Modern Website Design with WordPress Curriculum

This curriculum is designed for individuals with beginner to intermediate knowledge of WordPress who want to learn how to create sleek, modern websites that stand out in today’s online landscape. Through a combination of theoretical knowledge, practical exercises, and real-world examples, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to build stunning websites for yourself or your clients.

Module 1: Modern Design Principles & Trends

• Understanding the fundamentals of web design: Visual hierarchy, color theory, typography, negative space, responsive design.

• Exploring current design trends: Flat design, minimalism, micro-interactions, bold colors, custom illustrations, dynamic layouts.

• Analyzing successful websites: Identify design elements that contribute to user engagement and conversion.

• Designing for different screen sizes: Understanding responsive design principles and best practices.

Module 2: WordPress Theme Selection and Customization

• Choosing the right WordPress theme: Free vs. premium themes, theme features to consider, compatibility with plugins.
• Customizing theme appearance: Using the WordPress theme customizer, editing fonts, colors, layouts, and images.
• Building a child theme: Maintaining theme updates while preserving customizations.
• Advanced theme customization: Using CSS and theme hooks to create unique design elements.

Module 3: Essential WordPress Plugins for Modern Design

• Page builders: Elementor, Divi, Brizy – Building custom page layouts using drag-and-drop interfaces.
• Form builders: Gravity Forms, WPForms – Creating beautiful and functional contact forms, subscription forms, etc.
• Image optimization plugins: Smush, Imagify – Reducing image file sizes for faster loading times.
• SEO plugins: Yoast SEO, Rank Math – Optimizing your website content for search engines.
• Social media plugins: Smash Balloon, Social Snap – Integrating social sharing buttons and feeds.

Module 4: Building Modern Website Elements

• Hero sections: Creating impactful first impressions with captivating visuals and clear calls to action.
• Featured content sliders/carousels: Showcasing key content in a dynamic and engaging way.
• Parallax scrolling: Adding depth and visual interest to your website’s sections.
• Custom icons and illustrations: Enhancing your website’s visual identity and brand experience.
• Animations and micro-interactions: Adding subtle animations to improve user engagement.

Module 5: Optimizing for Performance and Conversion

• Website speed optimization: Caching plugins, image compression, minification, optimizing website assets.
• Mobile-friendliness testing and optimization: Using tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Conversion rate optimization (CRO): A/B testing different design elements and calls to action to improve conversions.
• Analytics and tracking: Setting up Google Analytics to understand website traffic and user behavior.