So, what is a theme framework really?

Most developers already have a broad sense of what a framework is but in granular terms (as it applies to WordPress theming), a framework is basically a large-scale template (or outline), which presents a way of rapidly developing themes based on common axioms. Did you catch that? It presents a way. So a WordPress framework can mean different things to different people.

It may be a collection of modularized style sheets, scripts, or plugin support files set in a distinct hierarchy. It may be a minimally styled theme with hooks, custom functions or microformats. It may be a theme devoid of styling, but with a semantically rich set of classes applied to the markup. (Technically, even this is a framework.) Regardless of what’s included or discarded, one certainty is that each framework will have a particular style of organizing, coding and referencing the components within it.

Based on this explanation, we can at least deduce that frameworks are NOT:

• a one-size-fits-all theme (such a thing doesn’t exist in my book)
• a formula that every developer/project can adhere to
• an all-encompassing solution (that kind of thinking only kills creativity)

So what’s the big deal about frameworks then?

If you can concede the points above, only then will you begin to see the potential. There is no ONE framework that will fit every developer’s style or every project’s need. The idea of a framework was never intended to be a singular answer. Those who misinterpret it as such will never realize the value therein. If you recognize there are benefits to using one but don’t quite know what they are, here’s a few things frameworks can do:

• offer a stable, methodical way to approaching projects
• expedite repetitive tasks
• reduce the margin for error
• simplify the provision of customer/client support
• provide an easy, future-proof alternative to theme customization (i.e. child themes)

Sounds great right? I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want those things… but not everyone has the ambition to create a framework and of course there will always be skeptics of the whole concept. The question is, could you benefit from a ready-made templating system? Yes, if one or more of the following applies to you:

• I’m a developer in need of a remedy for the obstacles and time-sinks that come with coding from scratch
• I’m a designer searching for a way to increase productivity or streamline my workflow when it comes to post-Photoshop development
• I’m a developer looking to adapt a framework to serve my own needs, improve my product line or enhance my support system for existing products

Wait! I’m a consumer and I just want to know what this has to do with me.

Well, you’re in luck. Customers may have the most to gain from frameworks. When you use a [child] theme built on a framework (such as Thematic, just for example), the author can provide updates and/or new functionality when it becomes available – and you won’t have to worry about losing or rewriting your customizations every time! If you doubt it, jump on Twitter and ask Ian or Nathan. They’re big proponents of protecting customer modifications.

I’m interested. How do I know if a framework is reliable or suited for me?

A surge of frameworks have already been released and I’m sure there’s more to come, but only you can make that determination for yourself. That’s one drawback of frameworks. You may not really know until you work with one for a while. Unfortunately, if you must experiment with several before finding something you really like, that’s a significant investment of time and a big deterrent – especially if you fall into one of the aforementioned categories.

I’ve never been deeply set in a particular workflow and I find the concept of using a framework very interesting, so I’m willing to investigate the possibilities of someone else’s ideas. I’ll adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and create what is specifically my own. Perhaps I’ll release the result someday. For now, I’ll refer you to the following list of framework candidates:

Sandbox – Probably the de facto of theme frameworks… or at least it used to be. In the early days particularly, Sandbox lived up to its name by being the theme that everyone tore apart to learn from and build derivative works with.

Sandbox theme by Plaintxt.org

K2 – described as an advance template, K2 is perhaps the first to support sub-templates called styles (or what is now more commonly known as child themes).

K2 theme for WordPress

Thematic – The brain child of Ian Stewart, Thematic is establishing itself as the “go-to” theme. Quite a bit of ingenuity went into the building of this framework, and it continues to improve with each release. It’s also well supported, with a growing community of enthusiasts.

Thematic by Themeshaper

Theme Hybrid – With over a dozen custom page templates and widgets galore, Hybrid is another framework making waves (so to speak). Justin Tadlock is the developer behind it and like Ian, he has also established a strong community with equal support. Additionally, Hybrid has been translated into an impressive list of languages besides English.

Theme Hybrid by Justin Tadlock

WP Framework – On par with Ian and Justin is Ptah Dunbar, who created his own version of a framework. While it hasn’t been around as long, the author has regularly released maintenance updates.

WP Framework by Ptah Dunbar

Carrington – This framework is a bit different in that it’s designed specifically for use of WordPress as a CMS. It’s developed by a small but talented company, is very well documented and has a ton of actions and filters which can be employed. It’s a bit intimidating at first but I think given the time, a developer could really run with it.

Carrington by Crowd Favorite

Vanilla – While not necessarily described as a framework, it is based on Carrington and appears to be a lot of potential behind the idea.

Starkers – Developed by Elliot J. Stocks, this is mainly just a “naked” theme, which actually stemmed from K2. For those with simple requirements, this could be all the framework you need.

Whiteboard – Within the same school of thought as Starkers, this framework is another blank theme type.

Empty Canvas – Also falling into the blank theme category is the appropriately named Empty Canvas. While not described by the author as a framework at all, it could still serve as one based on what we deemed a framework to be in this article.

