PowWow1

Learn (X)HTML and CSS

  1. HTML Dog Tutorials
  2. W3 Schools

Work on your Design Skills

  1. Design a Beautiful Website From Scratch – Nettuts
  2. 8 Great Web Design Tutorials – Powerusers

Design in a 960px Grid

  1. 960 Grid System – Download suppording PSD files, etc.
  2. [Use the 960 Grid System to] Design a Beautiful Website From Scratch – Nettuts (same tut linked above)
  3. FLUID 960 Grid System – for those wanting a fluid design (stretch your browser wider and narrower)

Background information and perspective:

  1. Original Post by the Author, Nathan Smith – SonSpring
  2. Gridding the 960 – with reference to the concept behind it – Cameron Moll
  3. Shorter overview of the concept – WebResourceDepot

Begin with a Basic HTML/CSS Layout

  1. Layout Gala

Convert your Design into a XHTML/CSS Website

  1. How to Convert a PSD to XHTML – Screencast – Jeffrey Way @ Nettuts+
  2. Converting a Design From PSD to HTML – Screencast – Jeffrey Way @ Nettuts+

Turn it into a WordPress Theme

This step enables you to integrate your design with the powerful WordPress content management system. It’s a bit more complicated, and so the best resources tend to cost a few bucks. But here are two good options, well worth the price:

  1. How to Be a Rockstar WordPress Designer – Downloadable PDF Book – $29
  2. The Best PSD to HTML to WordPress Video Series Available – Nettuts+ "Plus" Tutorial – $9/month subscription

Looking for a free option? Try this:

See also this extensive textual tutorial on creating a WordPress Theme:

Leverage a WordPress Theme Framework

Basic Blank Theme Frameworks

  1. Whiteboard – a basic blank theme framework
  2. Carrington – a more developed option
  3. Thematic – the most developed, most popular

Basic overviews of several options, including others!

  1. 20 Wordpress Theme Frameworks And Starting Resources – 1stWebdesigner
  2. Blank Themes, Frameworks and Templates – Designm.ag

What if I get Stuck, Frustrated, or Confused?

  1. Drop me a line. (Use the form below!)
  2. Sign up for my Introduction to Web Design course this fall at Oklahoma Wesleyan, where we’ll tackle these things and more.
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