documentarymedia.ca | Documentary Media for Film & Web

This is a deep, content rich WordPress web site that includes a public site and a private member login (pages that are only visible to members), Google calendar feeds, gallery, ‘split’ slide-show, a blog area, a Twitter feed, dozens of photos, tables, lists and forms. Development required comprehensive customization of design template and plugins. The starting point for the site was a mobile-compatible ‘magazine’ design template (purchased separately), that was customized (design elements and features removed or added) to accommodate content requirements. Approximately half a dozen plugins were then installed and customized to address various areas of functionality (i.e. private member login and private pages, Google calendar and twitter feeds, tables and forms, etc.). The backend WordPress admin area was slightly customized to make it easier for the client to navigate.

Aprox. total hours: 180

Description

Wordpress websites are an efficient way for individuals and organizations to approach content-rich websites without investing heavily into design and programming. It is a web-based application that was developed by a worldwide community of programmers who contributed their time for free to build it. The application is the infrastructure for a website (a blank slate), which includes a front-end website (what the public sees) and a password protected database-driven back-end (for the site owner to upload and update content). Wordpress uses common web-based programming languages such as HTML, XML, PHP, Javascript, CSS, Ajax, Flash, and so on, and it uses a MySQL database. While specialized programming and design/developer assistance may still be required (and most often is), the cost of programming is much less than building a comparable website from scratch. To use Wordpress, the client's web server must have the Wordpress application installed (in a shared hosting environment, this would require the web host to have Wordpress installed on its server ). Plugins are 'capsules' of specialized code that address a specific function (calendar, gallery, etc.). The plugins are either purchased, licensed, or available for free. 'Shortcodes' are little code bits that are often used to implement formatting and incorporate plugins into the content. While design templates and plugins often cost money to purchase and customize, Wordpress is open source and license free for anyone to use.