There are reasons people know me as a WordPress Designer - other than the fact that I’ve written the book on it. I’ve been developing/designing WordPress sites since 2003 - - and I think in blog time, that’s almost ancient. Occasionally, however, I do get requests for designs on different platforms (like Movable Type, Typepad, Blogger, etc). Rarely - - and I do mean very rarely, I get an order for an Expression Engine site. I think in the 5 years I’ve been doing this - I can count on one hand how many orders I get for Expression Engine design. I don’t think that reflects the popularity of WordPress over Expression Engine, really - I think it reflects my services, mostly. People who know me, and seek me out, get the impression that I’m a WordPress gal. Which I am, make no mistake - but let’s face it - - I’m a designer and I work within whatever platform my client needs.
Because of the lack of Expression Engine requests I’ve received, I never really got into the program all that much, if at all. There was just no need to - and, quite honestly, no time for me to really dig in. And if I wasn’t getting the requests - - then I needed to focus on the areas that required my attention.
Recently, I was kind of forced into a site design for an existing Expression Engine site. I say ‘forced’ like it’s a bad thing — and it’s not. Let’s just say that certain circumstances happened and I was pulled, kicking and screaming, into learning the guts of a program that I’d never really taken a long look at before, due to an extreme lack of time to be able to devote to really learning it as well as I know some of the other platforms out there.
I finished the site today (whew!) and had a lot of fun learning the program. If you want to visit the site I just launched using Expression Engine - her name is Jade and her site is Jaded Sunburns. It was a learning curve for me - but stands in defiance to the old adage: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”.
Jade already had several templates built on her Expression Engine site, and she uses a theme switcher to let you, the reader, decide which theme you want to view. Having those other templates already built in were a nice guide and I would be totally remiss if I didn’t give credit where credit is due to Danalynn - her original coding for the previous, existing templates were a huge help and sent me off into the right direction. (*hugs* Danalynn)
Jade uses some custom features on her blog, that aren’t necessarily inherent to Expression Engine, like:
- Theme Switching
- Private Posts
- Social Bookmarking (an installed Module)
- Tagging (an installed Module)
- Polls (and installed Module)
- Static Pages (another Module)
- Plugins, such as: Twitter Timeline, Magpie, Who’s Online, and more
Things like static pages and private posts are something WordPress does on the fly - so that was a bit different for me. And on 9/24 - WordPress will release the final version of 2.3 that will do Tagging on the fly, as well.
Expression Engine is very feature rich, with built in modules for a Photo Gallery, Forums, E-Commerce, and more. I’m happy to add Expression Engine Design to my repertoire of services offered at E.Webscapes. At my core, though - I’m still a WordPress girl at heart ♥
8:24 pm on September 1st, 2007
It looks AMAZING! Fantastic job - I can’t even tell that it was a rushed project or a less familiar platform. It looks phenomenal.
8:33 pm on September 1st, 2007
Thanks, Linds - it was a fun one
8:33 pm on September 1st, 2007
You’ll always be the Wordpress Girl that I ♥!
It looks fabulous (even if you did step out on me).
9:03 pm on September 1st, 2007
I would never step out on you sweetie
And thanks - - pink is fun!
11:02 pm on September 1st, 2007
I know you’re a wordpress girl at heart, but the way that you jumped right in there, head first and did such a phenomenal job with my theme (and with walking in Dana’s shoes!) is truly a testiment to your grace and your amazing talents as a designer! I’m so glad to have been the one to pop your EE learning cherry, so to speak!
I really can’t thank you enough!
11:15 pm on September 1st, 2007
Jade - it really was a blast
And what better way to get my EE cherry popped than with shades of pink? 
11:56 pm on September 1st, 2007
It was my pleasure! And Dana doubts the power of pink! pffft
12:04 am on September 2nd, 2007
One day, Dana will embrace the pink. You and I will have to work on her *conspire*
2:07 pm on September 3rd, 2007
Fabulous Lisa! Great job. I am really looking forward to checking out your book once it is available - cuz I’m a WordPress girl too - that can also be coerced into working with other platforms as needed.
3:26 pm on September 3rd, 2007
Thanks, Char! I can be cajoled into working with other programs, as needed - - but its like stepping outside of my safety net lol
4:32 pm on September 3rd, 2007
testing comments in ie
4:34 pm on September 3rd, 2007
Death to pink!!!!!!!!1111eleventyone
9:05 pm on September 3rd, 2007
@Dana - you’re very bitter on the whole pink thing. What did pink ever do to you?
11:15 am on September 4th, 2007
I have to say that was really nice layout. I think it is always good to expand the programs you learn since you never know where the money may come from next.
12:16 pm on September 4th, 2007
Thank you very much, Amanda. And you’re right - it is a good thing to broaden your horizons and gain experience with several applications.. you just never know when that knowledge will come in handy
1:21 pm on September 4th, 2007
You’re welcome! My mother bought your book since wordpress complete was a little too advanced for her. She enjoys it so far! I wonder how you can write a dummies book! tell me the details!
1:38 pm on September 4th, 2007
Writing a dummies book isn’t as easy as it seems (or as I first thought it would be)
Lots of hard work, research, editing and re-editing - - but it’s been fun 
(psst.. my book isn’t published yet - - it goes to print in about a week. Maybe your mom is reading a different book?
1:45 pm on September 4th, 2007
Oh poop. She preordered yours and is using the other one my friend recommended. sorry about that. haha I get her books confused.
2:04 pm on September 4th, 2007
Heh - so many books, so little time, I always say
2:34 pm on September 4th, 2007
You’re telling me. I do book reviews on Pajama Mommy and I have at least a stack of 50 books I have to read. I had to hand some out to my friends since they are just waiting and I feel bad for the publishing companies who give them to me but I’m like omg. I can’t read this many books in a month ahhaa I wish I could!
11:28 pm on September 6th, 2007
There are so many blogging platforms nowadays and it’s occasionally hard to familiarize with them, since each has their own unique way and all.
6:55 am on December 17th, 2007
it is said that you are a beauty as an WP-er
and i am specailly coming .