Thesis – Although marketed as a framework, the fact that Thesis is 1) a full commercial theme and 2) geared mainly for the end user who doesn’t know HTML/CSS  – disqualifies it in my opinion. It’s also my understanding that it contains quite a bit of proprietary code. It would be difficult then, to determine where the framework “outline” ends and the developer specific code begins. That said, Thesis is still worth mentioning here because with it, Pearson has pushed the envelope of theme development and introduced other devs to some exciting new possibilities.

Summary

This article was not designed to advocate frameworks nor deny their usefulness. Every developer is different and has a unique way of approaching a task or completing a project. The intention was simply to inform and motivate those who seek to understand frameworks and what their cabapilities are, to debunk any misunderstandings and to showcase particular works which I feel could benefit a variety of developers who make their living with WordPress. I sincerely hope it was a helpful resource. As always, you’re invited to add your thoughts on the topic below.

Use Whitespace to your advantage

Space and proximity are very important in any form of visual communication. Without them, you just have clutter. All the care you put into creating a color scheme, typographic treatments and custom graphics won’t get more than a glance unless it can be processed. Elements with room to breathe are easier to identify, read and often give weight to their importance. Andrew Bradshaw, who has done some amazing work for Christian organizations, employs this tactic on his portfolio site. Liberal use of space and carefully balanced elements give the site a very clean appeal.

More examples with good use of whitespace and proximity:

• Oaktree Creative | Pixel Umbrella | Tunnel7

Emphasize with typography

Elements that appear larger than their surrounding counterparts stand out. Take a look at Envato’s AppStorm. They use big bold titles (supported by a subtle horizontal rule and much smaller meta data) to separate and call attention to individual articles. A brief but sizable main navigation is also prominently displayed and by keeping that simple, they’ve guided the choice visitors can initially make – but without removing any options they know people will be looking for.

More examples of this technique:

• Pixelcraft | Chama Inc. | Big Spaceship

Don’t be afraid of color

Bold or bright colors can signal importance and/or effectively set things apart, as demonstrated by Wufoo. Yes, the whole site is a feast of color but selective use of it to encase the finer points of their product indeed draws the eye and there’s no question about what you can do there. Such heavy use of color can be risky, but in many cases it’s the perfect compliment to the material being featured. Particularly in this instance, people definitely remember Wufoo by its vibrant colors.

More examples of attention-getting color in design:

• Chris Spooner | Cork’d | Silverback

Add texture or light (or both!)

Texture and light are two timeless ways to create interest in a design. Texture can signify drama, whimsy, tranquility, age… the possibilities are limitless. Light (or shadow) can add depth, create a specific mood or bring meaning to an element, as seen on Pixelight Creative. The lighting (combined with a pixelated background texture) not only illuminates the logo, but actually symbolize it.

More cool examples of light and texture

• Matt Dempsey | Junaid Hanif | Mike Precious
  

Use Geometry

Geometric shapes, lines or patterns (especially those with dramatic tones) can also give elements a distinction. Blogger and Woo Themes co-founder Adii exemplifies this on his personal site. He used dark, contrasting lines to spotlight his brand, the self-proclaimed rockstar persona. The position and directional flow of the lines also effectively lead the users’ eye on down toward the content.

More examples of geometry for emphasis or movement:

• 31Three | Mozilla.com | Line25

Iconography does wonders

Icons are to web design what garnishes are to tropical drinks. Imagine this design without them. Such a dark style would be rather lifeless without some kind of imagery. But with the right selection and placement of icons against the dark background, GoodBarry was able to highlight the features of their product while enhancing the design.

More examples of clever iconography:

• Vimeo | Coda | EventBox

Examine the overall composition

Sometimes a site can be quite engaging just because of the way information is organized and presented. One of the most attractive and unique examples I’ve seen recently that can illustrate my point is Squared Eye. The design utilizes almost every aspect covered in this article (barring icons). It’s colorful and fun, well spaced and balanced, has a terrific sense of typography and even incorporates very subtle patterns and lines for separation/emphasis. As designers we sometimes focus so intently on the details that we forget to look at the bigger picture we’re painting. Stepping back to examine your layout and whether elements are appropriately relating to one another can ensure your design gets the attention it deserves.

In Conclusion

A design must strive to accomplish two things: 1) funnel visitors toward what they want and 2) promote the site’s goals (hopefully without impeding the former). Every color, image and body of text should have a purpose and work together to form a cohesive unit… a basic concept. Remember, people come to you for a reason. Consideration of what your objective is vs. what their expectations are will help guide your design decisions, and any of the techniques above can be used to effectively communicate what you have to offer.

Smashing Magazine

Smashing Magazine – the de jure of design blogs. Offering regular freebies, tutorials to boost your skills, user contributions and uber lists of resources/tools – Smashing Mag is where it’s at.

Web Designer Depot

Web Designer Depot – epitomizes list making and resource collecting. They will provide you with more content than you can shake a stick at. It’s a grand showcase of design examples, tips and tools.

Six Revisions

Six Revisions – responsible for producing illustrative collections you can’t ignore, like 30 Beautiful Designs Inspired by Nature. Plenty of resource collections such as 15 Excellent Places for Discovering Photoshop Brushes are published too.

