Best way to design for Actinic?

[YsoL8]

I'm working on my first design for actinic (nearly done).

As far as possible I've left the native design controls intact - but I was wondering, is this the best way to design?

It seems better to keep the functionality intact for the sake of non-developer clients, but in your experience does this restrict your flexiblity as a designer?

[Duncan Rounding]

It sounds like you may have started with an Actinic theme design and modified it to suit.
Most people will design from the ground up and only include the Actinic components that are wanted/needed in the design.
Either way will work but it designing from the ground up gives you better control of the code.

[leehack]

If a client contacts a designer, I presume they want the very best design, one which they will not necessarily understand in all areas. I don't think i'd sacrifice much on the design side, for the sake of the client being able to change things. That defeats the object of using the designer in the first place. If you have something better to offer than the standard actinic offering in any area, I think you should add it.

[grantglendinnin]

Best way IMO is to start by installing the Dreamweaver add-on and open your html file in Dreamweaver and register the design with Actinic - then start adding it all the variables/layouts required in your design and style them to suit.

Always useful being a multimedia student, you get Dreamweaver for free from the education establishment - at least in Scotland you do (or did 2/3 years ago)

[YsoL8]

I started by building the divs that are the struture for the template. Then I added actinic content via the nifity add on menu.

But as far as possible I've allowed the actinic stylesheet to retain control over stuff like text colour, size ect.

Is it better to operate in this way or to just forget about the design controls in actinic?

I can't remember by the way, the last time I registered for a forum where folks reply so fast!

[leehack]

Where a user can interact with the stylesheet via the interface, there is no reason to get rid of those links at all IMO.