I’ve been spending the better part of the past two nights browsing the tubes for a cool new WordPress theme to replace the decidedly lame, standard theme my site currently uses. You’d think that after all that time I might find something suitable, but I guess I either don’t know what I’m looking for or I’m being too picky. Nothing has really wowed me thus far. I’ve complicated things somewhat in that I’m only looking at the free offerings, and while there are some good free themes out there, there is a reason why the better themes cost money – you get what you pay (or don’t pay) for.
So for now I’m sticking with the good ol’ standard theme until I find something more to my liking. It’s not perfect, but it works. I’ve also discovered that it is much more preferable to find and apply a theme before starting with all the site content. Things just don’t turn out quite right (at least in my experience) when you do a theme change with existing content. It requires a good amount of tweaking to get it just right, and the content tends to get in the way. It is very cool though that WordPress is so flexible and customizable that you can change things up whenever you feel like it.
I’m also looking into some broad-based branding for TwoThree – developing a logo, color palette, etc. I discovered a very cool website, Logo Tournament, where you can commission graphic artists and designers to compete to design your logo based on your preferences, identity, and message. You set a price and then narrow down the submitted entries. I love browsing that site and checking out the various contests and the resulting logos. There are some very talented folks on that site.
Once a logo and colors are decided upon, I envision creating some simple but eye-catching “calling” (business) cards to promote me, the site, and probably some technical consulting services. I think it would be a good way to introduce myself, both to friends and professional contacts.
So that’s kind of the “State of the Site” for now. More updates to come sometime soon!