    
|
|
|
After barely passing the Computer Science major requirements at UC Berkeley, I decided to focus on easier topics to graduate with: English and Social Welfare.
When I graduated I had years of building websites under my belt, so my first job was at a venture-backed startup. I quickly learned how lonely it can be as a woman on an all-male engineering teams, so I went on to start Women 2.0 to meet like-minded entrepreneurial women in tech, and then two years later started Bay Area Girl Geek Dinners to meet even MORE of them! Women in tech DO exist in droves!
Currently I'm working to change the ratio of women in engineering as Director of Growth at Hackbright Academy. An accelerated software development program solely for women, we attract students from all over the world and pair them with software engineer mentors to help them find work in tech. Now our students are working at partner companies and commanding some pretty impressive salaries after graduating from the 10-week program.
In high school we got AOL at home and I was fascinated by the Internet. I looked at the HTML behind the simple webpages in 1999, and learned to write my own code and put up webpages. As a shy and quiet student, I supported my friends in leadership positions by creating their websites, and they started referring me to paid positions. And so it goes.
Learning to program is simply being curious about how things work. How does this webpage render? What makes that do that? You peek behind the curtain, like they did in Wizard of Oz, and find that it's lines of code that eventually make sense after you do a lot of Googling and asking questions.
Google is a great resource for learning to program, as well as simply hanging out with other people who like to code. When sitting next to another person on their laptop coding (I think we call this "co-working" now), you can ask questions aloud and have them answered right away.
Just start asking questions out loud - over Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn - and you will learn from the answers you receive. Start iterating on your idea, and it will snowball.
]]>|
|
|
|
If you’re anything like my team, you probably want to dive right in head first into a web development project as soon as you possibly can. Because we love our jobs — we’re all very passionate about it.
We’re eager to get started without having to deal with the "boring parts" and we have a laser-beam focus towards the more enjoyable, fun aspects of web development — coding, setting up servers, designing the user interface, you know, the good stuff.
Early in my web development agency’s history, this is how we worked: The moment we returned from a project’s contract signing, Photoshop would fly open, databases would be fumbled together, and code would be quickly written. We couldn’t wait to get started with production.
And when that happens, proper planning goes out the window.
The result of insufficient planning and coordination? A project of any size and scope, big or small, ended up becoming a mess quite quickly.
To get web development projects off to a good start, we now realize that effective kickoff meetings are essential.
An important component of planning your web development project is the kickoff meeting.
The project kickoff meeting is the initial meeting consisting of the project’s team and the client/decision-makers. It involves getting your team and all the decision-makers in a room to hash out the details about the project.
This meeting is important to web development projects because:
Let me share with you how I prepare and conduct my company’s web development project kickoff meetings. I promise that you and your client will have a better experience and will come out with a better product if you install a good kickoff meeting as part of your web development process.
Here is a brief digest of our project kickoff meeting structure:
I’ll discuss each of these items below.
I suggest having a template for your kickoff meetings to promote efficiency and to ensure that you get the most value out of the meeting.
It’s nice to have a template guiding you for all the things you’re going to need from the client. You can print your template and then immediately start filling it up with information you already know well before the meeting’s date.
If you do several types of development (e.g. mobile app development, web app development, e-commerce site development, etc.) you may have to create a few different versions of your kickoff meeting template.
To help you get started, you can download my kickoff meeting template for web development projects. It’s a 7-page PDF document. It’s simple, but it serves as a fantastic way to start your projects off. You can look over this template and see exactly what you’ll need.
Be sure and read through the template and add to it based on your own business processes, workflow, and custom requirements.
The first thing you should do before getting everyone together for the kickoff meeting is to gather basic information about the project.
On your end, write down basic project details such as:
We are going to need technical information from the client such as server info, domain information, analytics data, previous SEO campaigns, and so forth.
Give your client a chance to get some of their information together before your kickoff meeting and send them a quick worksheet to fill out plenty of time before your first kickoff meeting sit down.
If enough time is given (1 week is enough time in my experience) it’s a good litmus test on how responsive and communicative your client is going to be throughout the web development project. Of course, this isn’t always guaranteed, but I like to use it as an indicator.
You should now be ready for the kickoff meeting after this.
Before getting into the specifics of the kickoff meeting, I’d like to first share some basic tips about meetings in general.
