Newfangled template

By installing WpTouchPro, we simply tell the application to use two sets of templates, and show one or the other depending upon the device being used to view the site. A new, second template is now available, to be customized as seen fit. If your website is a custom application, and not using a CMS with mobile-enabling plugins, then the template switching logic must be added manually. Depending on how the application is written, the difficulty of this can vary.

The benefit to this approach is that you have complete control over how the template substitution will function. Here are a few of the choices we made in adding mobile support to the NewfangledCMS templating system a year ago. Basically, we can decide to offer a mobile template for any type of content — by default, if one does not exist, the system will deliver the standard template.

For sites with large amounts of information that might not all be appropriate for mobile browsing, this enables us to focus on the areas that are appropriate, while still maintaining full access to the information if needed.

A recent article at metautonomo. When developing alternate templates, its can be easy to let the existing site logic change to accommodate the new presentation. This can quickly lead to a mess. Avoid the temptation to embed switches to accommodate the two states — Let the templates do all of the work. In my CSS example above, I targeted screen size rather than specific devices.

We decided early on that at this point, it made little sense to try to target specific devices within the mobile spectrum. With the emergence of webkit as the de-facto browser, we are able to create a set of mobile templates that works well across all devices, regardless of specific screen size variations. You can simplify. Before you even start designing a page, keep in mind the following four principles, in this order:.

Remember, these are basic, underlying principles. They provide a stable foundation upon which there is much freedom to design something as unique as it need be.

Here's an intriguing design challenge: create a flag that would represent global citizenship. The folks…. Design:Related is another good example of a social-networking site aimed at artists and designers.

We take your privacy seriously. We do not sell or share your data. We do use cookies to enhance your experience with our site and to analyze the performance of our marketing efforts. Join thousands of firms who depend upon our expertise to take control of their marketing. Subscribe today. Mass Media? Mass Carnage! KISS Keep it simple, stupid! Before you even start designing a page, keep in mind the following four principles, in this order: Identify Your Audience Properly identifying your audience is the most critical step to designing an effective website.

Chances are, you think your audience is bigger that it actually is. I was reluctant to give up the ability to override my templates as needed. What I ended up learning the hard way was that, ultimately, a multi-tiered approach is what I wanted. That prevented costly refactoring and let me keep the flexibility I wanted. Instead, I refactored the App.

On the server side, I implemented a roll-up, that parsed the app folder structure on release and produces a single, static file containing all of my partials. The first time a client browser loads the page, this rollup is retrieved in one http request. I use the actual template path as seen above as the storage keys for the partials, no matter where it ends up living.

Global cache at the App level. The partial will be here if the user has persistent storage turned off, etc. An AJAX call. Pro tip: The theme is fully customizable, so tweak it to look exactly how you want. Let us know in the Feedback tool , send us a tweet, or leave a comment. Next Post: How to collect payments online. Previous Post: 6 benefits of marketing automation and how forms help you unlock them.

Absolutely love the new theme. Is there a CSS override to make it go underneath the field?