WordPress and Drupal: Which is the right tool for the job?
The following is an article intended for the more tech savvy among us.
I worked for a web agency that develops Drupal websites almost exclusively. I use WordPress to create websites for my own clients. I’ve worked with both content management systems extensively, creating a unique vantage point to compare the two.
The most noticeable difference between WordPress and Drupal, at least initially, is the administration interface. In a nutshell, Drupal’s interface is powerful yet confusing. It is intended for website administrators and technically proficient folks to configure many aspects of a website. WordPress, on the other hand, uses an admin interface intended for those less experienced in website development to modify website content and settings. This trade off means less power.
Digging deeper yields more interesting notes. While not available in the standard admin interface, a great deal of power and customization opportunities exists in WordPress’ theme layer. This power means web designers and developers familiar with html, css, and a little PHP can use these technologies in conjunction with WordPress and its template tags quite easily. Developers use these technologies to quickly build WordPress websites their way, integrating well documented WordPress code with languages they already know.
In contrast, Drupal requires users to learn how it operates before a developer can do much. Standard fare for Drupal sites uses a point and click interface, while developers install and configure contributed modules. Drupal’s approach means that once a user gets inside the mind of Drupal, advanced functionality becomes easier to implement. Rather than requiring a user to write PHP code, he or she can point and click–with powerful results.
As a user becomes familiar with Drupal, adding marginal functionality becomes easier. Knowledgeable web designers and developers, by contrast, have an easy time getting started with WordPress. As additional functionality becomes required, the developer must find a way to fit advanced features into a platform not built for those uses. It’s not impossible, just difficult. I made an oversimplified chart to illustrate:
Looking at the history of each project, these differences are not surprising. WordPress was built as a blogging engine, while Drupal was built from the ground up to support more complex websites. While WordPress is moving towards robust content management applications, Drupal is making strides toward intuitive usability.
In order to determine the best tool for a project, look at your needs and resources. WordPress is an excellent solution for a quick, simple website or blog. Drupal makes sense for providing functionality with different content types, views, and integrated features. Of course, this discussion omits other obvious options like Joomla, as I am less familiar with them.
If you’re only familiar with one content management system and have a project with different needs, I encourage you to consider other options. There is a learning curve, but building a website isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor.
Economics Poster
A poster I designed was featured recently in a blog entry at economics blog Cafe Hayek, authored by professors of economics Dr. Russ Roberts and Dr. Don Boudreaux. My poster offers an example and inspiration for a contest encouraging designers to creatively illustrate the following quote from famed economist F.A. Hayek:
“The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.”
I am making a full, print quality version of the photo available for those interested. The photo is Create Commons attribution, non-commercial, share-alike licensed, although my poster is heavily modified using a lomography effect.. Therefore the poster or image cannot be sold, and the attribution must stay intact.
In addition, I am making the “Curious task of economics” typography I designed available in a .PSD document. This will make it easy to create your own poster by adding a photo of your choice behind my text. Please ensure any photos used are appropriately licensed.
Full resolution Hayek quote poster.
“Curious task of economics” typography PSD
Enjoy! I’m excited to see the results!
-Chris
Announcing TMGrayLaw.com
I’m excited to announce my most recent web site projct, TMGrayLaw.com. Thomas M. Gray is a licensed attorney based right here in San Diego. He practices law throughout Southern California, focusing on general law, real estate law, personal injury, criminal law and pro bono issues, among other disciplines.
Mr Gray’s web site features clean lines, soft gradients, with visual focuses on the San Diego skyline and a beautiful shade of blue.
The most valuable aspect of Mr. Gray’s web presence lies in the announcements section, which provides him tools to self-publish articles on his own. These articles keep his site fresh and up to date, provide valuable information to the community, and establish Thomas as an expert in his field.
Mr. Gray’s website acts not only as a brochure for potential and current clients to learn about him, but as an interactive community that draws visitors and keeps them coming back.
Working hard? Attract the attention your blog or website deserves!