Your project kickoff meeting is an exciting time. Deposits have been paid, and the client is ready to get started on their project ASAP.
I find the more prepared I am for the kickoff meeting, the more likely the client will follow my lead and trust my judgment during the meeting as well as throughout the lifecycle of the project.
So, how can we guarantee a great kickoff meeting planning session?
Early in my career, I was working on a project for the board of education for a county near my hometown. We had just won the job and I was told the client’s team was coming into the office to meet with our staff.
When it was time for the meeting, ten people attended. That translated to ten opinions, ten people interrupting one another, ten potential bathroom breaks — ten cooks in the kitchen spoiling the broth.
It was a nightmare and we accomplished nothing but frustrating our brand new client.
When scheduling your first meeting, be sure to indicate that only the decision maker needs to attend. And if ten people make the decision, put your boots on and start walking because you should have never accepted the project under those terms.
I would suggest one or two people max come to your kickoff meeting. You will get more done, have less interruption, and have one or two people accountable for deliverables you will be requesting. Guess what? The finger pointing just got reduced as well.
Open your meeting with what you’ll be going over, and what the client will be walking away with.
Setting expectations is something you should try to do every time you meet with a client to maintain efficiency and to show that you take their time seriously.
Most importantly, they will understand why they are meeting and be in the right mental state for your chat.
Here is my meeting structure for kickoff meetings.
As you work through the meeting structure, you should be assigning responsibilities to your client and to your team.
After each task assignment, you should be asking the person being assigned the task, "When can you have that by?"
What I typically do is have a calendar nearby and I give them a little more time than they suggest. Typically, the client is eager to please and is sometimes unrealistic. Give them a little more time if you can spare it.
I do gently remind clients that if their deliverable is late, all dates are pushed back and we typically will charge extra unless given 15 days notice. It’s harsh, but it keeps people accountable and, in the end, makes them a happier customer because their project is on time.
In general, a good kickoff meeting can be accomplished in 2 hours.
I like to start my kickoff meeting like a thesis statement in a scientific paper: I state the primary goal of the project and provide a brief summary.
The SMARTer the primary goal, the better. For example, depending on the scale of the project, it might even be as specific as: "The goal of the project is to drive traffic to the site’s contact form and have users fill it out."
Then I review the scope of work that has been signed by the client. This allows you to set the stage and confirm what it is you are building, while refreshing everyone on what the project is all about.
Get the server, email, and analytics information out of the way early. You don’t want to be two weeks away from launch and have to set up a server.
Your technical discussion will absolutely take the most of the time.
This portion defines the project and you may need more than just the half sheet of space so have some scrap paper ready.
What you ultimately want to walk away with are three important pieces of information that everyone should agree on:
Content, imagery, and rich media (like videos) is a subject neglected in a lot in planning meetings, but it’s one of the most expensive and time-consuming things to produce so it should be covered as soon as possible.
For example, most companies that I work with that produce video don’t do it quickly or cheaply. Get the ball rolling early on any video production needed, as well as reinforce who is purchasing any needed stock photography (it was in your contract right?).
The look and feel of a site is tough to nail down.
Early in my career, the conversation usually went something like this: "How did you envision your site looking?" That question would be followed by the client mentioning five of their competitors’ websites — all which would typically looked horrible.
You are the professional. You know what looks good and what doesn’t.
Instead of having them start and govern the conversation about the look-and-feel of the website project, ask them a few questions about how they want their site to feel and the general style. They hired you to figure out the rest.
When and how a site will launch seems like an obvious thing you will want to establish as soon as possible. The "when" is usually covered by the contract, but the "how" is sometimes forgotten.
Will there be a beta testing period prior to launch? How about slowly rolling it out to gain interest and test the load on our servers? These are some things to cover in the kickoff meeting.
This is a great discussion that can potentially generate recurring revenue for your company.
How do they plan on updating the site after it has launched? What if the web server crashes? What about additional features? What happens if a great idea comes up in the middle of the project that requires augmenting the original scope of work — how do we deal with that?
What type of marketing materials need to be prepared for this project? Do social media accounts need to be set up? What about traditional marketing methods? Do any parts of the marketing campaign need assets from our creative department? When and how should these efforts go live?
By this time, your customer (and you) are probably exhausted, but it’s a good exercise to quickly run through the deliverables, due dates, and a summary of the key points discussed in the kickoff meeting.
