Drupal theming from design to development Alex J. Ventpap & Tom James

Starting on Photoshop The scary white canvas on photoshop, get logic. Collect data first Set the size of the website, guidelines are important Backgrounds, keep in mind developers work

The scary white canvas on photoshop, get logic. Collect data first

Set the size of the website, guidelines are important

Backgrounds, keep in mind developers work

Gathering information - Wireframe is the boss Petro Value project

Background & Guidelines Petro Value project

Following the wireframe Petro Value project

Layout and structure Petro Value project

Vector elements in photoshop - stretching ability Petro Value project

Fonts - websafe http://www.typetester.org

http://www.typetester.org

Colors - Adobe kuler http://kuler.adobe.com/#links

http://kuler.adobe.com/#links

Fills, layer styles & keyboard shortcuts Layer Styles - Gradient Overlay + Stroke

Keyboard shortcuts MAIN MENU > Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts

Finishing/revisions - Color changes/end of design stage Petro Value Project

Useful links More photoshop tricks http://all-x.ca/blog/?p=176 More about photoshop + drupal http://imagexmedia.com/blog Designing for Drupal: Photoshop Best Practices

More photoshop tricks

http://all-x.ca/blog/?p=176

More about photoshop + drupal

http://imagexmedia.com/blog

Designing for Drupal: Photoshop Best Practices

The theming bit

Intro Who’s a developer/themer? What is a Drupal theme? Theming isn’t rocket science Relies on strong CSS/HTML skills rather than PHP Theming is powerful & flexible - Module theme overriding (functions & templates) - No need to alter module code Every developer has a different approach - Find methods that work for you

Who’s a developer/themer?

What is a Drupal theme?

Theming isn’t rocket science Relies on strong CSS/HTML skills rather than PHP

Theming is powerful & flexible - Module theme overriding (functions & templates) - No need to alter module code

Every developer has a different approach - Find methods that work for you

Planning the theme Shouldn’t be any major surprises in the design by this stage Developers with a tight budget hate surprises Highlights need for design & development overlap Designers & Developers can & should get along

Shouldn’t be any major surprises in the design by this stage

Developers with a tight budget hate surprises

Highlights need for design & development overlap

Designers & Developers can & should get along

Review the design Ideally you review the final design before it’s sent to the client for review Layout sizing & structure Review potential block regions needed Look for possible frontpage variations Any possible module overrides ie. search form, login block, node type styles

Ideally you review the final design before it’s sent to the client for review

Layout sizing & structure

Review potential block regions needed

Look for possible frontpage variations

Any possible module overrides ie. search form, login block, node type styles

Getting Started SVN set up SVN benefits? (rollbacks, easy deployment) Drupal & Localhost set up to begin with (quicker)(Acquia or Aegir) Create the basic theme structure - Copy a theme from Drupal.org - Make you own template/skeleton theme - Start out with a CSS/HTML layout if needs be

SVN set up

SVN benefits? (rollbacks, easy deployment)

Drupal & Localhost set up to begin with (quicker)(Acquia or Aegir)

Create the basic theme structure - Copy a theme from Drupal.org - Make you own template/skeleton theme - Start out with a CSS/HTML layout if needs be

Building out Start with the basic common structure ie. Header, content, columns and footer Then build out any frontpage variations - drupal_is_front_page function (page.tpl.php) - custom body_class function (PHP & CSS) - Only use 1 page.tpl.php file for easier upgrading Next focus on key features & details to theme out ie. Menu style, block styles, search block styling Consider the theming of individual node types & Views lists

Start with the basic common structure ie. Header, content, columns and footer

Then build out any frontpage variations - drupal_is_front_page function (page.tpl.php) - custom body_class function (PHP & CSS) - Only use 1 page.tpl.php file for easier upgrading

Next focus on key features & details to theme out ie. Menu style, block styles, search block styling

Consider the theming of individual node types & Views lists

Principles to consider Refer back to your brief & mocks to make sure you don’t miss anything, remember we hate surprises. Avoid hard coding anything into your theme ie. Menus should the menu system, column content should be in blocks or modules if complex Try not to fill your template.php file with custom code, use a module instead or include files Use as fewer .tpl files as possible & keep them free of big chunks of code (use functions). Browser check your work on a regular basic Mac & PC, IE6-8, Firefox, Safari Make your theme flexible, look ahead but not too far ahead,

Refer back to your brief & mocks to make sure you don’t miss anything, remember we hate surprises.

Avoid hard coding anything into your theme ie. Menus should the menu system, column content should be in blocks or modules if complex

Try not to fill your template.php file with custom code, use a module instead or include files

Use as fewer .tpl files as possible & keep them free of big chunks of code (use functions).

Browser check your work on a regular basic Mac & PC, IE6-8, Firefox, Safari

Make your theme flexible, look ahead but not too far ahead,

Finalizing Review the mock ups again, yes again. Attention to detail is important Browser check again Check all theme functionality like menu drop downs & any Javascript is working, check the error log and Firefox console Get QA (Quality Assurance) done by someone else Send to client for review :)

Review the mock ups again, yes again. Attention to detail is important

Browser check again

Check all theme functionality like menu drop downs & any Javascript is working, check the error log and Firefox console

Get QA (Quality Assurance) done by someone else

Send to client for review :)

This is the end We were: Alex J Ventpap (The Designer) http://all-x.ca Tom James (The other one) http://tomswebstuff.com http://drupalsn.com We are both proud to be part of ImageX Media http://imagexmedia.com