Web Design
How to Use the WordPress Customizer
In this lesson in our WordPress series we will learn how to use the WordPress Customizer. Customize is where you design the website including the header, footer, and overall design decisions. In addition, you use Customize to create menus for the website. Think of Customize as where you work on everything except for the <main>…
Read MoreHow WordPress Works
If you only know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, it can be challenging to wrap your head around how WordPress works. With HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you create and publish files to a hosting server. With WordPress, the website content and settings are not stored in the website files. Instead, the content is stored in database tables. In this article we’ll explain what the database tables are and how the website files interact with them.
Read MoreWhy are most websites made with WordPress?
As of this writing, WordPress powers 43% of the World Wide Web. And, of websites using a content management system, market share is 64%. Why are so many websites made with WordPress? This article explains why WordPress dominates the web development marketplace. A strong understanding of WordPress is critical for students of web development.
Read MoreThe Magic of Publishing Your Website
Linking the Domain Name and Hosting Plan with DNS Does publishing a website really take magic? To publish a website you need to register a domain name from a domain name registrar, and you need to purchase a website hosting plan. Once you have the domain name and hosting connected with the DNS, then you…
Read MoreDon’t Make Me Think Discussion Questions
In the Web Design course I teach at Saint Paul College we read Don’t Make Me Think, Revised (3rd Edition)* by Steve Krug. I searched the Internet for existing study questions and failed to find them. Hence, I will be writing my own discussion questions. I hope you find these discussion questions useful. If you…
Read MoreGetting Started on a New Web Design
When I am working on a new website, it sometimes can be hard to know how to get started on the design. I start by looking at competitor websites and I ask my clients to send me links to websites that they like. While not everything is done exactly in the order below, the process…
Read MoreWhat Can You Do With Bootstrap?
Developers know that they can use Bootstrap to make stackable columns on responsive websites. But Bootstrap has prebuilt classes that allow you do so much more. Here is a short list of what you can do with Bootstrap. So when you want to try something new on your website, check first to see if Bootstrap…
Read MoreHow to Add Additional CSS in the WordPress Customizer
WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) that is open source and highly customizable with a knowledge of CSS and how to add it in Customize -> Additional CSS. Many of my clients know WordPress well. A few of my clients know more about WordPress than I know! Since I know how to code and…
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