NetTuts

NetTuts – known primarily for their high quality tutorials, NetTuts also provides some particularly useful lists such as the recent Top 50 WordPress Tutorials and 50 Incredible Tutorials from the Tuts+ Network. A terrific community link feed is also available. Incidentally, if you’re looking to polish up your skills, the Tuts+ program is well worth the money.

Noupe

Noupe – One of the first listmaker feeds I ever picked up. Lots of ideas to be found here from regularly published design-centric posts like 50 Most Beautiful Icon Sets of 2008 and 50+ Amazing jQuery Examples. Similar to NetTuts, there’s also a user contributed news feed.

You the Designer

You the Designer – a very nice site with the focus hovering around graphic design. Some entries I’ve enjoyed include 30 Photos That Inspired Me to Learn Photography and 25 Gorgeous Graphic Designer Folios. This is among my favorites not only for the material, but also the way it’s presented. It’s one of few design blogs I’ve seen where content actually presides over ads (as it should be).

Colorburned

Colorburned – this is a really cool blog in appearance, organization and content. Lots of freebie collections, giveaways and user supplied news. The tagline says it all – so go check it out.

Design Shard

Design Shard – offers a boat load of good stuff like texture packs, lists of design tutorials and inspirational resources. Design Shard also touches on the print world a bit.

Design Newz

Design Newz – a new find for me. Offering hand-picked, community submitted resources – it’s a near constant stream of cool stuff to discover.

Pattern Head

Pattern Head – a relatively young blog, but already there’s a plethora (any excuse to use that word is a good one!) of cool patterns, textures, templates and other free resources.

Web Design Ledger

Web Design Ledger - reminds me of Web Designer Depot in that it covers a lot of ground and regularly posts collections of resources and tutorials.

Abduzeedo

Abduzeedo – wallpapers, illustration, artwork and inspiration abound in many forms.

Ok, I think one more can be squeezed in…

AppStorm

AppStorm – joy for Mac lovers, envy for… uh… other platforms. Yes, I know this makes 13 (gasp!) and it’s not design related. It simply had to be included however, because it IS an awesome listmaker and occasionally covers design-ish things. ;)

So whether you’re looking for ideas, freebies, best practices or you just want to stay abreast of design world happenings – these are some fine blogs to watch. Which listmakers do you follow?

AI – Information Architects

iA - Information Architects

Sofa – design, interfaces and software

Sofa - Design Interfaces and Software

i love typography – typographic inspiration

i love typography

Checkout – Get a Mac. Start a store.

Checkout

p41 Studios – human centered design

P41 Studios

live.squarespace – the Squarespace team blog

Squarespace Team Blog

Garrett Dimon – designer/developer

Garrett Dimon

44Forks – From etiquette to Netiquette

44 forks

Andy Rutledge – design strategist

Andy Rutledge

Mark Boulton Design

Mark Boulton Design

The Netsetter – startups web business

The Netsetter

Konigi – user experience design

Konigi

Midmo Web Design

Midmo Design

Rodrigo Galindez – designer/author

Rodrigo Galindez

Outspoken Media – SEO, marketing and consulting

Outspoken Media

Warpspire – web design and code geekery

Warpspire

Jon Tan – creative director, Omniti

Jon Tan

Omniti – web design and development

Omniti

Phil Coffman – art director/photographer

Phil Coffman

Monday by Noon – front end developer

Monday by Noon

Chris J Davis – designer/developer

Chris J Davis

Hivelogic – lead a simpler, more mindful life

Hive Logic

Artypapers – web apps and design

Artypapers

Max Voltar – freelance interface designer

Max Voltar

Habari Project – next generation blogging

Habari Project

5thirtyone – personal blog of Derek Punsalan

5thirtyone

Upstart Blogger – guide to creating, maintaining and profiting from a blog

Upstart Blogger

Boxes and Arrows – graphic design and information architecture

Boxes and Arrows

The Grid System – the ultimate resource in grid systems

The Grid System

Additional Resources

Hungry for more? These gallery sites focus entirely on minimalist design:

• Minimal Sites
• Minimal Showcase
• Site Inspire

These artists elsewhere:

• Coldplay | @coldplay | last.fm
• Greg Laswell |@greglaswell | last.fm
• Snow Patrol | last.fm
• Sheryl Crow | @sherylcrow | last.fm
• Joe Purdy | @joepurdyrecords | last.fm
• Counting Crows | @countingcrows | last.fm
• Van Morrison | last.fm
• Ryan Adams | last.fm
• Ray Lamontagne | @raylamontagne | last.fm

There are so many others I could list. It’s hard to pick favorites because I have so many. Do we have similar musical interests? See me on last.fm! Feel free to add your favorite artist or album below. You might also want to check out Danny Outlaw’s music of design.

For coding (and sometimes writing) that usually means no lyrics. Instead I reach for the rhythm and rhapsody of movie scores. They are a great alternative to traditional classical music, which I don’t favor as much.

