Wordpress make your own theme, suggestions

[richie]

Anyone point me in the right direction for an easy way to create my own wordpress theme. In all honesty I think the available themes are OK but just wanted to know if anyone has a suggestion

 

[Cook1e]

Google is your friend...

LINKY

 

[richie]

LINKY

Of course it is and I have tried some, however I am looking for a "recommended"

Just tried http://www.lubith.com/ easy enough

 

[Fanum]

Don't do it from scratch.....it's a LOT of work for no reason, and in a few week's time, you'll realise that there is a folder structure missing and have to start all over again.

Use a very simple, basic design them modify the CSS to make it an entirely new template.....that way, you'll at least know the underlying structure is there and complete

There are thousands if not tens of thousands of templates to base a design on......using the in built search engine from within a WP install, you can look for the very basic needs then test each one out and look at the CSS to make sure you can use it

 

[richie]

Don't do it from scratch.....it's a LOT of work for no reason, and in a few week's time, you'll realise that there is a folder structure missing and have to start all over again.

Use a very simple, basic design them modify the CSS to make it an entirely new template.....that way, you'll at least know the underlying structure is there and complete

There are thousands if not tens of thousands of templates to base a design on......using the in built search engine from within a WP install, you can look for the very basic needs then test each one out and look at the CSS to make sure you can use it

Probably go that way.
Funny thing is I have kind of decided that content is what matters and the basic design from wordpress is OK as is. I only ask in case I make a wp site for someone who wnats it customised.

 

[Tobers]

Graph Paper Press themes are very nice. That being said, there can be a lot of overcomplication and I currently use one of the simple built-in themes and it's nice, clean and simple.

I wouldn't consider doing a DIY job personally.

 

[Fanum]

Probably go that way.
Funny thing is I have kind of decided that content is what matters and the basic design from wordpress is OK as is. I only ask in case I make a wp site for someone who wnats it customised.

The basic themes are ,as you say, fine.


Use FTP and have a look at the installation directory of even the most basic fresh install though and you'll see what I mean about the folder structure....If you did decide to make a theme from scratch, I'd still base it on a basic install then just make a blank CSS "child theme" from the basic one to work on....that way at least the structure is still all there and you won't run into problems further along the line

I haven't found many limits within WP as to what you can do visually....it's a great system

 

[RobertG]

Unless you want to spend most of time coding (as opposed to making the site function), listen to Fanum

Like you, I found many of the themes just not quite what I wanted and in many cases difficult to customise. Then I came across Pagelines .

It is more of a framework than a theme and has lots of customisation capability. There is a bit of a learning curve (not enormous) and once you are over the hump it is extremely productive. The support is excellent too. See some of the sample sites built with it and you will see what is possible from a single "theme".
http://www.pagelines.com/showcase/

(No connection to them. Just a happy user)

 

[Fanum]

One of the nice bits about using WP is that it's easy to hand over to a client once it's built......anyone who is capable of posting a ride report here, with a bit of basic formatting and adding a pic or two can manage their own site, once it's built

I remember hand coding my first site back in the late 90's......all in HTML

Richie's right about the content, but back then 90% of the time went on coding rather than as it is now, and SHOULD BE, with 90% of the time devoted to writing and putting on decent content

I'm going to look up my old sites and see if I can find any trace of them on the way back when engines.....that'd be funny