I just got an email from Stephen Scaff that his site SoSweetCreative has been featured on CSSawards and is drawing massive attention & tweets on other design minded sites like like creattica.

SoSweet Creative has been built with the RichWP FrameWork and the RichCORP child theme.

RichWP was perfect for this portfolio project, as it allowed me to focus on the CSS and content and quickly bang out the site.
~ Stephen Scaff

Congratulations Steve!

Discount code: xmas2011
(Use during checkout, valid until the Dec. 26th 2011)

Only the warmest Christmas wishes to you and your loved ones.

Daniel Gutiérrez

• “Lucida Grande”,Lucida,Verdana,sans-serif
• Arial,Helvetica,Sans-serif

Hello Monday

• Georgia, “Times New Roman”, Times, serif

The Hippo House

• Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;

R.I.P. Cube Club

• Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif
• Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif

Reclamebureau Pracht

• Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif

This Website has been designed with the Design Options of the RichWP FrameWork in combination with the RichCORP Child Theme.

Code Slingers Challenge

• DirtyHeadlineRegular
• sans-serif

The Brown Corporation

• Tahoma,Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif

Michela Chiucini

• Georgia,”Times New Roman”,Times,serif;
• Arial,Helvetica,Verdana,sans-serif

menyacocoichi.jp

• ‘ＭＳ Ｐゴシック’

Use the following discount code during checkout to get 25% off.

Discount Code: cybermonday

The current version 1.4 of the RichWP FrameWork has been programmed to work seamlessly on desktop computers and tablet devices like the iPad. Even the photo galleries, sliders, and dropdown menus work really well. For tablets the fonts will be enlarged to 120% of the original size to improve the usability and readability of your site.

I am currently working on version 1.5 of the RichWP FrameWork and I will take this matter one big step further and introduce seamless transitions to mobile phones as well. As soon as you open your site on a smart phone, your site will shine with the big and easy-to-use buttons and a layout specifically made for mobile phones.

I expect to release v1.5 late this month or early next month (Update: Mid/End january 2012), but if you want to get started now, get the current version of the FrameWork together with a child theme of your choice and start setting up your site. RichWP customers will receive the updated version of the RichWP Responsive WordPress FrameWork as soon as it is released.

As mentioned above, it’s already working really well on most devices. Let’s be honest: For most sites, the statistics show that access via mobile phones is around 0.5% to 1% max.

» To the already “responsive” RichWP Themes

45-Minute Intervals

Right now, there is a kitchen timer ticking next to me while I write this post. I find it to be a good helper. Let me tell you why. I set the timer to 45 minutes, and when it starts peeping, I probably will have the first draft of this post ready. The rule is to focus solely on one task within the 45 minutes. During this time, I won’t allow myself to get distracted. This is how you write an article fast.

Do the 45-minute periods sound familiar? Remember your school days? Your classes were probably divided into 45-minute intervals—45 minutes for English, 45 minutes for math, 45 minutes for geography, and so on. It would not have made sense for your school to pack a little bit of each within a 5-hour nonstop learning session.

If you have to accomplish bigger tasks, chunk them into 45-minute intervals and take a 5 to 15 minute break in between. This doesn’t only work for writing. Design, program, or edit videos in a 45-minute session, then take a quick break and start round two. You will be surprised at how much you can get done.

The First Draft

As mentioned above, my intention is to get the first draft of this article written within the 45 minutes. I don’t want to edit it or smooth out the edges while I am working on it. I just write down whatever flows out of my mind. I don’t even mind the spelling mistakes; my word processor underlines misspelled words with an attention-grabbing red line anyway. Let it do it, take care of it later. Do you think you will get more text on your page if you don‘t care about polishing it at the same time? I bet you will.

Keep a List of Content Ideas

Sitting down to write anything is pretty much impossible if you have no clue what to write about. If you start a new website, it is fairly easy. You need to get all the text for your “about” page, contact page, product pages, etc., done. Create a list of ideas and check off every piece you finish. The check marks will give you a feeling of accomplishment and motivate you further.

If you are blogging regularly or are getting paid to write articles online, things get a bit more complicated. Good ideas usually don’t come to you when you decide to sit down and blog a bit.