The Pursuit of Happyness

My first and favorite choice. This is such a delightful album, I was hooked immediately. Most of the tracks have a lively pace, but not at all frantic. With an optimistic feel to it, this is a great choice for tackling a challenging project or task you don’t exactly relish. ;)

Composer: Andrea Guerra

The Pursuit of Happyness

The Time Machine

I loved this soundtrack long before seeing the movie (which almost ruined it actually). I even selected the piece “Wish Me Luck” to play while I walked down the aisle when John and I got married. :) Overall the album has a wistful appeal. It’s great working music, though I did uncheck two of the songs in iTunes because they were very jarring to me.

Composer: Klaus Badelt

The Time Machine

Armageddon

For days when you’re feeling particularly enthused about your work. Many tracks have an upbeat, motivating tempo but never to the point of distraction. Some electric guitar compliments the piano and strings in an unexpected way. It’s edgy, in a good way.

Composer: Trevor Rabin

Armageddon

Martian Child

Perfect if you need a bit of soft music to ward off a dull silence. There’s nothing particularly engaging about it – in fact at times I don’t even notice it. That’s the best part actually. There are no sudden screeches or major crescendos. You can put it on and just work.

Composer: Aaron Zigman

Martian Child

Finding Nemo

If you prefer music with a lot of “movement” to keep the pistons in your brain firing, this will do the trick. Simultaneously happy, inspiring, soothing and energetic. I unchecked a few songs for the same reason stated above, but altogether it’s a splendid listening experience.

Composer: Thomas Newman

Finding Nemo

Gladiator

I think Hans Zimmer ranks among the most talented composers of our age, cranking out masterful scores like Pirates of Caribbean (also in my library) and The Da Vinci Code – but Gladiator is my favorite. Giving a sense of empowerment, it’s very affecting yet easy to listen to while you work. The last three tracks in particular make the album.

Composer: Hans Zimmer

Gladiator

Legends of the Fall

Both haunting and lilting, this was a tough choice to feature over two other soundtracks by James Horner that I own (Braveheart and Titanic), which are just as frequently played. But Legends is one of the first movie scores I ever bought and I’ve never grown tired of it all these years. That says something.

Composer: James Horner

Legends of the Fall

Did you like this post? Stay tuned for Music for the Designing Soul coming up next. You might also enjoy the list of music you can work to on design:related. What do you you listen to when working with code? Add your favorite in the comments!

Then a few weeks ago I happened across two seemingly unrelated articles that left a big impression. One is aimed at writers (though it could apply to any ambition) and names fear as the killer of success. The other speaks to parents – particularly those who stay home – about the balance of parenting and work. The tie between these topics as they’ve related to my life gave me a lot to think about.

In Terms of Work

I turned away from things I enjoyed due in part to fear – of rejection, mediocrity, failure and sometimes even confrontation. I was so worried about making waves or making mistakes that I started second-guessing everything. I worried that my writing was improper, that my facts were wrong or that the articles weren’t even useful. Before long I quit posting altogether.

As a designer I was waaay too concerned with what others would think of my work and the flaws it would inevitably have. I was convinced that I wasn’t creative enough, smart enough, etc. This unhealthy preoccupation with my own shortcomings (whether real or imagined) prevented me from just FINISHING anything.

In Terms of Parenting

I am among many things: Tutor, Mediator, Taskmaster, Personal Shopper, Nurse, Driver, Event Coordinator… you get the idea. Many hats. These positions all fall under one extraordinary title – MOM. But thanks to my Type A personality, I was so concerned with getting things done “right” that I forgot my first reason for staying home – to raise my kids according to MY ideals. To be available for teaching and play.

But time is a precious commodity as most mothers know. I’m always scrambling, and for about a year I’ve also been dealing with a herniated disc in my lower back which, on bad days,  prevents me from doing most of the things I’d like to. On good days I get hyper-focused on catching up. Either way my kids miss out on the best of me.

Understanding & Acceptance

Simply put, I was really frustrated with work interfering with my children and vice versa. I began losing ground trying manage both so I picked the most important one to focus on. Hence the cobwebs here.

But after letting these articles marinate for a while, I realized something. We all assume (from time to time) that others know more or that they’re better off. The trick is to avoid comparing ourselves to others and letting our assumptions become so intimidating that they interfere with our goals. As pointed out on Copyblogger:

Our fear of mediocrity manifests itself as perfectionism, and perfectionism prevents us from simply putting things out there and resolving to get better over time. With that approach, we fail to achieve anything at all. – Brian Clark

Professionally, that’s the big hurdle isn’t it? Nothing we create will ever be perfect or done but mediocrity is better than obscurity. In progress is better than incomplete. We all have varying strengths, capacities for accomplishing tasks and methods of managing stress. Getting things done is not all it’s cracked up to be. In parenting this holds true as well. Are we ever done raising our kids? My mother doesn’t think so. She still hassles me about remembering my coat and I’m in 35 years old!

Anyway, the point (and the result) of all this reflection is – I’m back. Not that I expect any fanfare after such a long absence. Nor has my situation changed. I won’t make any promises about what’s next for this site either… but I miss writing and designing. It’s who I am. And for those of you who kept checking in now and then – thanks for sticking around. More to come.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Lemme back up.

