How do i start with themes?

[CrazyBoy]

I want to know how to start learning the design skills on the themes.
anyone can teach me please?

[Kami]

Hi CrazyBoy !

So these are actually two separate things: learning design and learning themes.

For me, they are a pair -- in order to make a nice theme, you need to learn how to design. However, the way ProBoards has it set up, you don't need to know how to design to make a theme, it just won't be as fancy as a theme design.

Which do you want to know: how to make a ProBoards theme, or where to start learning the basics of design?

[CrazyBoy]

Sept 13, 2019 10:34:45 GMT -8 Kami said:

Hi CrazyBoy !

So these are actually two separate things: learning design and learning themes.

For me, they are a pair -- in order to make a nice theme, you need to learn how to design. However, the way ProBoards has it set up, you don't need to know how to design to make a theme, it just won't be as fancy as a theme design.

Which do you want to know: how to make a ProBoards theme, or where to start learning the basics of design?

Yes I know.
How to learn so

[Kami]

I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying. Are you asking to learn design and not how to make a theme?

[CrazyBoy]

Sept 13, 2019 10:52:43 GMT -8 Kami said:

I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying. Are you asking to learn design and not how to make a theme?

I want to learn everything Kami the important first.

[Scott]

CrazyBoy, you realize I hope that this is not anything that anyone here can teach you.
You really should look at some online classes or classes at a local school for design and coding.

[Joshua Farrell]

The one thing I would actually do to learn how to work with themes, is to make a test theme that you can only see, and mess around with the basic theme maker to do colors, and go to W3School for different html or css items that you can use on your overall header/footer pages or your template pages.

www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp - HTML Tutorials
www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp - CSS Tutorials

Both the above tutorial sections can be used in conjunction with each other. There are tables, divs and other items you can learn how to work with, through the tutorials they provide.

Once you have figured how to put together some of those basic items that they help train you to do, you can come back and have us help you figure out what classes you need to assign, so that your forum colors and styles take over those boxes, if nothing needs to be completely redone to work with it.

[CrazyBoy]

Sept 13, 2019 14:18:20 GMT -8 Joshua Farrell said:

The one thing I would actually do to learn how to work with themes, is to make a test theme that you can only see, and mess around with the basic theme maker to do colors, and go to W3School for different html or css items that you can use on your overall header/footer pages or your template pages.

www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp - HTML Tutorials
www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp - CSS Tutorials

Both the above tutorial sections can be used in conjunction with each other. There are tables, divs and other items you can learn how to work with, through the tutorials they provide.

Once you have figured how to put together some of those basic items that they help train you to do, you can come back and have us help you figure out what classes you need to assign, so that your forum colors and styles take over those boxes, if nothing needs to be completely redone to work with it.

Many thank's josha
Will start soon.

[Kami]

Sept 13, 2019 13:33:16 GMT -8 CrazyBoy said:

Sept 13, 2019 10:52:43 GMT -8 Kami said:

I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying. Are you asking to learn design and not how to make a theme?

I want to learn everything Kami the important first.

Sept 13, 2019 13:49:02 GMT -8 Scott said:

CrazyBoy , you realize I hope that this is not anything that anyone here can teach you.
You really should look at some online classes or classes at a local school for design and coding.

So I disagree in part with you here, Scott. The PB community was actually very formative in my development as a designer. That was (though I loathe to admit it) a long time ago, but I think there are still a couple of people still active—myself included—who would be willing to offer guidance here and there. I'm entirely self-taught with the grace and feedback from wonderful people I met here on Support.

That said, one thing that I had going for me was that I was fluent in English.

Ismail, since you're not fluent in English there's not a lot we can do to help you get started beyond general tips. It would be best if you learned from other Arabic speakers; if I remember correctly what your age is, you should look to see if your school has courses you can take.

Some things you can do on your own:

1. Get a graphics program. I recommend Photoshop if you can afford it, but it's a monthly subscription and you might not be able to do that. GIMP is a decent free program with a lot of the same capabilities, but it's a little more difficult to understand. There are a few others, but they're more illustration-oriented than web design oriented.

2. Learn common graphic design terms: canvas, DPI, depth, focal, etc. These terms will help you get started understanding the language around design. Follow that by learning common web design terms—UX and UI, for example.

3. Learn colour theory and how colours work together. This is very very very important in design, especially if you are intending to design for interactive content (like a website / forum).

4. Learn how design and web development work together. People who concentrate heavily on design tend to have really big ideas that are difficult to execute, while people who concentrate on programming / development frequently have great execution that lacks presentation.