After the client has left, what I typically do is I will punch in the due dates into our project management software (we use activeCollab).
Then I’ll run a quick report. I’ll send the report to the client via email as a reminder of the things we’ve discussed, along with a note thanking them for the time they have invested into the kickoff meeting.
Gary Williams is the co-founder and CEO of the web development agency LogicBomb Media (Twitter: @lmb_co) near Atlanta, Georgia. He and his team specialize in data-heavy Web and mobile applications for companies like Nintendo, ESPN, and Travel Channel. Follow him on Twitter @dolbex.
The post How to Get Your Web Development Projects Off to a Good Start appeared first on Six Revisions.
]]>|
|
 |
With the Leap Motion controller being released on June 27th and the Google Glass Explorer program already live, it is obvious that our reliance on the mouse or even the monitor to interact with the Web will eventually become obsolete.
The above statement seems like a given, considering that technology moves at such a rapid pace. Yet in 40 years of personal computing, our methods of controlling our machines haven’t evolved beyond using a mouse, keyboard and perhaps a stylus. Only in the last six years have we seen mainstream adoption of touchscreens.
Given that emerging control devices such as the Leap Controller are enabling us to interact with near pixel-perfect accuracy in 3-D space, our computers will be less like dynamic pages of a magazine and more like windows to another world. To make sure we’re on the same page, please take a minute to check out what the Leap Motion controller can do:
Thanks to monitors becoming portable with Google Glass (and the competitors that are sure to follow), it’s easy to see that the virtual world will no longer be bound to flat two-dimensional surfaces.
In this article, we’ll travel five to ten years into the future and explore a world where Google Glass, Leap Motion and a few other technologies are as much a part of our daily lives as our smartphones and desktops are now. We’ll be discussing a new paradigm of human-computer interface. The goal of this piece is to start a discussion with forward-thinking user experience designers, and to explore what’s possible when the mainstream starts to interact with computers in 3-D space.
Please note: We’re exploring an entirely hypothetical scenario, and these are opinions, some of which you may not agree with. However, the opinions are based on current trends, statistics and existing technology. If you’re the kind of designer who is interested in developing the future, I encourage you to read the sources that are linked throughout the article.
Prior to the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, many considered the smartphone to be for techies and business folk. But in 2013, you’d be hard pressed to find someone in the developed world who isn’t checking their email or tweeting at random times.
So, it’s understandable to think that a conversation about motion control, 3-D interaction and portable monitors is premature. But if the mobile revolution has taught us anything, it’s that people crave connection without being tethered to a stationary device.
To really understand how user experience (UX) will change, we first have to consider the possibility that social and utilitarian UX will be taking place in different environments. In the future, people will use the desktop primarily for utilitarian purposes, while “social” UX will happen on a virtual layer, overlaying the real world (thanks to Glass). Early indicators of this are that Facebook anticipates its mobile growth to outpace its PC growth and that nearly one-seventh of the world’s population own smartphones.
The only barrier right now is that we lack the technology to truly merge the real and virtual worlds. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with something more familiar.
Right now, UX on the desktop cannot be truly immersive. Every interaction requires physically dragging a hunk of plastic across a flat surface, which approximates a position on screen. While this is accepted as commonplace, it’s quite unnatural. The desktop is the only environment where you interact with one pixel at a time.
Sure, you could create the illusion of three dimensions with drop shadows and parallax effects, but that doesn’t change the fact that the user may interact with only one portion of the screen at a time.
This is why the Leap Motion controller is revolutionary. It allows you to interact with the virtual environment using all 10 fingers and real-world tools in 3-D space. It is as important to computing as analog sticks were to video games.
To wrap our heads around just how game-changing this will be, let’s go back to basics. One basic UX and artificial intelligence test for any new platform is a simple game of chess.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons)
In the game of chess below, thanks to motion controllers and webcams, you’ll be able to “reach in” and grab a piece, as you watch your friend stress over which move to make next.
Now you can watch your opponent sweat. (Image: Algernon D’Ammassa)
In a game of The Sims, you’ll be able to rearrange furniture by moving it with your hands. CAD designers will use their hands to “physically” manipulate components (and then send their design to the 3-D printer they bought from Staples for prototyping.)