Built by the folks at Panic, Coda is the first web development application with which you can code, FTP and test your creations using a single, unobtrusive interface. It’s very easy to learn, and offers some extraordinarily useful features. Panic’s focus here is clear: simplify the development process by eliminating unnecessary windows, and rolling the important ones into a single tidy package. Well they pulled it off, and very well!

Highlights

The first really impressive thing about Coda is the built in browser – and we’re not just talking about a WYSIWYG type “design view”, but an actual preview for static and dynamic pages. The default engine is Safari, but you can change it to Firefox or any other browser you have installed.

On that note, Coda really shines with its document split feature. Split a file (vertically or horizontally) for simultaneous code and preview modes. Need multiple splits to work on more than one file? No problem. Use one split to preview and two more for code view.

Another useful tool is the DOM hierarchy inspector, which works like the Web Developer plugin for Firefox. Highlight, lock or unlock any element of a site you’re working on to see the associated class or ID name in a “breadcrumb” style breakdown at the bottom of the Coda window.

Once you have a section locked you can then move around by clicking any element in the trail of the DOM. There’s also a JavaScript log, which could be considered Coda’s answer to another plugin – Firebug, for finding and debugging errors.

Next up we have Clips (think Snippets in Dreamweaver). What’s useful about Clips is that you can build your own library of code snippets (with or without wildcard placeholders), then assign hotkeys for dropping them into your pages. There’s even a community Clips library to get you started.

Coda’s solitary, uncluttered window is far more appealing than Dreamweaver’s UI, which is sometimes overwhelming and irritating with all the panels that you can accidentally move or float if you get careless with the mouse. I’m not crazy about the file viewing system either.

Coda does a nice job of keeping that simple and easy to navigate. Double clicking a folder takes you into it, rather than just showing/hiding its contents. Once there, you see only the files in that folder – but navigating back up the hierarchy a step or all the way to your home folder is one click away.

Publishing is a snap too. Coda tracks the files you have modified or saved and gives you small visual cues in the sidebar. Click the “up arrow” icon to publish one file at a time, or use the ‘Publish All’ button to upload everything.

There are many more cool features in this application. I could go on but that’s Panic’s job. ;) This is a review, so I’ve got to cover the cons too…

What’s Missing

A lot of simple functionality is missing from Coda. A few of my annoyances include:

Remove Comment/Collapse Code – one of Dreamweaver’s nicest features are the one-click utilities alongside the code view panel. It’s nothing to comment/uncomment PHP, HTML and CSS. Particularly, the absence of an expand/collapse code feature is a disappointment.

Copy Files – I might feel stupid later, but I couldn’t figure out how to copy files or folders between sites! The obvious workarounds are 1: duplicate then move the file, or 2: right click a file and select “Show in Finder”, then copy/paste to a new location in Finder. Either way, these are time-wasting extra steps.

Find All – the ability to search not just documents but folders and entire sites is critical. I’m floored that’s it’s missing. Sometimes I just want to see a list of every occurrence for a particular item, without replacing anything. Unfortunately Coda only let’s you replace all without seeing all.

Shortcuts – the lack of key commands is most noticeable when working with multiple files. Reaching for the mouse to click a tab every time really slows things down. Switching tabs via key combo is must so faster, and could even extend to switching the focus between splits or views as well (i.e. Edit and Preview). If there are commands for this please set me straight.

Compare Files – you cannot view local and remote files simultaneously, and there appears to be no syncing or comparison functions.

Clips – (suggestion) opens in a floating module which lays atop the window. It would serve better if tucked into the sidebar like the Symbols feature.

Summary

Coda is still in its infancy (v1.1 at this time, with 1.5 in limited private beta), but it has the potential to become killer development software. Even now what makes Coda so attractive is not just the pretty interface but the price tag – a mere $79. It’s a solid app, without a significant investment, and has a great many enthusiasts to talk shop with.

I’m one of those people who will listen to a song over and over when I first fall in love with it. I even have a playlist called Stuck. ;) It’s for music I discover that I just can’t get enough of. Anyone else do that? Some of the songs on the list have been played upwards of 200 times – and that’s just on iTunes, on one machine. Who knows how many more times they’ve been played on my iPod or streamed through the laptop!

With that said, I wanted to talk about a new listening addiction. Her name is Brandi Carlile and has she got a set of pipes! I had never heard of her until two weeks ago when John and I saw Sheryl Crow at Red Rocks for our 4th anniversary (yay!) and Brandi was the opening act. All I can say is WOW. She can go from lilting ballad to jam session and back again without batting an eye. She did a killer rendition of Folsom Prison Blues, and a mesmerizing version of Hallelujah.

Although classified as Country (you can hear some Patsy Cline and even Roy Orbison influences), Brandi doesn’t seem to fit the ‘country’ mold. Her voice has great range… she can serve it up smooth like Celine or belt it out like Joplin. You’ll get goosebumps either way.

I bought her latest CD at the concert and now I’m completely hooked, specifically on her song Have You Ever. Give it a listen. It’s an introspective, happy, toe-tapping sort of song. :)

The Story and Turpentine also made my 5 and 4 Star (iTunes) ratings, respectively. ;) Oh and I have to give homage to Sheryl Crow. I’ve been a fan for over a decade and she rocks too, naturally.

