What PeakZebra offers is more than a theme. Actually it’s a lot more, but the “lot more” actually is varies from one blueprint scenario to the next. And a given blueprint could actually look a lot of different ways. Yes, what you’d normally call the “theme” is tied pretty closely to what the site does, but it’s still possible to vary that theme in lots of different ways.
So how to show the differences among blueprints, while also showing what kinds of variations in look and feel are possible within a given blueprint. With two blueprints and basically no pre-set variations, that’s not really a problem.
But there will be more and more blueprints over time. So what’s the best way to get all those options up on the home page without creating total confusion and chaos?
Right now, I think it’s about having a top level choice of blueprint scenario without showing any thumbnails of page design. So first you choose whether you’re a paid newsletter client, a help resource client, a SaaS builder, a “real” contractor type builder, and so on.
I think maybe it drops down from that choice, but maybe it actually jumps to another page. I think I just decided it should jump, which should help keep us all sane.
And you know what? Isn’t this exactly the kind of scenario where the answer is a Custom Post Type? Let’s have a post for each… each what? Should it be one post per blueprint or one post per variation, grouped by categories that reflect the different blueprints.
This is the classic stuff of WordPress application development, which is probably worth discussing, but for the moment I’ll leave it that I think it’s probably one post per variation. Somehow or the other I’ve got to come up with a way to indicate which is the primary variation, but that seems doable, possibly just by using another category that reflects exactly that. Yup, that’s it.
I hope to have a stab at this new approach in the next few days. Specifically by November 10, which is my self-imposed deadline for my current group of tasks and projects.