While the lack of tactile feedback might deter mainstream adoption early on, research into haptics is already enabling developers to simulate physical feedback in the real world to correspond with the actions of a user’s virtual counterpart. Keep this in mind as you continue reading.
Over time, this level of 3-D interactivity will fundamentally change the way we use our desktops and laptops altogether.
Think about it: The desktop is a perfect, quiet, isolated place to do more involved work like writing, photo editing or “hands-on” training to learn something new. However, a 3-D experience like those mentioned above doesn’t make sense for social interactions such as on Facebook or even reading the news, which are more becoming of mobile.
With immersive, interactive experiences being available primarily via the desktop, it’s hard to imagine users wanting these two experiences to share the same screen.
So, what would a typical desktop experience look like?
With this cooking website for people who can’t cook, we’re not just talking about video tutorials or recipes with unsympathetic instructions, but rather immersive simulations in which an instructor leads you through making a virtual meal from prep to presentation.
Interactions in this environment would be so natural that the real design challenge is to put the user in a kitchen that’s believable as their own.
You wouldn’t click and drag the icon that represents sugar; you would reach out with your virtual five-fingered hand and grab the life-sized “box” of Domino-branded sugar. You wouldn’t click to grease the pan; you’d mimic pushing the aerosol nozzle of a bottle of Pam.
The Tokyo Institute of Technology has already built such a simulation in the real world. So, transferring the experience to the desktop is only a matter of time.
UX on the future desktop will be about simulating physics and creating realistic environments, as well as tracking head, body and eyes to create intuitive 3-D interfaces, based on HTML5 and WebGL.
Aside from the obvious hands-on applications, such as CAD and art programs, the technology will shift the paradigm of UX and user interface (UI) design in ways that are currently difficult to fathom.
The problem right now is that we currently lack a set of clearly defined 3-D gestures to interact with a 3-D UI. Designing UIs will be hard without knowing what our bodies will have to do to interact.
The closest we have right now to defined gestures are those created by Kinect hackers and John Underkoffler of Oblong Technology (the team behind Minority Report’s UI).
In his TED talk from 2010, Underkoffler demonstrates probably the most advanced example of 3-D computer interaction that you’re going to see for a while. If you’ve got 15 minutes to spare, I highly recommend watching it:
Now, before you start arguing, “Minority Report isn’t practical — humans aren’t designed for that!” consider two things:
(Image: Minnesota Department of Health)
However, because the Leap Motion controller is less than $80 and will be available at Best Buy, this technology isn’t just hypothetical, sitting in a lab somewhere, with a bunch of geeks saying “Wouldn’t it be cool if…”
It’s real and it’s cheap, which really means we’re about to enter the Wild West of true 3-D design.
So, where does that leave social UX? Enter Glass.
It’s easy to think that head-mounted augmented reality (AR) displays, such as Google Glass, will not be adopted by the public, and in 2013 that might be true.
But remember that we resisted the telephone when it came out, for many of the same privacy concerns. The same goes for mobile phones and for smartphones around 2007.
So, while first-generation Glass won’t likely be met with widespread adoption, it’s the introduction of a new phase. ABI Research predicts that the wearable device market will exceed 485 million annual shipments by 2018.
According to Steve Lee, Glass’ product director, the goal is to “allow people to have more human interactions” and to “get technology out of the way.”
First-generation Glass performs Google searches, tells time, gives turn-by-turn directions, reports the weather, snaps pictures, records video and does Hangouts — which are many of the reasons why our phones are in front of our faces now.
Moving these interactions to a heads-up display, while moving important and more heavy-duty social interactions to a wrist-mounted display, like the Pebble smartwatch, eliminates the phone entirely and enables you to truly see what’s in front of you.
(Image: Pebble)
Now, consider the possibility that something like the Leap Motion controller could become small enough to integrate into a wrist-mounted smartwatch. This, combined with a head-mounted display, would essentially give us the ability to create an interactive virtual layer that overlays the real world.
Add haptic wristband technology and a Bluetooth connection to the smartwatch, and you’ll be able to “feel” virtual objects as you physically manipulate them in both the real world and on the desktop. While this might still sound like science fiction, with Glass reportedly to be priced between $299 and $499 and Leap Motion at $80 and Pebble being $150, widespread affordability of these technologies isn’t entirely impossible.
