A beautiful example of a New Age Site powered by Thesis Theme and WordPress. Based in North Hollywood, California – The Green Man Store is a very functional yet beautiful website. Different to the usual blog in that it is set up to deliver current news and events rather than be perused for its archived articles starting back in September 2010.
The Best of The Green Man Store
- Image slider on home page delivering interesting and relevant images – powered by the NextGen Gallery WordPress plugin
- Colorful background image with matching logo - look carefully at the tree trunk on the right (the man’s bearded face) and the logo.
- Navigation menu – fancy outline and nice colors.
- Sidebar widgets and post box uniquely outlined with a background shadow
- What we offer Apothecary – another great examples of the use of tables with in-page jump links to different parts of the same page.
Fancy letters for headlines – in the logo and each headline throughout the site.
- Transparent background – achieved with some simple css in the custom.css stylesheet…
.custom #content {background: url("images/sky.png") repeat scroll left top transparent;}
- Calendar in table with hyper links to pages…
- Block quotes - take a look at the code using the free Firebug addon for the Firefox browser – right click and inspect element (HTML & CSS) to see the underlying code. Screenshots of block quote, HTML and CSS…
Block quote aligned left with image
Block quote HTML
Block quote CSS
Improvements
Some thoughts after a visit to the site in August 2011…
- “Previous post” words – needs more contrast - perhaps change from grey to white.
- Add a link to a blog or articles & add some evergreen content (content that doesn’t need updating very often, if at all). Perhaps add the blog or articles link to before “Contact us”. If you have no desire to have a blog format, consider removing the “Previous/Next” links at the bottom of articles/posts.
- Move search form down to perhaps below “What’s new”.
- Move “Subscribe” up.
- Start the very top sidebar widget up higher (currently a large gap before it starts that interferes with the symmetry of the website). It has a 100px top margin!
- Remove “Links” from menu - they are already in the footer. Do you want people leaving as soon as they arrive?
- Join the Thesis Theme (DIYthemes) affiliate program and add your affiliate link to the footer link for Thesis. You may as well earn a commission when people look at the theme you are using and decide to buy it and use it.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
A very cool thesis site indeed and a very detailed review. The details in design are where the magic happens so when you are getting down to 404 pages and blockquote design you’re really looking at the nitty-gritty, important details.
Thanks Derra. I always check out the 404 page to see if the effort has been made.
I like how the website’s design has an element of mystery to it.
Ack! I love that 404 page so much!
great info…so wonderful design…i can’t imagine if it can implement in my web
thanks this info
I like the idea of image slider.It makes your blog look so lively.
Really very attractive site.Well done.
I agree with you Mandy. This site really is an eyecandy. Looking at 1,000 Thesis Theme Sites video seem has a good taste too. And especially the 404 page. Watching that detailed door you can say that something in you is part of the Green Man. Abra-kadabra!
So wonderful design. 404 is very good. I love it. Thanks Somone Bull
I’m always a big fan of slider and widgets. It gives more life to your site even visitors haven’t read the posts yet. And fancy letters really cool. Very nice. Love it. :)
This theme rocks! I love these colors.
Cool site… really very cool… especially 404 page
I love the look it is very medieval and cool.
Wonderful theme and attractive design and a grate idea of image slider……
Very nice layout to the whole of the site, like it a lot.
well done.