Behind the Themes in Opera 12

Themes have been one of the most popular features so far in Opera 12. (Lots of computers out there have gotten an instant makeover!) And one of the top three themes in terms of downloads is "ColorWaves," which came from a design studio called Grandpeople. We spoke to Grandpeople's manager Jørgen Eidem about what went into their idea.

In less than two weeks, ColorWaves has been downloaded over a million times! Did you think your theme would become this popular?

We didn't really think about numbers when creating it, and I guess we didn't even think about the fact that you would be counting how many people installed it! But it's really great to know that our work inspires people.

Are there any other designs you considered for a theme which you could share with us?

Here's one...

And another...

Why were you interested in working with Opera?

It's clear to us that Opera is a company with an open mind for trying to understand what's next, not just doing the same thing over and over again.

What are your favorite websites to get design inspiration?

One of the most fun and inspiring things online these days is Instagram. But you have interesting sites that do almost the same thing within design, like Dribbble. It's a really interesting project, but it's not yet the place for us to go for inspiration - that comes more and more from everything else.

What is the one thing you wish you could do online?

One thing we have always wanted is the one perfect way of staying on top of everything you’re interested in online. A simple, clear overview of your Internet, a way to not drown in the sea of possibilities and “noise”. And at the same time helping you to remember the parts of the web that really get you fired up. There are so many websites, networks and services trying to solve this, but we don't think anyone has gotten it right just yet.