themes will be added over time, which means this library will continue to grow.

Simplified Colour Customization

Earlier, aligning an app with brand guidelines often involved several adjustments. It wasn’t always simple, particularly for teams that did not have any expertise in designing.

The new approach simplifies this process significantly. Instead of managing multiple UI elements separately, you mainly work with two inputs:

Primary colour
Secondary colour

That’s enough to bring the application in line with your brand identity.

Therefore, a company can use its existing brand palette and apply it to an internal tool within a few minutes. There’s no need to rely on external support in designing.

Default Experience for New Applications

For new applications, new themes are now enabled by default. This small change has a significant impact. Developers starting fresh no longer need to think about UI setup as a separate step. The application begins with a structured design foundation.

For teams onboarding onto Zoho Creator, this significantly reduces hurdles. The first version of the app already looks presentable, which enhances early-stage adoption and feedback.

Experience for Existing Applications

For teams already using Creator, the transition is optional but accessible. Within Edit Mode, there’s a “Try New Themes” option. It allows teams to explore the updated experience without committing immediately.

This is important because not every existing application will transition seamlessly. For instance, elements like layouts, custom components, and workflows have to be reviewed.

In this regard, a practical approach is to test the new themes in a staging environment. Once you validate how the new UI behaves, a phased rollout can be planned.

Upcoming Enhancements

Zoho has also indicated a few enhancements that are on the way.

These include:

Menu-level icon customization
Greater control over logo placement

These may seem like small decisions. . However, they will be playing a significant role in making applications feel complete. For businesses that care about consistency in internal branding, these controls can make a substantial difference.

Deprecation of Old Themes

Along with the rollout, older themes will be phased out gradually. This isn’t unexpected. Maintaining multiple UI systems often leads to inconsistencies and limits future improvements.

Teams, therefore, must start evaluating new themes now. There’s no need to rush, but delaying the transition is likely to eventually increase the workload.

Real Business Impact

The changes are bringing about a real impact on businesses. Well-structured and intuitive applications engage users in a more natural way. They tend to hesitate less and raise fewer queries for support. Overall adoption improves significantly.

From the perspective of development, teams need to spend less time on adjusting to UI. This would leave them with more time to improve functionality. Over time, this approach is likely to translate to a more consistent brand experience across internal tools. This is something most organizations are currently struggling to maintain.

Best Practices for Using New Themes

Here are a few practical recommendations that can help teams make the most of these themes:

Consider the nature of the application when choosing a theme, not preference alone.
Stick to your existing brand colours and don’t experiment too much
Before finally rolling out the application, test it across various devices
Avoid over-customising beyond the features you need

Remember, the goal should be to keep it consistent, not to make the experience complex for users.

Final Thoughts

What stands out in this update is the direction. Zoho Creator is clearly moving toward a design-first approach within low-code development. For teams building internal applications, this reduces the gap between functionality and experience. Teams no longer have to choose between the two.

If you’re already using Creator, it’s worth consulting a Zoho implementation partner like Xponential Digital. With professional insights, you can explore the new themes within your existing applications. The experts will assist you comprehensively as you try them in a controlled setup, review how they impact usability, and gradually introduce them where applicable.

For new builds, the advantage is immediate. You’re starting with a stronger foundation right from the start.

Categories