To get started, Here’s a quick guide on how I produce my custom wordpress themes. Below you’ll find a step-by-step guide on the process.
1. For the base of the site, I usually start with one of two framework themes that have the bulk of a normal or wordpress site coded into them. Generally, these are my own in-house framework (based on the <3.0 TwentyTen theme but heavily streamlined and customized for varying visual layouts) or the TwentyEleven theme that ships default with wordpress 3.2+. For users that have the Genesis wordpress theme framework (By StudioPress), I also offer Genesis Child Theme design services.
A lot of this code takes care of the SEO aspects of the site, how the site is basically arranged. This is especially true with the Genesis Theme You can think of it like the unpainted, unfinished body of a car, if the car is wordpress.
2. The general design is mocked up in Photoshop or an open-source design studio like GIMP (graphics image manipulation program). This way, design elements can be easily re-arranged much more quickly than having to re-code and re-design.
3. Once the design is approved, the images are “sliced” into individual images, to be used in the design of the theme.
4. Here’s the big step. The design elements approved and sliced are woven into the theme’s framework. Each feature and element of the theme to be created are hand-tailored with the graphics look and feel that my clients love.
5. When it’s ready for preview and subsequently approved and invoiced, the theme files are either transferred via FTP or provided/uploaded as a .zip file. This installation package can be used to install it on as many or as few wordpress sites that you choose to install it on.This file represents all the custom theme work. Content/pages/etc will be set up and configured separately as needed. Note – All wordpress theme files are preview-before-payment.
