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WordPress

Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points
Posted by Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points

My first commission to build a website

Hi all,

I'm an accomplished graphic designer/design tutor and I've been in discussion with an artist about designing her identity, stationery and website. Whilst the design of the collateral, including the website are not my biggest worries, I'm wondering how to approach the BUILDING of the website.

She is aware I am learning HTML/CSS and we have an agreement about her site being a great learning project for me whilst I use my knowledge acquired from Treehouse (woo!).

So far I have completed the following on Treehouse:

• Build a basic site (Smells like bakin') • HTML Deep Dive • CSS Deep Dive (literally just completed Selectors now, and about to start Advanced Selectors)

I've worked on Wordpress before so it's not going to be a huge shock to me, although I plan on completing the “Learn Wordpress” track. I definitely can't build a theme from scratch, only hack existing ones.

So, my questions are:

  1. How long in approximate duration do I have left for what is remaining on my tracks?
  2. Do I need to complete the Responsive website track?
  3. If I complete point 1 (and 2 if required), will this be enough of a knowledge base for me to create a simple, clean and modernist website on the Wordpress platform?

Have I missed anything?

Thanks in advance! :)

4 Answers

Travis Thomas
Travis Thomas
9,179 Points
Travis Thomas
Travis Thomas
9,179 Points
  1. I am not sure about question 1 since I never did the Wordpress tracks.
  2. You should unless your client and the audience for the website are strictly php. The other option is to use a framework like Bootstrap which is mobile/responsive. Nick did a talk on converting the smellslikebakin site into bootstrap which would be helpful. After doing the html and css deepdives you should know enough to use bootstrap from just reading the documentation.
  3. Yes if you do step 2 or use a framework like Bootstrap. It is hard to call a website modern if it isn't responsive these days imo.
Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points
Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points

Thanks Travis,

I briefly read something about bootstrap a while ago so I'll look into that into more detail. Wordpress is such an important platform though and I will definitely complete the track, just not sure how long it will take.

I'll post the site in the gallery once it's complete naturally!

Thanks again.

Sharon Walls
Sharon Walls
9,234 Points
Sharon Walls
Sharon Walls
9,234 Points

The remaining videos on your track are only a few hours. How long that will take depends on how you study and how quickly you learn. (e.g. some people watch videos 3-4x each, do all the assignments, do the extra credit... and some don't.)

Since your client is willing to let you learn as you go, I would get started now; you can refactor as you pick up new skills. In fact, the WordPress course assumes you have a finished HTML website and then teaches you to convert it to WordPress, so this will work well for you in your real-life project. (The WordPress tutorials focus on designing a portfolio site, so that will be quite relateable too.)

Good luck!

Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points
Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points

Thanks Sharon,

I found it very interesting that you pointed out that I can have a "finished HTML website and then teaches you to convert it to WordPress". (Sorry for bad English quotation usage, writing this reply very quickly)!

Anyway, from what you said my understanding is that I can start work on the site now, once I've completed my CSS training I should be able to complete the site (I'm confident I can complete this as an HTML/CSS site). Then if I move onto the Wordpress training I should be able to convert it to wordpress? If so, that sounds good to me. Glad it's a folio site in the tutorial as well, works out nicely!

Thanks again!

Kevin Korte
Kevin Korte
28,149 Points
Kevin Korte
Kevin Korte
28,149 Points

Every wordpress site for me, starts out as a basic HTML, CSS, JS site with minimal PHP for path names, Once I'm happy with it, I start converting it to WP templates, so it's very doable.

Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points
Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points

I know a wee bit about Wordpress, having worked on a few sites before but I really had no idea you could convert an HTML site to Wordpress. That's amazing! It's like finding out I can turn my soft cotton socks into heavy duty mountain walking boots! I can't wait to get started on this website!

John Locke
John Locke
15,479 Points
John Locke
John Locke
15,479 Points

Hi Tabrez:

WordPress uses PHP templates to create HTML. It takes a little getting used to at first, but after a while, you can make almost anything you can imagine in WordPress that you would normally do in handcoded HTML. When working in a team, It is a normal workflow to receive a HTML prototype page and a PSD and create an entire WordPress site.

Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points
Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points

Thanks John,

As I said, I've worked with Wordpress before, and bits of HTML & CSS, but I really had no idea that you could work this way. I've got a meeting with my client this week so I'll get started on it as soon as possible — this is really exciting!

John Locke
John Locke
15,479 Points
John Locke
John Locke
15,479 Points

Tabrez: You don't even know how exciting it is yet. Make it happen. I'll be cheering for you.

Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points
Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points

Thanks John for encouraging my enthusiasm!

I'll post a reply here when I've got something up in the gallery section.

All the best!

Breset Walker
Breset Walker
8,339 Points
Breset Walker
Breset Walker
8,339 Points

Hey, Tabrez!

Depending on how you adsorb material, or if you like to code along to the video, you can also download the videos with the iTunes link and watch them at a faster speed with either a podcast app or QuickTime. I listen to the less tech-heavy podcasts while running or on the subway and this has let me cover interesting material, like the accessibility track, that I wouldn't have sat through in front of my computer.

Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points
Tabrez Ahmad
Tabrez Ahmad
1,822 Points

Hey Breset,

Sorry for my late reply, I've been away for a long weekend in Wellington, awesome city!

Anway, I usually watch the video and code along with it, then watch again in case I didn't clearly absorb anything. I've downloaded some of the podcasts, and they're pretty cool, but are you also referring to ‘audio only’ podcasts? I can only see video podcasts.

Thanks again!