Chapter 1: Introduction to IDE Aesthetics

An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) serves as a crucial tool for developers, consuming a significant portion of our daily work hours. A visually appealing IDE can not only enhance the aesthetic experience but also improve productivity. JetBrains, a leading provider of sophisticated development tools like IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and Android Studio, offers a variety of themes. While beauty is subjective, here are seven outstanding JetBrains IDE themes that can enhance your coding environment.

Section 1.1: Material Theme UI

This is my personal favorite theme, transforming the default layout to reflect Google's Material Design. It provides an array of beautiful color palettes compatible with numerous programming languages, along with extensive customization options for various IDE controls and components. This theme has an impressive installation count of 12.5 million.

Section 1.2: One Dark Theme

With over 3.5 million installations and a stellar rating of 4.8, the One Dark theme is among the top-rated options available. This theme offers a sleek black aesthetic, reminiscent of the popular Atom One Dark theme, which many developers appreciate.

Section 1.3: Gradianto

Gradianto emerged as the winner of the 2019 IntelliJ theme contest hosted by JetBrains. Designed to be both colorful and easy on the eyes, it features gradients inspired by natural landscapes. This theme has garnered over 903,700 installations and boasts a 4.7 rating.

Section 1.4: Monokai Pro Theme

This unofficial Monokai Pro theme includes the default and classic themes, along with four unique filters: Machine, Octagon, Ristretto, and Spectrum. It also offers a no-italics option. With more than 791,900 installations and a high rating of 4.88, it’s a popular choice among developers.

Chapter 2: More Popular Themes

The following video discusses how to enhance the aesthetic of IntelliJ IDEA and offers styling tips for JetBrains IDEs.

This video provides further insights on improving your IntelliJ IDEA experience through visual enhancements.

Section 2.1: Visual Studio Code Dark Plus Theme

This theme, inspired by the default "Dark Plus" theme from Visual Studio Code, has garnered over 660,900 installations and a rating of 4.84. If you enjoy VSCode, you will likely appreciate this dark-themed option.

Section 2.2: Nord

Nord features a clean, north-bluish color palette designed for clarity and a smooth workflow. This theme has attracted over 369,200 installations and holds a 4.72 rating.

Section 2.3: Gray Theme

Ideal for those who frequently write Markdown, this low-contrast light theme offers generous spacing between text lines. It has gained over 192,300 installations and a commendable rating of 4.86.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Development Journey

There are numerous fantastic JetBrains IDE themes available. I aim to share as much information as possible about enhancing your beloved IDE. If you have a favorite theme, I would love to hear about it in the comments. Until next time, happy coding! If you’d like to connect, feel free to reach out on Twitter.