Starting WP development: recommend a theme/framework?

[Joshua]

I have finally stopped procrastinating and bought domains and hosting in preparation for SEO_Mikes NEp3! I figure the best way for me to get started is to build my first site using WP as a CMS, learning everything (xhtml/css/php/SEO) as I go.

Now I know most of you would start from a premium theme or from scratch but I thought I might learn more (more easily, anyway) from using a free theme framework as a base to build the site on. Would you agree, and what theme framework would you recommend/do you use?

Most seem to recommend building on thematic or hybrid to start with.

Thanks in advance!

 

[radio]

just find a quality looking theme that matches what you're trying to do. there are so many free premium themes out there that a paid "premium" theme is unnecessary - especially to start.

are you blogging? get a blogging style theme. more into a magazine style layout - go for it. check out the links here.

Search Results | Smashing Magazine

 

[kaveman]

Definitley no reason for a premium theme especially if your just getting started and don't know whether the site will be making money or not.

If you want something super easy to just get some content up and start playing around download wordpress, find a free theme and bam! your up and running.

 

[indianman]

Just a suggestion:

Start with a simple 2 column free theme.
Learn how to move the sidebar to the other side (style.css).
Learn to change the header and footer (header.php, footer.php).
Learn to add and remove dynamic content (Categories, Archives, Recent Posts) to the sidebar (sidebar.php or whatever it is named as in your theme).
Learn to change the background color and to add/remove menus (style.css).
Learn to change the home page (index.php or whatever it is named as), including the number of posts displayed there.

You will learn some Wordpress functions along the way, automatically.

 

[ajnnadeau]

indianman's suggestions are good. The way I learned to css/xhtml/php was to download WordPress, get one of their many free themes, and then start modifying the theme to fit my needs. You only really learn by doing, so I recommend diving right in and start playing around with different ideas. You will quickly learn that it is easy to modify a free theme to get it to the way you want it to look without buying a premium theme.

Good luck!

 

[Joshua]

Thanks for the advice everyone; I was worrying so much about 'doing it right' that I didn't 'just do it'. I will follow your suggestion indianman +rep