Tutorials – Learning Composr

Tutorials

About Face 3: The Essentials of Interaction Design

Rating:
By:
Alan Cooper
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Expert
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

Effective and practical tools you need to design great desktop applications, Web 2.0 sites, and mobile devices.

The Design of Everyday Things

Rating:
By:
Donald A. Norman
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we try to figure out the shower control in a hotel or attempt to navigate an unfamiliar television set or stove. When The Design of Everyday Things was published in 1988, cognitive scientist Don Norman provocatively proposed that the fault lies not in ourselves, but in design that ignores the needs and psychology of people.

HTML5: The Missing Manual

Rating:
By:
Matthew MacDonald
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

HTML5 is more than a markup language -- it's a collection of several independent web standards. Fortunately, this expanded guide covers everything you need in one convenient place.

Mobile design

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
May 1st 2015
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

This tutorial explains both Composr's mobile mode and responsive design techniques.

Install a Theme in Composr

Rating:
By:
Steve Jarvis, Sponsored by Arvixe hosting
Added:
February 1st 2014
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

This tutorial shows how to install a third party theme on your website.

Supplementary web technologies (media, social networking, etc)

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
August 1st 2008
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

This tutorial will explain and detail some of the features of web technologies that are often forgotten.

Designed for Use: Create Usable Interfaces for Applications and the Web

Rating:
By:
Lukas Mathis
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

Explanations of how to make usability the cornerstone of every point in your design process, walking you through the necessary steps to plan the design for an application or website, test it, and get usage data after the design is complete. He shows you how to focus your design process on the most important thing: helping people get things done, easily and efficiently.

Helping improve site accessibility for disabled users

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
August 1st 2008
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

We discuss how to ensure your website remains accessible to people with disabilities (Composr meets WCAG out-of-the-box).

Theme Lifecycle

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
November 1st 2014
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

How the files in a theme are managed, from initial theme creation, through upgrades.

Fixed-width layouts

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
August 1st 2008
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

A very practical tutorial showing how to created a fixed-width layout, and how to change the site header.

Designer themes, implementing a clean-room design

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
February 1st 2011
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

This tutorial is a deep-end introduction to Composr for web designers.

Changing the login block in the header

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Video
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

Themeing tutorial, putting the login block into the header. Note that this was for an older version so is quite outdated.

CSS3: The Missing Manual

Rating:
By:
David Sawyer McFarland
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

CSS3 lets you create professional-looking websites, but learning its finer points can be tricky -- even for seasoned web developers. This Missing Manual shows you how to take your HTML and CSS skills to the next level, with valuable tips, tricks, and step-by-step instructions.

Universal Principles of Design

Rating:
By:
William Lidwell
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

115 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions and Teach Through Design. The first comprehensive, cross-disciplinary encyclopedia of design.

Changing the ocPortal header image

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Video
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

A live themeing tutorial showing how to change the page header. Note that this was for an older version so is very outdated.

Customising Your Composr Website's Design

Rating:
By:
Steve Jarvis, Sponsored by Arvixe hosting
Added:
April 1st 2013
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

How knowledgeable you are in CSS and HTML will determine how detailed a customisation you will be able to make. This tutorial aims to make it easier to find your way around the files you need to edit.

Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability

Rating:
By:
Steve Krug
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

Since Don't Make Me Think was first published in 2000, hundreds of thousands of Web designers and developers have relied on usability guru Steve Krug's guide to help them understand the principles of intuitive navigation and information design. Witty, commonsensical, and eminently practical, it's one of the best-loved and most recommended books on the subject.

HTML & CSS: Design and Build Web Sites

Rating:
By:
Jon Duckett
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

A full-color introduction to the basics of HTML and CSS.

Using Chrome development tools to help with themeing

Rating:
By:
Raji (ocProducts)
Added:
September 1st 2015
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

This tutorial shows how to use the Google Chrome developer tools to help you with your themeing.

Themes 201 - building a totally new design

Rating:
By:
Allen Ellis (ocProducts)
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Video
Difficulty:
Expert
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

A live themeing tutorial showing how to build a totally new design. Note that this was for an older version so is very outdated.

Themeing your site

Rating:
By:
Allen Ellis (ocProducts)
Added:
August 1st 2008
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

Our key themeing tutorial - how to re-theme your site, by changing CSS, templates, and theme images.

