26 Sep Web Design using Bridge Framework for WordPress CMS
Using the right tool for the job is important in web development. If the job is on the small side and lower budget range then WordPress is our goto CMS(Content Management System). In the past WordPress has been known as a blogging CMS, but has transformed over the years to be the main work horse of the internet. These days there are so many great website frameworks and plugins that you can cut your production time considerably. You can now do in a day what used to take several weeks to code from scratch.
When we start building websites with WordPress we already have a direction planned with the client. We usually find a demo that has nearly the same components and/or style that we are looking for and we customize the website design based on the chosen demo. We create a child theme and make our customizations within so the theme can be updated without overwriting our design. By setting up a new folder in the themes folder, we can copy and paste any files from the main theme that we want to customize. This can include the main style.css file or one of the theme PHP files. When creating child themes and customizing themes you need to be proficient at HTML, CSS and even some PHP. Even though WordPress themes and plug-ins will do most of the work for you, to make the web design your own you will have to do a little coding.
One of our favorite Themes/Frameworks is Bridge created by QODE. Bridge comes with over 200 pre-designed demos, unlimited header & menu layouts, 500+ shortcodes & customization options, and is WooCommerce compatible. The Bridge theme makes it easier from the start with one click installs and basic layouts to start from. Bridge has optimized code for fast loading and is build for responsive web design.
Here are some of the features for the Bridge Framework:
Qode Slider- A responsive full-screen image and video slider with parallax. It also has the option to choose between full responsiveness and a fixed/responsive height. It has fade in/out transitions and animations. You can fully control font/graphic size and placement.
Easy Admin Interface- You can add unlimited sliders on pages, posts and portfolios. Add unlimited images and videos to your portfolio pages. Create cross site typography styles, color schemes and logo versions.
Fully Customizable Headers- Define your menu styles with layouts such as Left Menu, Fullscreen Menu, and define your mobile menu. The header can be further customized by changing fonts, colors, and animation. Headers can be set to Fixed or Sticky. With your header you can also choose to use normal sub-menus or a wide menu with or without icons.
Blog Layouts- Blog layouts include Masonry, Vertical loop, Large/Small photo, Grid and many more.
Page Layouts- Page layouts include One Page Sites, Full Screen Sections, Vertical Split Screen Sections and Parallax Pages.
Other Features- Other important features include Section Video Backgrounds, Counters, Pie Charts, Graph Charts, Progress Bars, Animated Icons, Video Players, and Google Maps.
CONCLUSION:
Bridge Framework is so diverse that we rarely need to look for outside plugins. The flexibility and design is so outstanding that we can build pretty much anything. By using WordPress as a CMS we save our clients significant web design costs over the a custom coded site.
Looking for an affordable web design solution? Contact us to talk about how WordPress can work for you.