Picture yourself walking out of the mall, and your close friend Jon updates his status. A red icon appears in the top right of your field of vision. Your watch displays Jon’s avatar, which says, “Sooo hungry right now.”
You say, “OK, Glass. Update status: How about lunch? What do you want?” and keep walking.
“Tacos.”
You say, “OK, Glass. Where can I get good Mexican food?” 40 friends have favorably rated Rosa’s Cafe. Would you like directions? “Yes.” The navigation starts, and you’re en route.
You reach the cafe, but Jon is 10 minutes away. Would you like an audiobook while you wait? “No, play music.” A smart playlist compiles exactly 10 minutes of music that perfectly fits your mood.
“OK, Glass. Play Angry Birds 4.”
Across the table, 3-D versions of the little green piggies and their towers materialize.
In front of you are a red bird, a yellow bird, two blue birds and a slingshot. The red bird jumps up, you pull back on the slingshot, the trajectory beam shows you a path across the table, you let go and knock down a row of bad piggies.
Suddenly, an idea comes to you. “OK, Glass. Switch to Evernote.”
A piece of paper and a pen are projected onto the table in front of you, and a bulletin board appears to the left.
You pick up the AR pen, jot down your note, move the paper to the appropriate bulletin, and return to Angry Birds.
You could make your game visible to other Glass wearers. That way, others could play with you — or, at the very least, would know you’re not some crazy person pretending to do… whatever you’re doing across the table.
When Jon arrives, notifications are disabled. You push the menu icon on the table and select your meal. Your meal arrives; you take photos of your food; eat; publish to Instagram 7.
Before you leave, the restaurant gives a polite notification, letting you know that a coupon for 10% off will be sent to your phone if you write a review.
Later, having finished the cooking tutorial on the desktop, you decide it’s time to make the meal for real. You put on Glass and go to the store. The headset guides you directly to the brands that were advertised “in game.” After picking out your ingredients, you receive a notification that a manufacturer’s coupon has been sent to your phone and can be used at the check-out.
When you get home, you lay a carrot on the cutting board and an overlay projects guidelines on where to cut. You lay out the meat, and a POW graphic is overlaid, showing you where to hit for optimal tenderness:
Image source?
You put the meat in the oven; Glass starts the timer. You put the veggies in the pan; Glass overlays a pattern to show where and when to stir.
While you were at the store, Glass helped you to pick out the perfect bottle of wine to pair with your meal (based on reviews, of course). So, you pour yourself a glass and relax while you wait for the timer to go off.
In the future, augmented real-world UX experiences will be turned into real business. The more you enhance real life, the more successful your business will be. After all, is it really difficult to imagine this cooking experience being turned into a game?
If you’re the kind of UI designer who seeks to push boundaries, then the best thing you can do right now is think. Because the technology isn’t 100% available, the best you can do is open your imagination to what will be possible when the average person has evolved beyond the keyboard and mouse.
Draw inspiration from websites and software that simulate depth to create dynamic, layered experiences that can be easily operated without a mouse. The website of agency Black Negative is a good example of future-inspired “flat” interaction. It’s easy to imagine interacting with this website without needing a mouse. The new Myspace is another.
To go really deep, look at the different Chrome Experiments, and find a skilled HTML5 and WebGL developer to discuss what’s in store for the future. The software and interactions that come from your mind will determine whether these technologies will be useful.
While everything I’ve talked about here is conceptual, I’m curious to hear what you think about how (or even if) these devices will affect UIs. I’d also love to hear your vision of future UIs.
To get started, let me ask you two questions:
I look forward to your feedback. Please share this article if you’ve enjoyed this trip into the future.
(il) (al)
© Tommy Walker for Smashing Magazine, 2013.
]]>
Most of the time, the first contact a customer will have with your business is through your website. Consequently, the website could make or break your business. To ensure that the website makes it, having it be both aesthetically pleasing and user friendly is imperative.
Look for five main features in a corporate WordPress theme before purchasing it: responsive design, colorization capabilities, browser compatibility, an advanced options panel, and support.
