About the Genesis Theme Framework

The Genesis Theme Framework is built on a simple vanilla blog-type parent theme, and can be extended with the use of child themes. Each child theme will come with it’s own home file, which will make extending the parent theme very easy. It will also have it’s own functions file as well. In addition, we’ve built some custom widgets that will make adding content much easier on the User.

Here’s a List of Custom Widgets We’ve Built

• My Tweets – displays an unordered list of your latest Tweets (view widget)
• User Profile – displays the Gravatar of a user, as well as their biography and a link to an about page (view widget)
• eNews & Updates – displays an opt-in box for users to sign up for delivery of your posts by email (view widget)
• Featured Posts – displays post excerpts and a thumbnail to be used in a homepage featured section (view widget)
• Featured Page – displays page excerpts and a thumbnail to be used in a homepage featured section (view widget)

The Genesis Theme Framework Marketplace

We are also in the preliminary stages of the Genesis Theme Framework marketplace, which will allow designers to develop/sell child themes here on StudioPress. You can take a look to see what a featured Designer page will look like. There are two ways to be involved in the Genesis Theme Marketplace:

1. Designers can submit PSD designs, which StudioPress will be responsible for coding
2. Developers can submit full child themes, which we will review for code compatibility, efficiency, etc

Now’s the Time to Become (or Upgrade to) Our Pro-Plus Membership

If you have been sitting on the fence about becoming an All Themes Pro-Plus member here at StudioPress, now’s the time – as of Monday February 8th, we will be increasing our package to $249.95. Until then, we will be maintaining our current $199.95 price – which is a complete steal if you think about it. With the launch of the Genesis Theme Framework, and a number of child themes in development, you won’t find a better bargain. And oh, did I mention that the Pro-Plus membership includes access to and support for all StudioPress current and future themes/child themes, too?

BuddyPress Add-Ons Currently in Beta Testing

We’re very happy to say that WPMU/BuddyPress gurus Ron and Andrea Rennick will be developing “add-on” packages that can be purchased/supported at Premium BuddyPress Themes. We felt that made sense, since they both have extensive knowledge with the software and how it can be implemented. You can sign up to test-drive the Genesis theme framework/BuddyPress integration over at their site.

How About Some Customizations?

Even through the beta testing of the Genesis Theme Framework, some of us have used it to launch new site designs. Chris Ford, of Creativity Included and myself have both redesigned our sites with it. Take a look:

Here are some of the preliminary ideas we have. Designers/developers can provide designs/child themes that will be sold in the Genesis marketplace (available to StudioPress customers on StudioPress.com and in the Genesis “Purchase Themes” menu page).

There will be two ways to be involved in the Genesis theme marketplace:

1. Designers can submit PSD designs, which StudioPress will be responsible for coding
2. Developers can submit full child themes, which we will review for code compatibility, efficiency, etc

If you choose to do so…

• The StudioPress team must approve all designs, therefore your design must be on par with our themes, and be approved as StudioPress caliber before we add it to the marketplace.
• StudioPress will evaluate, and likely modify, your code to be fully compliant with the Genesis API, web coding standards, and proper SEO.
• StudioPress will provide support for all themes sold on the marketplace. Developers do not have to provide support.
• StudioPress and the individual will split the earnings from single theme sales, with a majority of the sale going to the individual. (exact revenue share to be determined)
• As part of your agreement, you cannot sell Genesis child themes on your own site. You must sell exclusively via the Genesis marketplace. But feel free to send traffic from your site to the Genesis marketplace or to individual child theme sales pages to boost sales.
• The benefits of being on the marketplace, as opposed to selling child themes on your own site, is of course — traffic & exposure, and also, the fact that StudioPress will provide support for your theme.

OR … If you choose to sell/give away Genesis child themes on your own site, please note:

• We ask that you link back to StudioPress (with affiliate links) to encourage people to purchase Genesis
• We ask that you make it clear that you do not work for StudioPress and are an independent developer
• We ask that you make it clear that your themes will not be supported by StudioPress

If you play by the rules, and we think your work is good, we’ll be happy to add you to a directory of “additional Genesis theme framework resources”, which will be listed here on the StudioPress site. This will give a huge amount of exposure to developers who’s designs aren’t accepted into the marketplace.

And of course… these terms are subject to change, and they likely will. Just wanted to give you guys the gist of what we’re thinking with the Genesis theme marketplace.

A few very basic rules for the beta testing period and the support forum:

• We will only be providing support for Genesis through the support forums – not by email, our contact form or anything else.
• Please provide a link to the site you are using Genesis on – it’s extremely difficult to diagnose problems without seeing it in action.
• Remember that this is a beta testing period, and that there will be changes to the framework by the time alpha 1.0 comes out.
• We ask that you refrain from using beta versions of the Genesis theme framework on client sites.

