Project Files - Is That Really WordPress?
| Category: WordPress, Project Files | 12 Comments
The power of the WordPress platform absolutely amazes me! I recently finished a project for a design company called TwistnShout which completely stretched everything I knew WordPress could do and then some.
TwistnShout main page with area to highlight recent projects.
The portfolio pages have a different sidebar file for each category which allows for the groups of thumbnails to change and be used for navigation.
The basic look of the site was given to me by the owner of the company, who is an amazing print designer. Amy knew the look she wanted, but she wanted a site that she could maintain on her own in the future. Based on her desire to make future modifications on her own, I knew WordPress would be the platform of choice. We hired Brian Gardner to create the site’s basic structure in the form of a custom theme that used multiple template pages and did not contain the comment features, and other typical blog elements.
Once Brian coded the basic structure, I was able to add the content, tweak the design and challenge myself even more.
Each primary section of content - the copy that Amy will most likely change from time to time - was created using a WordPress page or subpage. The side bar (right and left) content was hard coded in using individual theme files.
Amy wanted the testimonial quotes in the who we are section to change depending on which team member’s bio you were reviewing. She also wanted different navigation for each project type in her portfolio. This took some creative thinking, but I was able to achieve this level of customization through the use of detailed theme files. Each main navigation item already had a unique template that called the correct left navigation, center content and right sidebar. I just took it a step further by creating sublevel template and theme pages.
The development of the TwistnShout site was truly a team effort. Amy knew what she wanted and was willing to let Brian and I challenge the WordPress platform to create a scalable, professional looking portfolio site for her company.
I have lost count of the number of people who have asked, “Is that really WordPress?” To which I have been able to reply, yes it is!










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