5. Learn about web design and development best practices, as well as learn current design trends from a style point of view (flat, minimal design has been the trend for a few years now!).

6. Practice. Start small, with a signature image or something. There are a lot of tutorials online for signatures and banners (I love searching for tutorials on deviantArt: "signature tutorial" or "graphics tutorial" are good search terms there). Some of the stylistic choices are dated, but the fundamentals are great practice.

7. Ask for—and gracefully accept—criticism. Your designs will be bad to start with. Everyone's is (mine too)! But you have to make bad art to learn what you're doing wrong so you can learn how to make good art.

I hope this helps!

[CrazyBoy]

Kami you're helpful every time!
I'll search on the tutorials even on ProBoards in the help guide.
Dazzal taught me some skills on themes

[Dazzal]

Sept 14, 2019 1:32:35 GMT -8 CrazyBoy said:

Kami you're helpful every time!
I'll search on the tutorials even on ProBoards in the help guide.
Dazzal taught me some skills on themes

CrazyBoy This is how I learned and I am not a coder, and I am far from perfect. I studied the style sheet and Visual Editor. I played with all of the settings in the Editor and looked at the bottom where it shows the theme and I made changes according to that. I have gotten some compliments on the 8 themes that I have made on my forum. I have two styles of themes that I copy from and then I just insert the new URL images into the style sheet. I also use the links that Joshua Farrell provided.

I use the color names often. www.w3schools.com/colors/colors_names.asp

A lot of us came from Yuku. With the Yuku SKINS (as we called them on that system) they allowed us to copy the Yuku professional themes to our Admin area, and then we could create a skin that way and insert URLs and making color changes. On Proboards we are not allowed to do that. I did learn a lot on Yuku by making my skins.

Also, laurieluvsliason taught me about 12 codes to insert into my Style Sheets and Templates for every theme, and very grateful to her for teaching me. It makes the themes appear more complete and I love the codes. Those are the codes that I gave to @stormcloud70 on her Mental Health Issues forum.

Also, Beckea has given me a few codes as well, that helped immensely.

I learn SO MUCH by making mistakes. That's how I learn and not everyone is comfortable doing it that way.

[CrazyBoy]

Sept 14, 2019 5:30:25 GMT -8 Dazzal said:

Sept 14, 2019 1:32:35 GMT -8 CrazyBoy said:

Kami you're helpful every time!
I'll search on the tutorials even on ProBoards in the help guide.
Dazzal taught me some skills on themes

CrazyBoy This is how I learned and I am not a coder, and I am far from perfect. I studied the style sheet and Visual Editor. I played with all of the settings in the Editor and looked at the bottom where it shows the theme and I made changes according to that. I have gotten some compliments on the 8 themes that I have made on my forum. I have two styles of themes that I copy from and then I just insert the new URL images into the style sheet. I also use the links that Joshua Farrell provided.

I use the color names often. www.w3schools.com/colors/colors_names.asp

A lot of us came from Yuku. With the Yuku SKINS (as we called them on that system) they allowed us to copy the Yuku professional themes to our Admin area, and then we could create a skin that way and insert URLs and making color changes. On Proboards we are not allowed to do that. I did learn a lot on Yuku by making my skins.

Also, laurieluvsliason taught me about 12 codes to insert into my Style Sheets and Templates for every theme, and very grateful to her for teaching me. It makes the themes appear more complete and I love the codes. Those are the codes that I gave to @stormcloud70 on her Mental Health Issues forum.

Also, Beckea has given me a few codes as well, that helped immensely.

I learn SO MUCH by making mistakes. That's how I learn and not everyone is comfortable doing it that way.

many thank's Dazzal
but may i ask what is Yuku ?

[Dazzal]

CrazyBoy Yuku was a message board system, much like Proboards. There were differences in the systems.

[CrazyBoy]

Sept 14, 2019 6:01:21 GMT -8 Dazzal said:

CrazyBoy Yuku was a message board system, much like Proboards. There were differences in the systems.

ok thank's I'll try your way if it's comfortable for me in the test forum.
many thank's for everyone

[Dazzal]

Sept 14, 2019 6:04:05 GMT -8 CrazyBoy said:

Sept 14, 2019 6:01:21 GMT -8 Dazzal said:

CrazyBoy Yuku was a message board system, much like Proboards. There were differences in the systems.

ok thank's I'll try your way if it's comfortable for me in the test forum.
many thank's for everyone

CrazyBoy Yuku was bought out by Tapatalk and that's why we are here. You are welcome.