I recently received an email from a fellow Chris, who runs an interesting and fun to read website about camping in Mexico. It was clear Chris pours lots of time and energy into sharing his experiences with the world, and was looking to me to help attract more visitors. Here is what I told him.
Driving traffic to your website is a large project and is the responsibility of both the web designer and the content producer.
Here is what you can do.
The first step is all about improving traffic via search engine visitors. Some of this work you can do yourself, I’ll share how.
Write content with search engine traffic in mind. You won’t need a drastic change to your writing style, but changing a few habits can yield high search rankings more visitors.
Begin by determining what search phrases you expect potential visitors might use to find your website. Yours might be “camping in Mexico” or “boondocking tips” for example. Next, work those phrases into your writing where possible, especially in your headlines. This will connect your web site with phrases people are searching for who might be interested in what you have to say.
Another way to drive traffic is building relationships with other bloggers and people online who might want to share your website with their friends. You can comment on other blogs, join and post on forum related to your subject matter, offer to write guest posts on other blogs, or feature interesting people in articles on your own blog.
How I can help drive traffic 
As a designer focused on search engine optimization, I am familiar with current methods for building websites which make pages easier for search engines to see. My sites are subsequently ranked more prominently in search results, which yields more traffic.
I focus on building professional, sharp looking, search engine optimized blogs and websites.
If you’d like, I can also help relationship / link building and copy writing.
There you have it. If you’re interested in talking more about how I can help, please let me know.
-Chris Bauer
Top 4 qualities to look for in an online marketer and web designer
Let me begin by saying that all of the qualities in this list are not going to be that your new web designer’s name must be Chris Bauer. I’m in the business of helping people. I want to be sure that the services I provide and the way that I do so will help you and that your endeavors succeed. So let me get to the first point.
1. Make sure your web designer is in the business of helping people.
(Ha!) Seriously though, some business owners will be more interested in signing up clients before getting around to asking about needs. If somebody pressures you to sign on the dotted line before they know they can help, move on. A good designer will only be as satisfied as their client, so make sure that’s their goal.
2. A good designer makes beautiful websites on the outside.
Ok, this one is probably obvious. This is the most fun part of choosing a designer. Look at their portfolio and make sure their past projects look like something you want to put your name on. Your online presence defines a large part of your identity, it’s important to look professional and convey your own unique image.
3. A good designer makes beautiful websites on the inside.
Learning if a potential web designer writes good code may not be a simple task for someone without a lot of online experience. There are however a few important reasons to demand clean, what we call standards compliant code for your project.
The first is longevity. The web changes over time, and you don’t want to be stuck with a poorly coded site that looks jumbly. The web will move on, and standards code will last the longest. Code is also important is because bad code creates designer lock-in. You don’t know how long you’ll be working with your designer. If she moves to Budapest a month after the work is completed, you might need to bring in someone else and implement changes. If the code isn’t up to standards, a new designer may have a harder, and therefore more expensive job of interpreting and modifying it.
One quick way anyone can check a website (or a designer’s previous website) is to plug the web address into this W3C form. These are the guys who write the rules to the Internet, and the form will spit back how many errors, if any, are in the code. A handful of errors might have a good reason, but any more will generally throw up a red flag. When in doubt, ask.
4. Patience, people skills, and time.
You’re going to be working with your designer a lot, giving ideas, feed back, asking for changes, and so on. Being able to work well together will make the process much more pleasant. They’ll also need to have the time for you. Ask a designer about his or her policy on revisions. If they seem strict and you’re the kind of person who changes your mind about things, that might not be the best fit.
Conclusion
I hope having a list of important things to look for, written by a designer, helps in your search. Just make sure your designer, whoever they are, is working with you to determine your goals and help you meet them. Besides answering them, a good designer also asks lots of questions.
-Chris
The best equalizer settings
These are the best equalizer settings. Of course, different genres can be best heard with different Eqs, but these are the best sounding all around that I’ve found.
And for the record, the most versatile and fun to use player out there is Amarok.