First, a responsive design will allow your users to view the website from any device (smartphone, tablet, laptop, etc). Colorization capabilities free you to select any colors you like for the website. This is important because you want to match your brand’s colors. Hence, choose only a WordPress theme that offers unlimited colors. The theme should be supported by most internet browsers, including Firefox, internet Explorer, Safari, Opera and Chrome. Nowadays, many theme developers sell their themes with an advanced options panel, which enables you to set a myriad of preferences without the hassle of learning code. Don’t go for a theme that doesn’t offer support into the future, including periodic updates and email support.
Now that that’s said, I have compiled a list of 30 splendid corporate WordPress themes to help web designers and businesses make informed decisions when developing or buying a corporate theme.
Pax is a corporate WordPress theme supported by all devices and tested on iPad, iPhone and Android 2.3+. Over and above being responsive, Pax has unlimited colorization capabilities. This theme looks incredible on most internet browsers, including internet Explorer 10+, Safari, Chrome and Firefox. Created by Adaptive Themes, Pax also packs a punch in its other features. It comes with a ton of shortcodes, a free Uslider plugin (which would normally cost you about $30), layered PSD files and an options panel. From the panel, you can set many options since the theme is highly customizable. Lastly, you get two layout styles, boxed and wide.
Customize is a fully responsive WordPress theme. This incredibly attractive theme supports modern browsers, old browsers (IE 7+), touch devices and responsive designs. Other browsers supported by this theme are Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari. Technical support is also prompt. The sales page claims that your queries will be answered within 24 hours of logging them. Created by Kopasoft, Customize also has integrated social media, which enables a business to connect with and satisfy its customers promptly. Additionally, it comes with an easy drag-and-drop layout manager, a visual shortcode generator and multiple sliders. It makes for a great corporate theme, especially for tech businesses.
Super Spark is an awesomely constructed theme. It is responsive, it supports unlimited colors, most browsers support it, and its creator has gone to great lengths to assist users with their queries about it. Created by Good Layers, the theme also features a live color changer, multiple footer layouts, multiple blog styles, a built-in translator, and a font and logo uploader. Additionally, the theme has a custom pricing table, which sets it apart from other business themes. It was created with the creative industry in mind.
Grander is a beautiful multipurpose WordPress theme that could be used to make a breathtaking corporate website. It is responsive and comes with multiple color schemes, 25 to be exact. Its advanced admin panel is also to die for, allowing you to change settings for pricing, typography, meta data, contact information and social media. Created by Holobest, it also features a minimal design, a shortcode generator, multiple custom post types, page templates for members and services, Google Maps support, pagination capabilities, and custom widgets (including for Twitter and video). The theme is compatible with most browsers.
Proma is an incredible WordPress 3.5+ theme. It is responsive, easy to customize, and compatible with major browsers. It supports unlimited colors and, get this, unlimited fonts, and it has an options panel where you can easily set preferences. Created by Final Destiny, Proma also comes with a “revolution” slider, a “flex” slider, custom widgets, a custom color scheme, multiple page templates, custom post types, and a unique filterable portfolio. You also get appropriate documentation, and the creator will do his best to address your concerns.
FreshBiz is a cool multipurpose theme that can be used for any type of corporate website. It comes with unlimited color and styles and is compatible with internet Explorer 8+, Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Created by MNKY, this theme has an intelligent options panel, where you can set the logo, header, menu, title area, footer, typography, blog area and much more. And it is responsive.
Freshlook is, well, a breath of fresh air. This responsive theme is highly customizable, with a rich feature set, including a visual shortcode editor, over 300 Google Web Fonts, unlimited sidebars and more. In addition, the theme supports unlimited color skins, which could generate profit for the creator. Created by Designare, Freshlook is supported by major browsers and has a powerful settings panel where you can build custom skins and change all of the main styles. You also get to choose from custom patterns and colors for every section of a page.
Nebraska is a fully translation-ready corporate theme. It comes with many features. From the advanced options panel, you can set custom codes and sidebar options. You also get a page creator to help you create a unique corporate theme. Created by United Themes, Nebraska offers unlimited accent colors and compatibility with internet Explorer 10+, Firefox, Chrome and more. The custom widgets (including for posts, Twitter, Flickr and social icons) enable businesses to reduce their workload while streamlining their processes.
Inovado is aesthetically pleasing, to say the least. And this is complemented by a myriad of features. The theme is responsive and Retina-ready, meaning that your images will not lose their sharpness and clarity, whatever the device. It also comes with an impressive 500+ Google Web Fonts and unlimited colors. Created by Minti, it is compatible with internet Explorer 8 and 9, Firefox, Safari and Chrome. It also has sharp graphics, localization functionality, a built-in SEO base, premium sliders, and child-theme compatibility. It works with WordPress 3.5+.
