Thesis 1 revolutionized WordPress themes by introducing world class SEO tools with extensive design and layout options. Last fall Thesis 2.0 again revolutionized WordPress by creating a drag and drop template editing system that transformed the way we design and layout websites. Now Thesis 2.1 features the same unlimited customizability in a streamlined interface. The videos below will introduce you to all the latest features of Thesis 2.1.
Six Reasons Thesis 2.1 Will Knock Your Socks Off
Thesis 2.1 is the most powerful, most customizable theme framework available for WordPress. It gives very easy access to lots of customization options to the beginner. It provides unlimited customization to DIY website builders who are willing to get their hands dirty and it provides incredibly powerful tools for the professional web designer. It has something to offer everyone who is building a WordPress website or blog. Here are my top 6 reasons why Thesis will blow your socks off.
1. Thesis 2.1 Makes a Responsive Site EASY
Thesis 2.1 comes with the new Classic Responsive skin, enabling your site to look good on all mobile devices. Something that makes it stand apart from other responsive themes is that it empowers you to make changes to the appearance of the skin without breaking that responsiveness and without any special knowledge. It includes code that automatically resizes elements like pictures and videos to make them fit within mobile device browsers. It also include a very light weight and snappy responsive menu that works flawlessly even with several levels of navigation.
2. Thesis 2.1 Exploits the Latest SEO Strategies
If you are paying any attention to modern SEO you know that “Schema” is playing a huge role in helping search engines like Google identify the main content on your site and classify it. Thesis 2.1 fully embraces schema and automatically embeds the appropriate codes into your web pages to help search engines figure out what your site is about. In addition it still has the fullest complement of SEO meta tools available, enabling you to customize the SEO meta tags of every concievable type of post or page that WordPress creates. Finally, new in 2.1, it makes establishing your Google authorship a snap. No more code added to theme files or cross linking necessary. Just enter your Google+ author id and Thesis handles all the rest for you. It could not be easier.
3. Thesis 2.1 is Infinitely Customizable
This should actually be the title of this post because all of the videos below are about how you can customize the content, layout and appearance of your site using Thesis 2.1. Thesis 2.0 offered infinite customizability but it required a certain level of skill in order to access that. Thesis 2.1 has simplified the process and now offers varying levels of customization for varying levels of skill.
To the beginner or the non-techie type of person it gives complete control over every font on your site. You can control each and every font family, font size and font color – all without using any code at all. It now includes a hoopy new color scheme generator that allows you to test different color combinations, easily swapping colors to find just the right combination for your site. It also gives beginners tons of control over the layout of their site, all while maintaining its ability to display in mobile devices.
To the DIY techie and Web designers it blows out all the stops by demolishing all HTML limitations. It gives them the ability to create custom templates for EVERYTHING. You can create custom templates and apply them to posts, pages, custom post types, post type archives, category & tag archives, custom taxonomy archives – you name it. Any template WordPress can understand can be created and customized using the new streamilined drag and drop interface. This gives you the simple power of creating widget areas any where you want them and placing them in any template you see fit. You can have unlimited widget areas and unlimited combinations of widget areas in any template. The same thing is true for menus. Create as many menus as you like and place them anywhere you want in the site. This is all possible without writing a single line of PHP or HTML.
4. Thesis 2.1 Allows Very Complex Customization Via Drag and Drop
What? No PHP or HTML?! That’s right. Thesis allows you to create very complex web pages simply from the drag and drop interface. Remember registering sidebars, creating theme locations for menus, registering menus, writing custom secondary loops? All of that is a thing of the past. Thesis now does all the heavy lifting for you with the click of the mouse and a drag of a box. Sure there may be some cases where you will still resort to good old PHP but that will be the exception and not the rule.
5. Thesis 2.1 Almost Entirely Eliminates the Need for FTP
It used to be that you needed to use FTP to install anything in WordPress. Thesis 1 required you to be able to set file and folder permissions and rename the custom folder. With Thesis 2.1 there is none of that. All installation and configuration can be done from the dashboard. This includes most code based customization you may be doing. You will no longer be editing your custom.css file and then uploading that custom file to the theme using FTP. That can all be done inside the skin editor. Now I’m not saying it isn’t an essential skill to have. Every WordPress website owner/manager needs to be able to use FTP. However, you won’t need it for routine operations in Thesis 2.1.
6. Thesis 2.1 Almost Entirely Eliminates the Need for a Separate Code Editor
I didn’t see how this could possibly be the case when Chris first suggested this. Now I’m sold. In the first place you will almost never need to write any PHP because all of the things people have done that for in the past have been replaced with drag and drop. In the second place, Thesis 2.1 comes with a shiny new CSS editor that includes syntax highlighting. It even includes some totally cool point and click code completion features that developers are going to love.
Comments on this entry are closed.
Thanks Rick, this is so helpful! I almost had a spaz when I saw the beta version; it takes someone like you to take the time to sort it out. I’m very grateful.
Gerald, I’m delighted you got benefit from the videos.
Problem following Part 3 above:
1) Installed Thesis 2.1 beta on fresh site.
2) Set the Font & Size to match you: Ariel 16 pt.
3) HERES the problem:
Saved Layout & Dimensions to your example specs no work like shown .
Here is what I did:
Tried to set layout & dimensions to match you:
checked content on left
Set content width 654 px
Set Sidebar width 354 px
Hit Ok & Saved Design Options.
Presto: Sidebar is not sidebar. Sidebar is underneath the content.
How to fix this …please tell???
Jared, I would need a link to the site in order to diagnose the problem.
