Expert guidance on designing a great theme for one of the most popular, open-source blog systems available for the Web today! This book can be used by WordPress users or visual designers (with no server-side scripting or programming experience) who are used to working with the common industry-standard tools like PhotoShop and Dreamweaver or other popular graphic, HTML, and text editors. Regardless of your web development skill-set or level, you'll be walked through the clear, step-by-step instructions, but familiarity with a broad range of web development skills and WordPress know-how will allow you to gain maximum benefit from this book.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 30 Ratings

A Complete Guide? I think not - 2009-09-22
Reviewer Rating:
This is by no-means a complete guide to Theme Design for WordPress. It's a good book for beginners but most web designers have previous knowledge before they start designing themes for WordPress. What noob to web design is going to start by creating themes for WordPress? The whole "design approach" section is a complete waste of time. The book glances over a few core topics for creating themes, but doesn't go in-depth at all. I've found better tutorials on blogs or online forums. If you're looking for a more complete book for WordPress theme design I recommend "How to be a Rockstar WordPress Designer". [...] I found it to go further in depth and teach some unique functions that help create original themes.

Not what I expected - 2009-09-23
Reviewer Rating:
I find this book a bit boasting of what the author did, not really helpful in designing my own theme. I was expecting more how to and less "look at what I did". The "follow along" instructions were a tutorial on how to design a website. I already know how to do that, I wanted something on the css and php of the WordPress application, without having to read the learn to be a website designer.

You're better off with free online tutorials or hiring a designer with programming skills - 2009-11-06
Reviewer Rating:
I rely on reviews when I'm looking for a beginner's reference book, and I felt misled by these reviews. I'm comfortable with HTML, CSS and I know a little bit about PHP--what I didn't understand was how WordPress works and how to make my own theme for it. This book walked me through a theme design, but it failed to explain these steps that actually teach you anything applicable.

I ended up doing what I hoped to avoid: I spent hours searching for online tutorials and pouring through the WordPress Codex. I was shocked that free resources did a better job explaining how to break up my design and make it a WordPress theme.

I'm much more dubious of Amazon reviews now and this publisher. In short: this books walks you in a circle and you gain nothing from it except frustration.

I Was Able to create a theme using this book - 2009-08-28
Reviewer Rating:
Very good tutorials on wordpress theme design. I was able to create my own WP theme for a client by reading this book. Very informative. Good screen shots and code samples for beginners.

Not Too Impressed - 2009-07-31
Reviewer Rating:
I purchased this book hoping for detailed information and just didn't find it. If you want to build a WordPress site very similar to what the author describes, this is a great book!

If you want to use different headers for each page, or change aspects of how the pages display data, or create password areas, or do ANYTHING else that differs from the author's layout-good luck! As nothing is really explained with any clarity, editing is impossible to do without endless trial and error.

I finally had to resort to purchasing another book, and was pleasantly surprised by the content of WordPress for Dummies.

Browse Similar Topics

Top Level Categories:
Internet/Online

Sub-Categories:
Internet/Online > Web Design