Fun with textures
My family and I recently visited the ghost town of Jerome, AZ, on a trip to our neighboring state to the east. It’s a charming town, and not as touristy as I feared. Jerome’s location, nuzzled into the side of a hill, provided scenic views to the desert below. In between landscape photos that soon filled my camera’s memory card, I found myself admiring scenes that attracted less attention from other visitors.
I fell in love with the beautifully worn walls and sidewalks, often in dark, untouched corners of town. Nature elegantly and randomly deteriorated these places over the years, leave a unique design that no human can recreate. They serve an important function when designing natural, organic looking images.
Textures can be used in many cases, including logos, abstract art, photo manipulations, and more. So if I’m ever caught staring at the side of a building, there might just be a reason.
Enjoy a safe, beautiful, Internet experience with your web browser
Hello! I’m here today to talk about web browsers, and how they change the way you surf the Internet.
When I first got into web design, I learned one piece of information about that surprised the heck out of me: not all web browsers display web pages the same. The Internet is constantly evolving, and changing with it are the browsers we use. As the Internet grows, web browsers develop new ways of viewing and interacting with content, and new ways of keeping people safe.
Not only do they change over time, but browser makers create unique browsers among themselves, the same way car companies create different kinds of cars.
The end result is an array of web browsers both old and new, each made with different features and tendencies. I recommend using either the Firefox browser, or Google’s Chrome. Both are available for Windows and Macintosh, and provide a fast, modern Internet experience that will also look beautiful.
One browser, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, is generally the least reliable option. If you currently use Internet Explorer and can do so , I suggest making the switch to one of the browsers mentioned above. If this is not possible, it is a good idea to stay upgraded with the latest version of Internet Explorer.
If an upgrade is not an option, don’t fret! There’s a solution! Simply use Google Chrome from inside Internet Explorer. Follow this link to learn more and install Google Chrome Frame.
These suggestions will provide the best, safest browsing possible. Enjoy! -Chris
Featured in Web Designer Depot
I’m happy to announce that my Old Ironsides photo was featured by Web Designer Depot as a striking example of grunge photography.
In addition to web and graphic design, I am an avid photographer. I enjoy taking photos during important and meaningful times in my life, then processing them in Photoshop to further express my emotion. It’s a wonderful outlet for me, and provides practice developing skills to meet the ever expanding needs of clients.
My websites save you time and money
One of my most often requested design services is to create websites that clients, can modify and operate on their own. I’ve heard horror stories of designers and agencies who, once a website is completed, become difficult to get a hold of to make changes or updates. If a client wants to update their store hours, contact number, or perhaps the “about us” page, what should be quick and painless becomes a long, drawn out process.
For my clients, this isn’t an issue. If you can use Microsoft Word, you can update your Chris Bauer website, from your own computer, in minutes! How? Through the awesomeness that is the WordPress content management system.
WordPress is online software, similar to Yahoo or Google Mail, that helps users easily update and modify your own web content.
I’ll provide you with a web url, a user name and password, which you use to log in. Once logged in, you’ll be presented with the tools to modify as much or as little of your site as you like.
Depending on your preferences, you can add additional pages, such as a “directions” page, or add extra features to a product description.
There is a down side to all this power. There is no need to hire a designer! Just let me know what important before we begin the process, and you’ll be able to completely overhaul your own site, leaving me or another design professional out of the picture.
The reason I offer this service is because I want clients to gain as much out of our relationship as possible. To me, a happy, empowered client is a lot more important than a bit of extra design work.
Of course, you won’t be left alone to learn this system. I’ll be there to lend as much support as is needed. Just give me a call.
About Me
I have a passion for creating designs that clearly deliver your message to your customers. Clean, sharp, and professional, my designs will project the image you're looking for.
I have a variety of experience in different mediums. I make websites, brand identities, business cards, fliers, one sheets, even CD and book covers.
I am born, raised, and living in San Diego, CA. When I'm not working, I enjoy playing the drums, guitar, reading and writing about baseball, and running along the cliffs.
I am available for work on a freelance basis. Please contact me with any questions you might have.
-Chris