I use Evernote to organize my ideas. I have a folder for new functions for my WordPress Themes, another folder for new business ideas and a folder full of article ideas to write about here on RichWP. When I want to write a new article, I simply read through the ideas and pick one. It has happened to me more than once that while I am going through this list of ideas, a couple of new ones spring up in my head. Don’t you think that this little tip will help you get over blank page syndrome?

My clock is now down to 24 minute, and I’ll call it done. I will use the rest of the time to edit this article before sending it off to proofreading.

Thanks for reading. I am sure you developed some of your own strategies to feel good at the end of the day. In the comments, let me and your fellow readers know how you get your pages filled and your articles written.

Before RichWP and when WordPress was for blogs

Every project followed the traditional way of consulting with the client first to understand their wants and needs, then going to the drawing board to come up with a design or two which I could pitch in our next meeting. I also created a flow chart to give the client an idea about how the site would be structured and how the navigation would work.

After the second meeting, I would make revisions and get them approved before I would sit down, cut the graphics, and code everything up. Not having WordPress, I also created my own CMS for bigger projects, so that the client was able to make changes to the content of his website without needing to contact me.

When I thought that everything was ready to launch, I usually had another meeting with the client to go over everything and get another list of revisions that had resulted from the work I already had done and from new ideas that were worth implementing. After finishing everything up, the client would give the green light and we would go live with the new site.

Do parts of this described workflow sound familiar to you? How often did you hear the phrase, “Can we make the logo a bit bigger” or “Can we change this color to be a bit brighter” or “Can we move the navigation a couple of pixels down” or “You don’t charge me for these little changes, do you?”

You must agree, this is not the most efficient process of meeting a client’s needs and getting a website up and running. How often have you thought a particular client was very hard to work with?

Why I developed RichWP – 2009 to 2011

So, over the last 3 years since I began running RichWP, I have worked hard to streamline the process of website development. I wanted to create a system that is flexible, robust, fast, and user-friendly in order to cut development times in half. With the help of WordPress, which has turned into a top notch Content Management System (CMS) in the recent years, I did even better.

By analyzing over 500 web design structures and recognizing their common traits I came up with the Rich Design System. I fully implemented it into the RichWP FrameWork for WordPress. Creating designs; changing colors, fonts, backgrounds, margins, and paddings; moving navigations, headers, sidebars, etc. within the WordPress admin was a big step that eliminated the need for the previously mentioned mock-up stage.

Instead of creating my designs in a Graphic Software first and having them approved by my clients before I sat down to start coding the div structure and CSS, I simply create the design within the RichWP Design Options. I only need my graphic software to create backgrounds or Icons if necessary for the design.

Now that WordPress has turned into a full-fledged and easy to use CMS, I just set up some sample pages and posts, so the client understands the structure of the site and navigation without the need of a flow-chart.

I now usually finish up a project within the second meeting with the client. I do design changes during the meeting. Sometimes it is necessary to give the client a quick introduction into WordPress, which can usually be done within an hour and it earns me some extra bucks.

Let me know in the comments how the web design business changed for you. If you want to hop on the bandwagon to streamline your WordPress projects, check out my secret WordPress weapon.

Show your latest products in an image slider or featured content box. Add a call to action box to create fast results. List your product pages directly on the front page. Set up a text box or use the widgetized areas to present more information about your products and services.

This multi-functional business theme is not a cookie cutter solution like so many other WordPress business themes out there. Upload and insert your logo and change the colors as well as the fonts and backgrounds to match (or create) your corporate identity without ever needing to hack any code. One thing is certain: this theme is practical.

If you need help getting your site up and running, I now also offer an affordable Installation Package for every theme.

» More Information about the RichINC WordPress Business Theme

Do you want to build a website that stands out and moves your content to the center of attention? Do you want to display your content in a visually appealing way and prefer a more creative and artsy look and feel? It is your time to get noticed. Build Magazines, Blogs or Portfolios. The TotalGRID is your solution for your publishing endeavors.

Features

You are in control! Choose to simply display featured images of your articles or add category labels, titles, dates and excerpts. If you want more page views, then turn on the infinity scrolling option and your visitors will not have to click to load a new set of articles. Customize all colors, fonts, backgrounds and much more. without having to edit any code.

Based on the RichWP Theme FrameWork, the Point & Click Design Editor lets you customize your design exactly how you want it, no programming skills required. Authoritative SEO features let you sleep better and the free One-on-One Customer Support helps you out when you’re stuck.

» More Information about the TotalGRID Theme