Nautica is an HTML5-, CSS3- and widget-ready theme, compatible with WordPress 3.4+ and major browsers. Judging by its ratings and comments, Nautica has a lot to offer businesses. Created by BeOpen, the theme pays great attention to detail. The responsive multi-platform theme allows you to customize almost all aspects, including the logo, slider, menu, call to action, services, portfolio, tabs, processes and testimonials.
Eudora is easy to edit and responsive. It packs a punch in features: a myriad of page templates, a powerful admin panel, unlimited colors, multiple widgets, multiple post formats, Google Web Fonts, multiple portfolio layouts, Google Maps support, video support and SEO-ready features. Created by ThemeProfuse, Eudora is equipped with an impressive options panel for general settings, the slider, navigation, the footer and the blog. It is compatible with major browsers.
Avino is a responsive theme with a powerful options page and unlimited home page layouts, which is an advantage for those looking to develop a unique layout. Created by WSGraphic, Avino is designed for any business, although photographers and those in tech and consulting would especially reap its benefits because it is clean, minimalist and responsive. In addition, the theme has a built-in SEO plugin.
Helios comes in two styles: boxed and wide. Its minimalist, responsive design gives it an edge. And it incorporates valid HTML5 and PSD files. The theme is compatible with major browsers and comes with an advanced options page. Created by Indonez, Helios’ settings panel has options for general settings, fonts and the logo. Additional features are Google Web Fonts support, two blog page layouts, custom page templates, an AJAX contact form, and translation-ready capabilities.
Grider is a responsive corporate theme that allows you to pick any color from a color picker. Pick also from multiple page templates, including for the home page and contact page, as well as a full-width template. Created by iWebStudio, Grider also comes with a myriad of other attributes: elastic slider, flex slider, skitter slider, multiple shortcodes, translation-ready capabilities, and an under-construction template with a countdown. The theme is compatible with internet Explorer 10+, Firefox, Safari, Chrome and Opera.
TouchM is beautifully crafted. Apart from being viewable on any device, TouchM comes with unlimited color and font capabilities. Its advanced panel helps you set preferences for the header, main content, body, menu and footer. Created by 4GraFx, TouchM comes with full integration with WooCommerce, an e-commerce toolkit. It also features 404 and under-construction page templates, which are not included in most WordPress themes nowadays. It also features a visual shortcode generator, multiple icons and more than 20 page layouts.
Architecture is a beautiful theme with a responsive design. The name of the theme gives away its target industry: architecture. And its minimal and contemporary look and feel are appropriate to it. It also features a live color changer and is compatible with most browsers. Created by Good Layers, the theme comes with an advanced options panel for colors, sliders, fonts, the favicon, Google Analytics, the footer, the portfolio and the body. Other features are a built-in translator and built-in shortcodes.
Do not be fooled by the name. Lawyer is designed for all types of businesses. However, lawyers will reap the most benefit. It is attractive and Retina-ready, has unlimited colors through a color picker and is compatible with internet Explorer 8 and 9, Firefox, Chrome and Safari. Created by AitThemes, Lawyers comes with an easy-to-use admin panel for colors, images, widgets, sliders, portfolios, galleries and more. The theme also features practical shortcodes, multiple tools and accessories.
Want to know what you can tweak easily with the Maximus WordPress theme? Here is just a brief list: the main accent color, page layout, theme color, social icon positioning, home page slider, general slider, content, navigation, and layout. Created by Dynamic Press, Maximus supports most browsers and comes with a custom skin creator, more than 100 shortcodes, multiple background patterns and SEO support.
One of the outstanding features of Camouflet its responsiveness, not to mention that it is clean and minimalist. With the options panel, you can upload your own background image and change colors. Created by iWebStudios, Camouflet makes it easy for users to style many elements with shortcodes, including for columns, drop caps, lists, dividers, block quotes, testimonials, pricing boxes, buttons, information boxes, accordions, tabs, YouTube and Vimeo videos and Google maps.
