I've got a dilemma -whether to use a completely bespoke WordPress design or go with an existing flexible template that I can adjust. I've designed my own blog that sits in my own site, but it was hard work!

Here are my dilemmas:

1. Using my own design (HTML with the crucial php added in) I can put everything exactly where I want it & will know the code inside out. But a template is tried & tested whereas mine isn't..

2. Using a template will surely be limiting in various ways (exactly how much I can change things) & I will be faced with alien code?

3. Will my own design be capable of taking on board the huge range of plugins which make WP so attractive to use?

4. WP advertises itself as being responsive, but using my design will only be as responsive as I design it (unless I'm missing some magical part of WP!)?

5. For all the downsides of using my own design, it will be code I understand, most templates are purely php which I don't understand much at all.

What do you think are the advantages/disadvantages of each route? Just how flexible and user-friendly are the templates on offer out there?

I realise I need to read up on all this in detail but would appreciate any pointers from anyone who has been in a similar dilemma so I don't go off down the wrong road from the off.

Thanks

All Wordpress themes use HTML as a basis as well as PHP to pull all the files together and access the database for the posts/pages etc. There is plenty in the Wordpress codex for anything that you may need to make a great theme.

 

One question to ask is how much time you have.

 

If you don't have much time then getting a theme and tweaking it may be the best bet but be sure that the developer of the theme will let you change things. Doing it this way may be the quickest, even if you are faced with 'alien code'.

 

If you have more time then building your own is a great option. Like you say you would know the code inside out and be able to change something quickly but this may take a lot more time to do.

 

One approach I tend to do is build the site in HTML get the client to sign it off as a static and then put the functionality into it using Wordpress. This may seem like more work but to change the HTML into a Wordpress theme isn't too bad as long as you know what you are doing and how Wordpress works internally.

you might conisder something like this http://themble.com/bones/ - haven't used it but it should provide a good base and it's responsive.

Gives _s a go, it's a starter theme made by the same guys that make Wordpress - http://underscores.me/ - that way you have everything you need and you can make it look how you want.

Thanks all, yes I've seen _s & bones and thought _s especially interesting so will give both a deeper look at.

 

Yes I built my in-site blog in a similar way junior, I understand html, but not much php, so adapted the existing site code to become WP. Though it was pretty tough work to get working and I've no idea if this approach would be solid enough to incorporate any complicated plugins I might want to use without problems - at least a theme is (hopefully!) longterm tested.