Rick …cancel my comment above. Cuz …now it is working ok. Amazing.
site is http://www.injurymassagecare.com
As someone who only just got my head around T 2.0, I was kinda apprehensive of the new version. Thanks to your clear vids, this version seems pretty neat!
Some awesome features there. Thanks for the detailed tuturial… especially videos.
Thanks Rick this is really great. You are doing a wonderful job.
Frik, I’m glad you are getting benefit from the site.
Hey Rick! Great job with this, haven’t gotten through it all but hope to soon. I heard you may be coming out with a series about upgrading. I updated my own site and didn’t have any problems but haven’t yet updated the to the classic responsive skin because I’m afraid of loosing stuff. I have just started a few client sites on 2.0 and now at a loss whether I should start over in 2.1 or just continue because with the learning curve for 2.1 I might not be able to hit deadlines. I don’t want to run into problems later. Would love to know when your second set of tutorials comes out. Thanks!
Leah, The seminar on upgrading from 1.8.5 to 2.1 using Classic Responsive will be posted early next week. If you are using Thesis Classic in 2.0 you will need to start from the beginning with Classic Responsive in 2.1. You won’t however lose any work you have done in Thesis Classic. If you are comfortable with 2.0 the learning curve is tiny moving up to 2.1 and there are tools in 2.1 that make moving well worth while,
Ah ok, the seminar is on 1.8.5 to 2.1….I was more worried about switching from 2.0 to 2.1 Classic Responsive and how the ‘reponsiveness’ will appear with all my crazy packages and such. I’m not the best troubleshooter. I’m very comfortable with 2.0 so I’m glad you feel the learning curve is tiny. Thanks so much for your hard work in this community- don’t know what we’d do without you!
Leah, I will be sending out an announcement about a seminar like that soon. However, when you upgrade it won’t affect what you’ve done in the 2.0 Thesis Classic Skin. Thesis 2.1 comes with a NEW skin, Classic Responsive. When you upgrade you will have 2 skins to choose from. The old Classic skin and the new Classic Responsive skin. If you want to use the new skin you will need to recreate what you’ve done in the old skin.
thank you for this! i am a beginner on thesis, and your tutorials have helped me tremendously!
This was extremely helpful to me as a new Thesis user, thanks Rick!
Hello Rick!
Thanks very much for the videos, help a lot!
Problem though?
I’ve tried to install a sign up form into the sidebar but it doesn’t sem to load into
the sidebar or show up in there!
I’ve checked the code for the form and it will load into the content section but I would like it to be in the sidebar? Any suggestions?
Secondly, does Thesis 2.1 allow you to set the pages up with 2 sidebars, one either side of the content being in the middle? Thesis 1.8.5 allowed this but I can’t seem to find this feature on the 2.1?
Thanks,
Andy
Andy – part of the signup form issue depends on the tool you used to insert it in the sidebar. Are you using a piece of code that is inserted in a text widget? That will work. It should work to insert it in a Text Box as well. I’d need a URL with the form added to it to see what is going on.
In terms of 2 sidebars, Thesis will let you do ANYTHING you want. However, you have to do it inside the skin editor and you will need to over ride the default CSS in order to accomplish it. Either that or use Agility (which is available here free)
Hi Rick!
Many thanks for that! I have installed the form onto my site!
I’ll take a look at the Agility!
One other thing, where do I learn how to move the nav bar?
Thanks,
Andy
Andy, watch the second Launch Party Series – Thesis 2.1 for the DIY Web Builder
Great Thanks!
Hello Rick!
The thesis colour scale system doesn’t seem to work when I use it to change the colour scheme!
What do I need to do to enable it to work?
Andy
Andy, it sounds like you have a permissions issue that is preventing Thesis from writing the CSS file. What skin are you using? Have you tried this in other skins with the same result?
Hi Rick!
I’m using the classic responsive skin as on the thesis download!
It did eventually change to the new colour scheme but it doesn’t change it instantly as the video tutorial explains. Just tried it again and the same result.
Very interested in learning about the 3 column layout as you say you’ll be releasing a video tutorial this week?
Many thanks,
Andy.
Andy, if it takes a while to show up, that means you must be using some form of caching on your site. You should deactivate any caching plugin you are using while you are developing your site.
Hi Rick!
I’ve seen on one of the tutorials about the meteor sideshow!
Is there a tutorial where you show how to set up and load the images for the slideshow so that it operates correctly?
Thanks,
Andy
I do have tutorials on the site about using the Meteo slideshow. Just search the site for Meteor and you’ll find them. However, the trick to any of these slide shows is to:
If you do that, the slideshow works fine. However if some images are tall and others are short, some a square and some are rectangular – it will never look good.
Rick,
Thanks for the tutorials, extremely helpful!
This might seem a little basic, but since downloading 2.1 I have had trouble setting up a new site with a three-column layout. (Classic responsive theme.)
Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Brad
Brad, Thesis Classic Responsive does not have a 3 column layout option. I just demonstrated yesterday how to create a 3 column version of Thesis Classic Responsive. It will be posted on the site in a week or so as the Beginner’s Guide to the Thesis 2.1 Skin Editor.
What version are these vids for? I’m trying to learn 2.1 but it does not look like what you are using in the vids.
Joe, the 2.1 launch party videos are for 2.1. Some skins look a little different, depending on their options but the seminar was taught in 2.1 and Classic Responsive.
Thank you for some much needed tutorials – I’ve still a long way to go but getting there thanks to you!
One big problem don’t know where the ‘Home Page’ is!!!! I’ve created other pages but site coming-up on the search engines with nothing showing on the Home Page – back to the drawing board or content editor!!!!
Thank You.
Stevie your home page is either your blog posts page or a static page. You set that in Settings >> Reading.