Introduction to Wordpress

1. Introduction to Wordpress
City Lab @ CWE
Dr. Karen Gregory
Fall 2014

2. Agenda
• What type of site would you like to create? Class site?
Personal site? Portfolio?
• Create a site and sign up for Wordpress, write down
your log in
• Settings
• Design Basics and Themes
• Pages (Adding Media)
• Posts
• Categories
• Menus
• Q & A

3. Using Wordpress in a Class
• As a course site: Set up basic site to provide
course materials
• As a course blog: Students learn the basics of
WP and begin to post writing.
• As a portfolio: Curating work, media,
embedding media
• As a collaborative website: Final project for
Unseen New York

4. http://wordpress.com

5. Sign up, check email

6. Set Visibility

7. Create Free Blog

8. Set Permissions

9. Settings

10. Check Blog Theme

11. Tour the Dashboard

12. Adjust Site Theme

13. Explore Themes
(Note Free Category)

14. Things to consider when designing
• Overall appearance and layout
• How will the site be used?
• Who will use the site?
• Does the theme host a customizable header?
• Does the theme host a menu?
Themes can be changed at any time without
losing content. See details: Click Theme Details
To choose: Click Activate

15. Customize

16. Quick Way to Set Basic Design

17. Set Appearance (then check site)

18. You now have a basic site…
• You want to add content. Pages or Posts?
• Pages are intended for static content (for
example, an “About Page”)
• Posts are intended for a continual flow of
information, like a blog. They will update
chronologically.
• Let’s create a page: “About X”
• Your theme may already come with a page, you
can edit or delete.
• Go into Dashboard: Pages: All Pages

19. Pages: All Pages: Create or Edit a Page

20. Add Media (Images, PDF)

21. Add Media (Select Files)

22. Select Files, Title, and Size

23. Insert Into Page

24. Submit, Discussion, Shares

25. Create and Edit a Post

26. Creating Categories

27. Category
• Once you’ve created a category, you will see
this label (on the right) as a clickable option
each time you create a page or post.
• Categories will organize, by theme or key
word, the content of your site.

28. Home Page: Pages or Posts?
• Now that you have some content, you will
have to set your home page (what visitors will
see when they arrive at your site.)
• Go to Settings: Readings to decide if your
home page is a “Page” or “Your Latest Posts”

29. Creating a Menu