CoolBlue is a responsive theme that comes with an amazing layer slider, unlimited colors and an advanced options panel. Created by Anps Themes, CoolBlue is also compatible with internet Explorer 8 and 9, Firefox, Safari and Opera. Additional features include a set of 500+ Google Web Fonts, unlimited sidebars, multiple shortcodes, 30 PSD files and multiple blog layouts. True to its name, it comes with relaxing color schemes, different icon shapes, different layout styles and the all-amazing Revolution Slider.
Ageless is a modern WordPress 3.5+-compatible theme. It is responsive, translation-ready and HTML5-ready. Ageless is also flawless on most browsers, including Firefox, Safari, Opera, internet Explorer 8 and 9, and Chrome. Created by Damojo, it incorporates smart options for styles and colors, and it features unlimited sidebars, unlimited portfolios, custom widgets, multiple post formats, localization capabilities, customizable contact forms and multiple shortcodes.
WP Consultant is a premium theme suitable for all types of businesses. Coded in HTML5 and CSS3, it is fully responsive and comes with free updates for life (making your website dynamic and responsive and building trust with your customers). Created by Contempoinc, the theme packs many features: multiple page templates (including for testimonials, site map and FAQ), full width pages, three-column pages, a client page, contact page and several home page styles. The theme is also equipped with a powerful page builder.
Impact is a fully responsive WordPress theme. Built with HTML5 and CSS3, it has some of the best WordPress functions built in, making for an easy-to-use and simply awesome theme. It is compatible with WordPress 3.5+ and comes with multiple color options. Created by WpExplorer, this theme is compatible with the most browsers. And the creator also offers reliable support and updates.
Vanguard is a clean, responsive theme with unlimited color capabilities. Created by Unisphere, the corporate theme comes with 500+ fonts, which you can add to. It is compatible with internet Explorer 8 and 9, Safari, Firefox and Chrome, has both wide and narrow layouts, and has an advanced options panel.
November is an amazing premium theme. It comes with a wide array of features, one of the most impressive of which is the page builder, which allows you to build pages by dragging and dropping. Another is the Revolution Slider, which you get free of charge, a $30 value. Created by PWvintage, this WordPress 3.5+ theme is compatible with major browsers and comes equipped with Google Web Fonts, unlimited color capabilities, an advanced options page and multiple customizable slider transitions.
Savior Business is a powerful theme. It is responsive and comes in two styles: light and dark. It even includes a calendar with recurring events. The theme also has goodies in the form of the Nivo slider, which is provided for free. Created by Justin Scheetz, this theme is ideal for any business. It is compatible with major browsers and incorporates custom widgets, shortcodes and an options panel.
Sirius is a modern, minimalist theme. Newbies and advanced users will have an easy time using this theme. In addition to being responsive, it comes with a wide array of features. Created by Indonez, the theme features thumbnail support with dynamic image resizing, custom page templates, shortcodes and a powerful options panel. Mainstream browsers are supported.
OpenSpace is also a responsive theme, supported by WordPress 3.0+. It would suit any industry, particularly photography. One feature that stands out is the admin panel, which is fully brandable and comes with multiple color schemes. Created by Dynamic Press, OpenSpace is compatible with internet Explorer 7 to 9, Safari, Firefox, Chrome and Opera. It comes with multiple patterns, a multicolored menu, custom skin creator, multiple sliders and shortcodes, as well as two layouts: fluid and boxed.
Brandspace is a responsive theme that supports WordPress 3.4+. It comes with unlimited color capabilities, chosen from a powerful options panel and is compatible with most browsers. Created by Pixel Entity, the theme comes with a set of awesome attributes: Google Web Fonts, Google maps, oodles of shortcodes, light and dark skins, Twitter Bootstrap, unlimited widget areas, unlimited portfolios, child theme support, built-in social media, video support, and multiple page types.
BlueDiamond is clean, minimalist and responsive. It is equipped with the Layer Slider, which allows you to manage all sliders with an easy drag-and-drop module. It also comes with two styles: boxed and wide. Created by Good Layers, Blue Diamond supports internet Explorer 8 and 9, Chrome, Safari and Firefox. From its advanced options panel, you can configure the slider settings, the background, thumbnails, the page builder and social media.
What do you look for in a WordPress business theme? Have we missed any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments.
| The Ultimate Mobile Design Resource Bundle – only $29! |  |
|
|
|
|