More footage from this concert at the coolest ampitheatre ever…

I started thinking about the challenges of freelancing from home, with a family. Things like setting (or enforcing) work hours, dealing with interruptions and coping with isolation. Oh and let’s not forget guilt when we pull ridiculous hours because we’re motivated or under deadline. I’m sure for many of us, the whole point in working from home was to spend more time with our kids and/or spouse – not less!

So I got in touch with a few [freelancing] friends for some new perspectives. Reading their responses not only provided great insight, it helped to know I’m not alone in the daily grind! :) If you’ve been frustrated with balancing all the things required of your time and attention, I hope it will help you too…

Do you set regular hours for yourself, or work when you can? How do you resist the temptation to work evenings/weekends or even holidays when you want to but feel you shouldn’t?

• Officially my working hours are 9am to 6pm, but that tends to get interrupted by jobs like taking the kids to school, shopping, cleaning and looking after the kids; my wife’s disabled so what she can do around the house is limited, especially at the moment with her being 34 weeks pregnant! In order to maintain some sort of sanity, I hard not to work during the evenings or at weekends – but if something needs to be done then I don’t really have a choice and have to fit the additional work in around everything else. I try not to feel guilty about it though as the work I’m doing now is all about planning for the future of my family. - Paul Enderson
• Now that my kids are all in school all day, my regular office/work hours are 8:30-2:30 M-F. If I need to I will sneak in extra work in the evening while everyone is watching TV (I just take my laptop in the same room as them) and since I am an early bird I will sneak in work on weekend mornings while the family is all being sleepyheads. - Charlene Polanosky
  
• I have an almost 3 year old, so I work when I can. Nap time and after bedtime are my main work times each day. I don’t try to resist the temptation to work evenings, weekends, holidays, or whenever the opportunity arises, because for me, the work is a sort of stress release from the job of parenting. Anyone who has little ones will understand when I say that you often feel rather unsuccessful at the job of raising them. By contrast, I can sit down at the computer and feel successful when a client likes a design or I figure out some pesky coding issue, and it somehow gives me energy to get back into the parenting trenches. That being said, there are certainly times when I have a choice between working and joining my husband and son for some play time in the back yard, and it can be difficult to choose to put work aside in favor of family time. I just have to remember who and what is most important. - Randa Clay
  

Sometimes interruptions are frequent and/or unavoidable. What do you do to minimize them while remaining accessible to your family?

• I’m quite lucky in that I have converted a room in our house into an office. This allows me to hide away when necessary, while still being close enough for my wife or children to find me and talk to me when I’m needed. - Paul Enderson
• I try to let my family know in advance if I expect a busy work day. And I try to communicate with clients if I expect interruptions (like this summer). - Charlene Polanosky
  
• Basically, if it’s a family interruption, for the most part it trumps whatever work I’m doing. I work well doing projects in bits and pieces, so if I have to get up every couple of minutes to change a diaper, solve a problem or fix a grilled cheese sandwich it doesn’t really affect my workflow. I try to remain completely accessible unless I’ve got a major deadline. I also only schedule client calls during naptime, or on days when my son is visiting a friend’s house. - Randa Clay
  

Working from home usually means no “water cooler” conversation and very little adult interaction. How do you ward off loneliness and stay focused on days when you feel isolated?

• I do miss the peer-level interaction sometimes, but working at home offers so many advantages – not least the fact that I don’t have to deal with all the nasty “office politics” that I’ve always endured when working for somebody else! I’m usually so engrossed in the work at hand that the loneliness factor doesn’t really get to me. - Paul Enderson
• One word – TWITTER - Charlene Polanosky
  
• Twitter is one great way to feel as if you’re in touch with colleagues around the internet, and IM is nice for a quick chat to check in with friends. - Randa Clay
  

When you feel overwhelmed trying to do everything yourself, what do you do to relieve pressure and how do you keep your eye on the prize?

• My only social outlet these days is playing pool, which I try to do as often as possible. In addition to that I have a large portfolio of my own sites that I can work on for a little while when the paid work starts to get overwhelming – allowing me to return renewed to the business at hand. When things start to really get on top of me (which of course they do from time to time) then I simply focus on a single task and work on it until it’s been completed – a process that’s repeated until everything’s back under control again! - Paul Enderson
• I am very good at scheduling my day and I try to schedule in downtime for myself. - Charlene Polanosky
  
• I try very hard not to overload myself with work, and schedule everything using a monthly calendar to manage what I’m working on each week. I’m relatively picky about which clients I’ll choose to work with in order to minimize the inevitable client headaches that can come with the job. In other words, I try to avoid being overwhelmed and under a great deal of pressure by planning ahead. - Randa Clay
  

Can you offer any tips for setting priorities in terms of family/home responsibilities versus professional obligations?

