The Girl’s Guide to Web Design – First Class Edition

Ready to see more? Check out the breakdown of the juicy topics we’ll cover in each chapter inside our private, students-only website:

Chapter 0: Getting your domain and web hosting set up and installing WordPress

• The important difference between “self-hosted” and “hosted” WordPress – and why you need to choose the right one.
• How to buy a domain and web hosting space without wanting to tear your hair out.
• The four scenarios that will determine everything about setting up your website – and how to know which one you fit into.
• Installing WordPress the impossibly easy way (hint: it doesn’t have to be painful!)

Another lovely Thesis site (you’ll learn to do this!)

“Creating a web site has been on my to-do list for too long-but this article has really given my the confidence to tackle it head on.” – Amy

Chapter 1: Laying the groundwork for your site (January 30th – February 5th)

• How using the Thesis framework for WordPress lets you get a site that looks like literally whatever you want.
• How to install and activate Thesis in approximately 2 minutes.
• Getting to know you: the anatomy of your website.
• Familiarizing yourself with Thesis’ many cool options and what they can do for you.
• The crucial setting that takes a site from ho-hum to gorgeously you.
• Blog, website, or both: picking your site format.
• Your website questionnaire: diving deep to find out what the REAL you wants out of a blog or site.

Another lovely Thesis site (you’ll learn to do this!)

“This is the best tutorial I’ve ever done. It’s so hard to try to figure this stuff out, and you made it easy! THANK YOU!!!” – Erin

Chapter 2: Dreaming up your look and feel (February 6th – 12th)

• How to write your website vision statement (and why you won’t want to be without one).
• The reason why you DON’T need to own a copy of Photoshop to get a gorgeous site.
• The two FREE online graphic design tools that will change your life forever – and how to use them.
• My secret sources for amazingly inspiring imagery.
• Social media icons: where to get ones you love – or how to make ‘em yourself
• Creating an inspiration board that really speaks to you.

Another lovely Thesis site (you’ll learn to do this!)

“Finally, a CSS guide I can actually understand. This will be such a help — thanks!” – Lisa M.

Chapter 3: Site strategy, initial setup and stealthy future-planning (February 13th – 19th)

• Deciding on the layout of your site (how many columns, and where to put them).
• The mistake many people make with the width of their sites.
• How to set up your homepage: posts or static content?
• The importance of creating “dummy pages” (without them, you miss out on some serious styling fun).
• Making your menu look as lovely as it is functional.
• Your search bar and social media icons: putting them where it counts.
• The right way to gather email addresses for a newsletter – without resorting to pressure tactics.
• Developing your very own list of website must-haves.
• Intro to plugins: how they work and how to install them.

Another lovely Thesis site (you’ll learn to do this!)

“Miniscule things that have always bothered me about the set theme on my site I can now (semi-easily) change. Sometimes 2px makes all the difference! I am grateful for your ability to put forth such a tutorial in a manner that doesn’t sound like gobbly-gook to me! Thank you thank you thank you!” – Beckie

• Creating and naming your color scheme – and bringing it to life on your site.
• Your all-important header image: dos, don’ts, and exactly how to make it.
• The web design principle that could make or break your blog or site.
• Where to source the images you need to create a custom look for every aspect of your site.
• My special trick for sizing your images without “breaking” your layout.
• Textures, backgrounds and stock photography: where the good ones are hiding.
• Hosting your images by FTP (a skill you’ll call on again and again).
• How to make “fashion collages” for your blog posts.

Another lovely Thesis site (you’ll learn to do this!)

“this is amazingggg!! thank you thank you for breaking it all up and making it easy to swallow!! you are an awesome designer and an inspiring teacher!” – Caitlin

Catch-up week (February 27th – March 4th)

• No “class” this week: instead, take your time mastering what we’ve learned so far, trading ideas with your classmates in our private Facebook group, and finessing your work-in-progress blog or site!

Another lovely Thesis site (you’ll learn to do this!)

“Wow Amanda, I checked out your sample articles of your teaching style and I am impressed! you make everything easier! looking forward to your class!” – Kimberly

Chapter 5: Intro to HTML – and a touch of CSS (March 5th – 11th)

• Proof that learning to code can actually be fun.
• My no-memorization-required method of learning HTML tags – and why you DON’T need to learn every last one to be able to do amazing things online.
• How HTML tells your browser what to do with your site.
• The indispensable tool you’ve probably never heard of that lets you look “under the hood” of your site.
• CSS style rules: my signature explanation will make it all make sense.
• Using CSS to alter the look of *anything* on your site.
• CSS and color: a rainbow at your fingertips.

Another lovely Thesis site (you’ll learn to do this!)

“What perfect timing!!! I’m a freelance print designer ‘dipping’ into the web world and this is just the encouragement I needed. **SPLASH**” – Shawna

Chapter 6: CSS: the Juicy Stuff (March 12th – 18th)

• How to use CSS to position anything on your site exactly where you want it (no more squished-together lines of text or cluttered-up sidebars).
• Creating beautiful, non-standard layouts for your posts and pages.
• Fonts, glorious fonts! How to find and integrate fancy fonts into your blog or site without messing up your search engine optimization efforts.
• How CSS “classes” let you style-ify every last element of your site.
• Background images: the CSS technique that will spiffy up your site like nothing else can.

Another lovely Thesis site (you’ll learn to do this!)

“It must be fate. I set up a new wordpress blog just days ago and have spent the last couple of nights struggling to works with css. As a creative person, this coding can come across as a danger zone! I’m so excited to begin this step-by-step guide that seems to be just for me! Amanda, I think I love you!” – Sydney

Chapter 7: Crucial add-ons, fun design techniques and the magic of OpenHook (March 19th – 25th)

• Creating a great-looking sidebar and footer.
• Polishing off your list of website must-haves.
• The ingenious plugin that lets you insert design elements in little-known places (GREAT for creating something truly unusual online).
• Special series of mini-tutorials: exactly how to do some of the web design world’s best-loved (and most attractive!) design tricks.
• The effortless way to banish boring design elements from your site once and for all.
• Fancy text styling for a magazine effect.
• How to create a favicon (that cute little square icon in your browser address bar).

Another lovely Thesis site (you’ll learn to do this!)

“WOW! I’ve owned my domain name for months but couldn’t figure out what the heck to do next. Now, an hour after reading your post, my website exists! (Granted, there’s no content, but first things first is awesome.) I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your incredibly generous, useful, easy-peasy post. You have simplified what was truly impossible to understand. A thousand thanks, Amanda. No, ten thousand.” – Misha

Chapter 8: Final tricks and tweaks, key plugins, SEO and Google Analytics (March 26 – March 30th)

• Mastering the tricks that will make your site as bulletproof as it is beautiful.
• How to create a custom 404 error page (using your very own tone and voice).
• My personal list of must-have plugins (don’t leave home without ‘em!).
• Making your site mobile-friendly (smartphones, iPads…the whole shebang)
• How to search engine optimize your site to prime yourself for maximum traffic.
• Tracking your visitors with Google Analytics.
• Backing it up: how to protect your site against hackers and crashes.
• Debutantes’ Ball: show off your design triumphs!
• Killer “next steps” for ladies on a mission: the best people to work with to take your site, blog or business to the next level.