Theme Selection: A process for choosing a WordPress Theme #WordCampMSP

What’s in a THEME? A Process for Selecting Todd J. List The Geek Who Speaks People WordPress Themes @TJList maxim650.com

My Background ( version) short

Confusion Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/76172701@N00/2157057475/ Credit: Reuben Stanton( http://www.flickr.com/people/absent/ )

Simplify the Path Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14016905@N02/2818573061/ Credit: Simon 'Kelp' Keeping( http://www.flickr.com/people/kelp1966/ )

How important IS a theme? ! OR .

“ We didn’t start to really grow until we invested some money in the design.” Loosely paraphrased from Ben Bator’s Ignite Detroit presentation 2/25/2010 http://twitter.com/benbator http://www.textsfromlastnight.com/

“ No one ever asked Hemingway which pencils he used to write his books.” -Chris Brogan http://www.chrisbrogan.com/hemingways-pencils/ Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/98894117@N00/2263156019/ Credit: nataliej( http://www.flickr.com/photos/nataliejohnson/ )

Is it what’s underneath?

Influential Blogs

Influential Blog: Seth Godin

Influential Blog: Naomi Dunford/Ittybiz

Influential Blog: Chris Brogan

Influential Blog: Seth Godin

Influential Blog: Naomi Dunford/Ittybiz

Influential Blog: Chris Brogan

CONTENT is KING* *but being cute helps Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74193050@N00/135927433/ Credit: Dave Malkoff( http://www.flickr.com/photos/malkoff/ )

The Process

Purpose Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12836528@N00/3983181467/ Credit: Kevin Dooley ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/ )

Competitive Analysis (Trailblazers) Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/55046645@N00/314989744/ Credit: Practical Owl ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/practicalowl/ )

Foundation Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/64959824@N00/3222349165/ Credit: Mary Portier ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/martyportier/ )

Foundation Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/57621379@N00/2063743086/ Credit: Tinou Bao ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinou/ )

Site Plan 1. Establish categories (guess at first) 2. Plan path from home page to details 3. Develop content 4. Iterate Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/93278581@N00/3770015203/ Credit: Will Scullin ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/wscullin/ )

Starting Point • Start where you are! • Current theme • Twenty-Ten • Add Content • Upgrade when (and if) it makes sense Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42314813@N02/4073380843/ Credit: Jeremy Piehler ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremympiehler/ )

SAT 12. Finish the analogy. Furniture : House :: _______:_______ A. Google : Web Browser B. Drill Bit : Byte C. Fish : Bicycle D. Content : Website

MyBlog.WordPress.com Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035555243@N01/113278059/ Credit: Thomas Hawk( http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/ )

crappyblog.blogspot.com Image credit: Todd J. List

Kubrick Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/80297647@N00/2055175921/ Credit: Patrick Henson ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/pathenson/ )

Twenty-Ten Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/69166981@N00/94800900/ Credit: Living in Monrovia ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/livinginmonrovia/ )

Premium Themes Image: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1311018 Credit: Marek Kowalik ( http://www.sxc.hu/profile/winblows )

When to Leap… …to a Premium Theme? 1. At least 3 features or categories 2. Commitment to high-quality images 3. Time and ability to configure 4. Budget Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68134711@N00/3152875867/ Credit: Stuart Anthony ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuant63/ )

Basic Layouts

Theme Types Blog Business Magazine Gallery

COLOR Confounds

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39912997@N00/492034335/ Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/81065540@N00/4143389771/ Credit: Heather Phillips ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/hphillips/ ) Credit: green kozi ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/themacinator/ ) Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74481989@N00/4672462240/ Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60991646@N00/3840269829/ Credit: Dennis Marciniak ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/denmar/ ) Credit: youngthousands ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/theyoungthousands/ )

Application: Layout Selection

Magazine Theme Comparison Expose Serenity Bee Crafty Themes by StudioPress

Sandbox For development and customization Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14853721@N00/5052502340/ Credit: Paul Gorbould ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorbould/ )

Theme Sources Free (WordPress.org) http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/ Free (Third party) http://wordpressthemesbase.com/ http://www.freewpthemes.net/ Danger! http://www.ezwpthemes.com/ Beware of shady sites offering free WordPress themes. See http://tinyurl.com/yh4r8fq Thanks to @wptavern for the tip.

Theme Sources Premium (paid) http://www.press75.com/ http://www.woothemes.com/ http://headwaythemes.com/ http://www.studiopress.com/ http://frugaltheme.com/ http://ithemes.com/ http://diythemes.com/thesis/ http://themeforest.net/ http://www.elegantthemes.com/ http://themes.bavotasan.com/ http://www.solostream.com/

Traps • Hard-coded Menus • No Sub-menus • Constrained by graphics Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13791340@N05/4149554610/ Credit: Skip Cooper ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/photoskip/ )

Traps • No WP 3.0 Menu Support • Limited Layouts • Cluttered

Traps • Typography • Poor contrast • Small text • Widgets don’t collapse gracefully

Traps • Some Assembly Required

Case Study

1. 2. 4. Problems 1. Poor contrast 2. Menus hard-coded graphics 3. Too narrow for images 3. 4. Hard to change

Theme Fail

Questions?

Review 1. Start where you are 2. Site Map and Research 3. Select a home-page layout 4. Create content 5. Use a Sandbox to customize and configure

Thank You! Happy Blogging! Todd J. List The Geek Who Speaks People Twitter: @TJList http://maxim650.com TJ@maxim650.com 248-387-9650

Theme Selection: A process for choosing a WordPress Theme #WordCampMSP

by TJList on Nov 13, 2010

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