• To be perfectly honest, I don’t think I’m the best person to give advice to others on setting priorities – after all, I rarely manage to pull off that feat myself! Perhaps the most important thing I feel people should remember is that it’s only work. There will always be another job if the current one goes pear-shaped, and there will always be a new fresh day tomorrow – but your family (and especially your children) will grow and change without you realising it, so make the most of them while you can. - Paul Enderson
• The best thing to do is try to schedule your time. Keep a good to-do list but don’t expect to get it all done each day. Set aside blocks of time for work, home and yourself. - Charlene Polanosky
  
• I guess the #1 thing here is not to overload yourself with work. Leave some breathing room in the schedule so that the most important people in your life get all the attention they need. How much work I take on is completely my call. If I continually take on too much, and put work above my family, I WILL regret it. The very reason I don’t work a day job is because my priority is my family, so it just wouldn’t make any sense to then continually put them second. - Randa Clay

Thanks goes out to each of these very busy people for answering my questions so candidly, and for being willing to participate in the first place!

Charlene Polanosky owns and operates several blogs including Essential Keystrokes and Casual Keystrokes. She has been freelancing over ten years, with a background in web marketing and design strategy. She’s also mother of three!

Randa Clay is a talented graphics/web designer with an impressive list of clients. She owns Randa Clay Design and occasionally writes for the Blog Herald. She’s also mother of (soon to be) two!

Not surprising both lists had some of the same things I use, but it was interesting to see what else was listed. On that note, if everyone ditched the open source model tomorrow, here are the ones I’d likely pay for..

1. WordPress - I’ve been using WP for 2 1/2 years (ironic that 2.5 was just released), and watched it evolve into a truly powerful tool. Over time it even changed my ideas about [dynamic] design and website management overall, and the community that rallies behind it is amazing.
2. MAMP – For local WordPress development on a Mac. I’ve already considered buying the Pro version actually, and probably will eventually. Nice app.
3. Firefox – If browsers started charging, I’d pay for a FF license. I don’t know how I ever got by without tabs before it came along.
4. Web Developer – Coupled with FF, is my preferred toolset for developing and testing websites.
5. Things – It’s free right now, but the intention is to release it as premium software once it’s out of beta. I plan on buying a license, definitely. See my review.
6. Thunderbird – The past few months I’ve been using Mail because I wanted to give it a fair shot, but if I had to pick between the two as paid options, I’d go with Thunderbird without a doubt.
7. IEs4OSX – Run different versions of IE on your Mac without having to reboot to Windows or use full-blown software like VMware/Parallels. I’ve yet to see IE7 work properly, but if that weren’t an issue I’d pay a nominal fee for the convenience. Read the review.
8. iStockPhoto – Ok this one isn’t free, but I echo Ryan’s thoughts on the credit system. Not everyone can afford a corporate account however, so if they implemented different levels at a reasonable cost (i.e. a “blogger account” or “freelancer account”), I’d be on board
   Update: Wow, maybe someone was listening! iStockphoto actually added a subscription based service! Too bad it’s still out of my price range. :( 5/28/08
9. Mint Money – They have a really slick interface for keeping tabs on your financial health. They also just announced that functionality for tracking investments will soon be added. Pretty cool. See my review.
10. pMetrics – Simply put, I like it better than Google Analytics. Signed up for Woopra last week but I’m still waiting on approval. :/
11. Podcasts – Of my many subscriptions, a couple stand out enough to warrant paying for. Boagworld is one (and probably my favorite). The WordPress podcast is also very good.
12. Akismet – Self explanatory.
13. Popularity Contest – A nice compliment to a stats app, it lists averages/percentages of the content most often viewed on your site in the WP admin. You can also use it to show visitors what’s most popular by category, month, etc.
14. OpenOffice – I don’t use an office app enough to justify a $79+ price tag, but I’d be willing to pay $20-25 for this one. While not the prettiest software (v3.0b is looks much better), it serves my purpose. Check out the extensive list of improvements for the upcoming release.
15. I really tried to think of one more, but drew a blank. I guess I’d pay for Skype or YIM – but only if I had absolutely no alternative.

I may never have tried any of the above if they weren’t free to begin with, but some that are not named eventually converted me to a paid member (like Flickr) without being forced. What about you? What would you be willing to pay for if it switched to a paid format? Feel free to add your thoughts here or link up with your own post! :)

Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others. ~Plato

Cultured Code ran with that concept and worked it into a sweet little app called Things. I picked it up about a month ago when I saw that it was available for beta. I was hooked right away. Quite honestly, it’s been more useful than any other project or task management software I’ve tried so far, because I actually use it!

The problem with most project oriented apps is that they’re hard to learn or adjust to. They also seem counterproductive at times, eating time instead of freeing it. Navigating can be cumbersome, and of those I’ve tested – the overviews left much to be desired. I often spent more time in the app than working on tasks, or never bothered to add them in the first place because it took too long. With Things there’s almost no learning curve, so you can add (and get moving on) your projects very quickly.

Right away you get a sense that it’s easy to manage – and it actually is. I dare say it’s even fun. ;) The interface is sleek, uncluttered and almost too simple, but not to the point that it compromises functionality. Things puts your tasks in front of your nose in a way that you don’t have to wander around the app to find what it is you really need to do.

