Theming Oracle EBS: Embracing Redwood and Beyond

As Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) continues its journey of modernization, one of the most visually impactful changes comes in the form of theming—and at the forefront of this evolution is the introduction of the Redwood Look and Feel (LAF).

This article explores how Oracle EBS 12.2 is adopting Redwood UI principles and what it means for administrators, users, and IT branding teams.

Why Themes Matter in Oracle EBS

Themes are more than just colors and icons. They shape how users perceive and interact with enterprise applications. A well-designed theme enhances usability, promotes consistency, and reinforces your organization’s brand identity.

Theme Editor: Your Gateway to UI Personalization

Oracle has revamped the Theme Editor in OA Framework, providing a rich set of options:

• Copy and edit seeded themes

• Create completely new themes from scratch

• Preview themes before publishing changes

You can also choose between circular or rectangular icons, allowing you to tailor the user experience to match modern device expectations, including tablets and mobile-responsive layouts.

Introducing the Redwood Theme

Redwood is Oracle's next-generation design system, offering a clean, modern, and responsive user experience across all Oracle products—including EBS.

In EBS Release 12.2:

• Redwood is available out of the box

• It can be enabled through the profile option APPS_LOOK_AND_FEEL

• It integrates directly into OA Framework-based pages

There is no need for patching or additional development—just set the profile and apply it.

Redwood in Action: What's Different?

The Redwood theme brings several enhancements:

• Modern iconography and minimalistic design

• Subtle animations and gradients

• Better spacing and layout for readability

• A consistent look and feel with Oracle Cloud Applications

This alignment ensures a seamless brand and user experience across EBS, Fusion, and other Oracle services.

Theme Strategy: Tips for Admins and Architects

1. Test existing custom skins: If you're using a custom skin built on Alta or earlier, validate its compatibility with Redwood.

2. Leverage the Theme Editor: Use the drag-and-drop features and real-time previews to build a theme that fits your corporate identity.

3. Use Profile Options effectively: Control look and feel using APPS_LOOK_AND_FEEL and FND: Branding Size.

Looking Ahead

Under Oracle’s Continuous Innovation Model, Redwood is just the beginning. Future enhancements will continue to expand theming capabilities, integrate with new UI components, and align EBS more closely with Oracle’s overall user experience strategy.