If you are a Pro Plus member, you can visit the support forums and you’ll see a section for Genesis theme framework support. There you will find a thread called “Beta Test Rules & Download” where you can download a copy.

Happy testing!

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About the Genesis Theme Framework

The Genesis theme framework is built on a simple vanilla blog-type parent theme, and can be extended with the use of child themes. Each child theme will come with it’s own home file, which will make extending the parent theme very easy to do. It will also have it’s own functions file as well.

A Note to Current Users and Developers

Don’t worry, we have built the Genesis theme framework in a way that will continue making your work of customizing our themes just as easy – if not easier. Theme files will still have organic WordPress code as our theme files do now.

Why Did We Build the Genesis Theme Framework?

The answer is simple – it will allow us to create and make available a number of professionally designed themes with the ease of basing them all on one set of core files. This will make it much easier for those who use our themes.

It’s All About Making Things Easier

When we started development of the Genesis theme framework, we took into consideration that both new WordPress users and advanced WordPress developers would be using it. We have created a number of custom widgets that will make things easier to use and more customizable as well. In addition to that, we’ve also placed over 30 hooks into the theme to give advanced users and plugin developers the ability to hook into various locations throughout the theme.

Here’s a List of Custom Widgets We’ve Built

• My Tweets – displays an unordered list of your latest Tweets (view widget)
• User Profile – displays the Gravatar of a user, as well as their biography and a link to an about page (view widget)
• eNews & Updates – displays an opt-in box for users to sign up for delivery of your posts by email (view widget)
• Featured Posts – displays post excerpts and a thumbnail to be used in a homepage featured section (view widget)
• Featured Page – displays page excerpts and a thumbnail to be used in a homepage featured section (view widget)

Extending the Genesis Theme Framework

The Genesis parent theme will serve as the foundation of all of our current themes as well as new themes going forward. You’ll notice the demo site is a simple blog theme – and from there, it can be extended with the use of child themes. All child themes will include their own stylesheet, images folder, home.php file and functions.php file which will register additional widget areas and define custom post thumbnail sizes. Take a look at the Durango child theme, which will be available for purchase.

WordPress 2.9 and Post Thumbnails

With the release of WordPress 2.9, we’ve developed the Genesis theme framework to utilize default post thumbnail functionality. For a number of reasons, we have abandoned the use of Tim Thumb for displaying thumbnails, and will be in a position to easily update as WordPress works towards dynamic resizing. In the meantime, we have built in the ability to display custom thumbnail image sizing.

SEO Optimization

You honestly can’t have a great framework unless you have great SEO built in. Unfortunately for most themes, good SEO is a complex and difficult asset to build in. Fortunately for you, Genesis lays the groundwork for excellent on-site SEO. And because it’s a framework (easy and free to update), the evolving web will be met with an evolving theme, providing you with superior SEO today, tomorrow, and for years to come. Specifically …

• Site-wide SEO settings so YOU can control what you want the Search Engines to see
• In-Post SEO to give you even greater control on a per-post and per-page basis
• Semantic markup for search engine readability
• Modern, standards-compliant markup structure
• Lean code for faster search engine crawls
• An evolving SEO strategy for evolving SEO standards

Because Genesis is a framework upon which many themes will be built, as Genesis evolves, all child themes based on Genesis inherit the benefits. Everybody wins!!!

Layout Options

The Genesis theme framework comes with 3 default layout options – content/sidebar, sidebar/content and sidebar/content/sidebar. This is easily changed on the theme options page, and gives you the flexibility with all themes (Genesis parent and any child themes) to choose whichever layout you want.

Child Theme Marketplace

Once we launch the Genesis theme framework, we will be opening up a child theme marketplace – this is something that will begin as invite-only, in order for us to establish a good process with folks. Ultimately this gives designers a chance to develop child themes based on Genesis and an immediate place to market and sell themes here on StudioPress. This will operate under a revenue share, which is yet to be determined.

Genesis and BuddyPress

We’ve been asked many times if our themes are compatible with BuddyPress, and up until now – we’ve unfortunately had to say no. At this point we’re very happy to say that WPMU/BuddyPress gurus Ron and Andrea Rennick will be developing “add-on” packages that can be purchased/supported on a site of theirs. We felt that made sense, since they both have extensive knowledge with the software and how it can be implemented.

Estimated Release Timeline

The estimated tentative release date for the Genesis theme framework is February 1st, 2010 – though we are planning on making a beta version available to Pro Plus All-Theme members early/mid January for testing.

Nathan Rice Joins the StudioPress Team

Lastly – but certainly not least, I am very happy to announce that Nathan Rice is now a part of the StudioPress team. He’s been working with us since November – and together we have developed the Genesis theme framework. His main role with StudioPress will be Genesis development/support, as well as will be writing a number of plugins and widgets that we plan on releasing to the WordPress community. Nathan and I go years back, and I’m very proud to call him a team member and know that he’ll be an incredible asset to our team.