• June 1, 2012
  • 3

Theme Review: Flexible WordPress Theme by ElegantThemes

I’ve been looking forward to the release of the launch of the Flexible WordPress theme * ever since Nick Roach, founder and lead designer at ElegantThemes, announced it on his blog almost a month ago.

I think Nick has entered a new chapter in his design work. He’s pairing things down and getting to the essence of each theme.

You know, the more I think about it, the more that old saying – “quality not quantity” – seems relevant to today’s premium theme marketplace.

Theme developers use all manner of clever tricks to lure in their customers, but the themes that stand out, at least in my view, are themes that excel in one or more of the following design elements:

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  • May 31, 2012
  • 0

WOW Part 2 – Viens-la.com

Welcome to WOW (World of WordPress) Part 2. This is a new series of videos that I’m making, based on an original idea by the talented Milo, that looks at pre-established websites that are pushing the limits of the WordPress platform.

If you missed part one, you can catch it here: “WOW Part 1 – La Gallina Che Fuma“.

In this episode I take a look at a French interactive design agency sporting a cutting edge WordPress portfolio theme. This is an example of a portfolio on steroids! It packs an enormous visual punch. On the usability side it flows like water. There is intrigue. There is fun and there is some serious commitment to detail.

Take a look at my video for more insight into Viens-la.com. Tell me what you think of the site in the comment section below and if you have any suggestions or tips for more groundbreaking WordPress powered sites, hook me up via the contact form.

If you’d rather get stuck right into the Viens-la.com website then here’s the link. Either way, I hope you enjoy the beauty of design! Thanks for watching

  • May 31, 2012
  • 0

How WordPress 3.4 makes manipulating your themes so much easier

So the final release of WordPress 3.4 is just round the corner and the recent launch of the 3.4 release candidate certainly created some buzz. The first thing to say is don’t worry, WordPress 3.4 will be great and everything is going to be fine. Some people get really nervous about WordPress updates. I guess it’s because they’re worried about legacy issues and how much work (if at all) it’s going to take to bring their sites up to date.

That being said, WordPress 3.4 is not a revolutionary update, it’s a modest evolutionary one. The main star of the update is without doubt the live WordPress theme preview function.

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  • May 30, 2012
  • 13

Do blog lists still have value in 2012?

This is an open question to the community: do blog lists still have value? What do I mean by blog lists? I’m talking about the “50 best …” type blog posts that you see in abundance across the web.

This sort of post is particularly popular in the tech world and it sees a lot of action among WordPress bloggers too. I even posted a list of 15 trustworthy free WordPress themes on this blog some time ago.

The recipe for making a list goes something like this:

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  • May 29, 2012
  • 0

WOW Part 1 – La Gallina Che Fuma

Welcome to the first video in a new series called WOW – World of WordPress. In this series, I’m going to be looking at established businesses large and small, at individuals known and unknown, who are using WordPress to power their sites in unusual, inventive and potentially ground breaking ways.

Part of the impetus behind this series comes from a very talented web designer called Milo. I’ve already showcased her website and work on wpliving as part of my WordPress Community Series. If you missed it, it’s called “Milo and the Radical Edge of WordPress“.

The first website I want to look at in this new series belongs to an Italian restaurant called La Gallina Che Fuma. Part of the reason I’m interested in this site is because it makes very imaginative use of the single page WordPress theme type. If you watch the video, you’ll see what I mean. I think it’s a great example of a company using web design and the simplicity of WordPress to convey a strong sense of brand identity. It’s bright, bold and playful and you can see it in action here.

Let me know what you think about this design. Also let me know if you have ideas for new sites to look at. Please send me any suggestions via the contact form.