Create multiple Projects or Areas of Responsibility and add multiple items to them without losing sight of anything or having to endlessly drill down. This app really shines when it comes to overviews, in my opinion. Switch between several views with just a click – Today, Next, Someday and Scheduled. Things will show you the info you need and not what you don’t. To access details for individual items simply click on the folder for that Project or Area. Don’t have details yet? Use the Someday feature to drop in something you have no specifics for, then move or edit it accordingly later.

Like tags? Things is on board. Add tags to dynamically group items, or use the search filter to find items by tag, title or note. That’s right, you can add notes (of course!) to any task. Things will keep them out of your way too – but never out of reach. Notes are neatly tucked into each task’s module. Just double-click to see associated notes and tags, set a due date or make a task repeatable.

Quickly add, edit, delete or reorder your tasks or Projects. Color coding and highlighting lets you know immediately what is done, what needs done, what has been updated today… the works. Best of all, Things keeps your lists tidy! Via preference setting, you can have it automatically move completed items to a Logbook each day, week or month.

I am really impressed with this software considering it’s only in beta. There are a few minor usability issues (the drag/drop capability and repeatable tasks are still somewhat limited), but the developers are working on them. I have to wonder how Things would hold up to large team usage as well. It seems targeted mostly toward small agencies or freelance types. Then again I don’t work in a team so I can’t comment on that. Overall, I think Things is already well worth the reasonable $50 price tag for the final release.

Starting with the layout, I stripped away some of the visuals that I felt were unnecessary to give it a more streamlined appearance. Individual components are now more precisely aligned, and whitespace was added to alleviate the “crowded” feeling I sometimes got when looking at the old version. A more unified color scheme helped as well. (Let’s face it, the yellow just didn’t jive. I don’t know what I was thinking!)

Significant improvements to the underlying functionality have also been made. For example, IF statements were added to check for the existence of certain plugins supported by the theme. This makes it virtually error proof upon install. If a supported plugin is not installed on a user’s blog, Cornerstone will simply ignore it, causing no display bugs or cryptic error messages. (Unfortunate that I did not know how to do that when the first version was released.)

One of the most notable upgrades is how the navigation functions. Cornerstone now supports child pages more effectively (there was basically none before). If you visit a page with child pages assigned to it, those links will display automatically in the secondary nav bar. When you click away, the links go away too.

Just a few other enhancements include:

• Tag listing support on single post pages (along with a tag cloud in the footer)
• Latest Entry on the home page now supports custom fields for a thumbnail display
• Hand-coding the corresponding Category link for each Featured post no long necessary
• Register/Site Admin link in the footer displays properly now (thanks Kevin!)
• A visual indicator for which Page you’re on included
• Asides function more closely to how they’re intended on most blogs
• “Continue Reading” link added to Latest Entry and Asides entries
• Improved Feature (or alternate layout) Page
• Much of the back-end code has been cleaned up, revamped and/or better commented

That about covers it! You can see the new demo here, or visit the storefront to see what else is in the works.

UPDATE:

12/15/08 I have made the decision to pull Cornerstone out of distribution, at least for now. I am considering an overhaul of both the layout and functionality. This is not set, but honestly I’m not sure I even want to pursue the paid theme market anymore. I may just release an entirely new open source theme labeled as Cornerstone, since I really dig the name. :) More details will be posted, probably in a separate post. I also have some new themes in development that may interest you… stay tuned.

First, some Diagnostics

One quick way to figure out how many queries your blog is making is to insert this little snippet somewhere in your footer:

<!-- <?php echo get_num_queries(); ?> queries -->

After uploading, refresh and view source on whichever page(s) you want to check. The number of queries will be variable. My homepage has 41 queries for example, while most other pages have 10-17. That at least indicates where I need to make improvements.

For a more comprehensive look at your site, get YSlow. It’s is a terrific little Firefox add-on which runs analysis checks and reports back with suggestions for improvements. Also ties right in with Firebug.

Purging Code

There’s always some new blog thingamajiggy being released. If you get excited about widgets and plugins, then just as quickly get bored and uninstall them – don’t forget to remove the snippets which call the functionality!

Do you use multiple stats programs? You might consider picking one or two, then removing the excess javascript for the metrics you abandon. The header.php and footer.php files are the two biggest culprits for user added, load-bearing code… and they’re easy to forget about. Deleting unnecessary tags from your header may also be beneficial.

Maintaining a Healthy Database

How long has it been since you opened up phpMyAdmin or took a gander at your database? If you install/uninstall a lot of plugins, it might be in need of a tune-up. Clean Options can help with that task. Basically, it sweeps up orphaned data from the Options table. It has limitations, but it’s a great start.

Out With the Old

One word – Categories. Do you have way too many? How about reeeeeally old posts which are not only irrelevant now but possibly riddled with broken links? And what about plugins you were using prior to the release of 2.5 which are now (or will be) deprecated? Things like Search Everything, Click Tags and most Avatar plugins come to mind, because the functionality for each is now supported in the WP core. Remember, even deactivated plugins just sitting on your server can bog down load times!

A Need for Speed

Geekery is a wonderful thing (especially the Wordpress flavor), and thanks to people way smarter than me there are plugins like WP Super Cache, which will help tremendously if you have a large database, or take a Digg hit.