Actinic Design - Best Practices

[pinkequine]

Hi

I am not a web designer by trade but am creating my own website from scratch using CSS.

I am currently working on a section page with all of the code for that page in one big layout. I have commented each area of both the HTML and the CSS so that I know which bit of code does what.

However of course when you look at the Design Tree there is only one section on it, which is the whole page. There will be some additional standard layouts in there e.g the GA code, but not as much as you'd expect to see on one of Actinics own themes.


I can create new layouts for each part and use those instead, I just wondered for those that are designing their own sites, what would be the Best Practice as if I ever needed to show a design snapshot or ask anyone to do some of the more technical stuff that I can't do myself, I want to make it easy to read.

What is the main benefit of having things in separate layouts, is it readability or does the website work faster this way?? I am using CSS to create different looks with the code on each page, but most of the actual html code is the same.


Thanks for your advice.


Denise

[grantglendinnin]

FWIW, I always take advantage of using Actinic's standard layouts, customising them to suit. I'm not sure why, but it seems more conventional than standard practise. The only one downside I can see of using Actinic's layouts and customising them to your needs is the 'white space' created when the site is uploaded. Actinic generates a lot of 'white space' if you're not careful.

Finally, if you clump a load of HTML into one layout and pass the design on to somebody else to do the "more technical stuff" - you'll baffle them. Keep it simple, the way it should be.

One word of warning - do not rely on 'Design Export' snapshots. They simply do not work.

[gabrielcrowe]

You've got to remember that the templates are re-used, saving you legwork.

A template will be looked when used, allowing you to maintain some standards when your site is rendered. These templates can also be 'swapped out' by selecting a different template from the templates tab, under many of the elements inside the design tab.

so, in practice, you'd make a product template for example:

<div class="product"></div>

and a page template like this:

<div class="page"></div>

and with actinic looping the products in your page, it'd make this:

<div class="page">

<div class="product"></div>
<div class="product"></div>
<div class="product"></div>
<div class="product"></div>

</div>

in this manner, you'd only need to change the product template once, and all your products would change at once.

this, i'm sure you'll agree, is very powerful.

[pinkequine]

Thank you

Many thanks for your replies, I will make them all layouts now.

Any more tips are greatly welcomed.