JavaScript: The Definitive Guide

Rating:
By:
David Flanagan
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Expert
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

A programmer's guide and comprehensive reference to the core language and to the client-side JavaScript APIs defined by web browsers.

Introduction to web design

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
May 1st 2009
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

This tutorial is an introduction to the artistic side of web design.

The Design of Sites: Patterns for Creating Winning Websites

Rating:
By:
Douglas K. van Duyne
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

The definitive reference for the principles, patterns, methodologies, and best practices underlying exceptional Web design. If you are involved in the creation of dynamic Web sites, this book will give you all the necessary tools and techniques to create effortless end-user Web experiences, improve customer satisfaction, and achieve a balanced approach to Web design.

Tempcode programming

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
September 1st 2008
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

You'll be shocked at how much themeing control you can muster using Tempcode. Learn all about it...

Browser version requirements

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
August 1st 2008
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

This tutorial details the browser requirements for visitors to a Composr site, determined by the CSS/XHTML/JavaScript in our default theme.

How to Change Your Favicon and Site Logo in Composr

Rating:
By:
Steve Jarvis, Sponsored by Arvixe hosting
Added:
May 1st 2013
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

There are two styling elements you will probably want to change when you begin working on your new Composr website. You will need to change the site logo and you will also need to change your website's favicon.

Making a new theme

Rating:
By:
Jean Gosselin
Added:
May 1st 2012
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

An illustrated step-by-step tutorial on making a new theme.

Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning

Rating:
By:
Dan M. Brown
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Expert
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

Successful web design teams depend on clear communication between developers and their clients -- and among members of the development team. Wireframes, site maps, flow charts, and other design diagrams establish a common language so designers and project teams can capture ideas, track progress, and keep their stakeholders informed.

Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 - Composr version 10.0 compliance

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
April 10th 2006
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

A formal description of Composr's compliancy with the ATAG accessibility standard.

Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things

Rating:
By:
Donald A. Norman
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

Did you ever wonder why cheap wine tastes better in fancy glasses? Why sales of Macintosh computers soared when Apple introduced the colorful iMac? New research on emotion and cognition has shown that attractive things really do work better, as Donald Norman amply demonstrates in this fascinating book.

The Laws of Simplicity (Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life)

Rating:
By:
John Maeda
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

Finally, we are learning that simplicity equals sanity. But sometimes we find ourselves caught up in the simplicity paradox: we want something that's simple and easy to use, but also does all the complex things we might ever want it to do.

Themes 101 - replacing the header

Rating:
By:
Allen Ellis (ocProducts)
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Video
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

A live themeing tutorial showing how to change the header. Note that this was for an older version so is quite outdated.

Guide to web technologies (including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript)

Rating:
By:
Philip Withnall (ocProducts)
Added:
May 1st 2009
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

This tutorial is an introduction to the main standard web technologies that Composr is built upon.

Releasing a theme

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
August 1st 2008
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Regular
Tutorial type:
Core documentation
Tags:

A short tutorial explaining how to share a theme with other Composr webmasters, by exporting it as an addon.

JavaScript & jQuery

Rating:
By:
David Sawyer McFarland
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Expert
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

JavaScript lets you supercharge your web pages with animation, interactivity, and visual effects, but learning the language isn't easy. This fully updated and expanded guide takes you step-by-step through JavaScript basics, then shows you how to save time and effort with jQuery.

Inline editing in Composr

Rating:
By:
Chris Graham (ocProducts)
Added:
January 1st 2018
Edited:
Today
Difficulty:
Expert
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

An explanation of how the inline editing functionality deep within Composr works.

Graphic Design School: The Principles and Practices of Graphic Design

Rating:
By:
David Dabner
Added:
July 8th 2024
Media type:
Book
Difficulty:
Novice
Tutorial type:
Auxillary
Tags:

Packed with practical guidance and beautifully illustrated throughout, Graphic Design School provides a solid foundation for the design student as well as offering a back-to-basics tool for more advanced designers in search of solutions to graphic problems.

Need better information?

The Composr documentation is user-driven:

  • If you have found documentation problems that you'd like someone else to solve log an issue to the tracker.
  • If you'd like to contribute a chunk of documentation to go into a tutorial, also log an issue to the tracker.
  • If you want to contribute a new tutorial you can submit a link.