Best features to look for

Best features to look for

by Kevin Westbrook -
Number of replies: 10

I hope I can keep this reasonably short!

I have gone through the process of looking for the best theme for my needs. I am pretty much bored with every theme being "beautiful" and "smooth" and all the other adjectives that seem to be used in every description. For reasons that are not important here, I think I need to change my theme, so I thought I would search in a different way.

A bit of background. I am a one-man-band offering training to individuals and small groups in the area of language learning and teaching. The site is pretty much empty apart from one course so far, which is still in development, so it is a blank canvas really. It has never been used for live training, so I have complete flexibility to change things. I am no programmer, but I am happy playing with little bits of CSS and HTML, preferably with instructions. I might need to tailor courses for certain customers in terms of look, with their own logo for example.

My question is really about what are the best features to look for in a theme? What really makes a difference? What isn't really useful? Or should I just go for Boost because it is well developed and presumably bullet-proof? Happy to hear of example themes, but I am most interested in features in general rather than a theme recommendation.

Hope that makes sense and I look forward to any input.

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In reply to Kevin Westbrook

Re: Best features to look for

by Rick Jerz -
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Do you like your car painted white, blue, or red?

If you are new to Moodle, consider sticking with the standard Boost theme. Get used to Moodle first, then worry about making it look better later. This is my simple advice. Yes, I understand that sometimes beauty comes before functionality.
Average of ratings: Useful (2)
In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Best features to look for

by Richard Oelmann -
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Very much in line with what Rick has said, it really sin't possible for someone else to tell you what theme features you will find useful. Do you need Adaptable's marketing spots? Do you like Moove's improved navigation pane? Do you want simplicity both of management and of UI? Do you need RTL support for your language teaching?
The best option i can suggest is to add a few to your site (preferably a test site) and see what they look like.
For your use case, you may also want to take a close look at course formats such as grid or tiles, or many others, to enhance the look and feel and navigation of the course itself.
Richard
Average of ratings: Useful (1)
In reply to Richard Oelmann

Re: Best features to look for

by Kevin Westbrook -
Thanks both of you. I have been playing with Moodle almost since it started, but I don't consider myself anything near an expert. Richard, that last bit is what I am after. I know you can't say what I need, but I am looking for things that other people have found useful and what they have just found as extra baggage. I have never dived deep into themes , so there will be things that I know nothing about and you don't find in those silly descriptions about how beautiful the theme is. I don't find that adding the theme and looking at it really helps me, because I can't afford the time it would take to test drive everything in every theme that attracts my attention.
I drive a Volvo XC90. Even some salespeople don't know about the great little storage area under the rear of the load space. And you don't find it with a test drive. That's why I was looking for the "I love this feature because XYZ". I was hoping that it would help not only me but also others looking for this kind of information.
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In reply to Kevin Westbrook

Re: Best features to look for

by Rick Jerz -
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Kevin, consider doing all of your experimenting in a Moodle "sandbox."

MoodleMoot2019 (Global and Mountain), "How to Install a “Sandbox” Moodle on Your Windows PC/Mac"

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In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Best features to look for

by Kevin Westbrook -
Thanks for the response Rick. I have had a XAMP/WAMP setup on my PC for a long time. The point is that it takes the same amount of time to check out and there are things that you will never discover until you have actually run courses with it for a while. The comfort of the Volvo seats after 8 hours of driving isn't something you find out from a test drive. That is why I am interested in people's own insights into what has been really beneficial for them. That would be useful for many people and they can decide whether it is something that they might want too.
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In reply to Kevin Westbrook

Re: Best features to look for

by Rick Jerz -
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Yes, one can practice a lot before implementing a feature, and then when put into production a surprise happens. Your question is a fair one.

When you narrow your selection down to two or three choices, then do a thorough search of those themes in Moodle.org to see what others have said. You can probably narrow your search down to the last year. Also, I would recommend a theme that currently supports Moodle 3.10.

I too am a one-man-band. I am the instructor, so my focus is more on functionality and not pretty (social media-like) graphics. So I use Boost, with my own CSS modification, to get a unique, yet simple result.

My guess is that you know how to apply CSS.

Also, realize that "themes" are a moving target.  There appear to be some significant changes planned for Moodle 4.0, to be released later this year.
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In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Best features to look for

by Kevin Westbrook -
The point about Moodle 4.0 is something I also noticed as I was looking around, and it concerns me a little that I might put some effort into tailoring a theme that someone then decides they can't develop any more due to some changes in the requirements. That happened with Firefox some years ago with plugins and led to me moving away from that browser.

I am quite taken by Fordson at the moment, although I have only looked at some videos, but it seems to be very easy to change the look quite significantly simply by changing some settings. I want my Moodle to look professional but that's all.

I am certainly only looking at themes that support 3.10. I have seen a couple, including ones recommended quite recently, that haven't really been developed since the early version 3 times.

Thanks for your input Rick.
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In reply to Kevin Westbrook

Re: Best features to look for

by Rick Jerz -
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Fordson is very popular, and Chris does a great job maintaining it. He did a great presentation at MountainMoot a year ago. (I got to finally meet Chris in person.) I did see a post by Chris about Moodle 4.0, and I recall him saying that he liked some of the theme improvements in 4.0. My guess is that Chris will probably someday have a Fordson2, or Fordson4, when Moodle 4 is released. If you like Forson, continue watching for posts from "Chris Kenniburg." He frequently hangs out here on Moodle.org, and he's a great resource.
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In reply to Kevin Westbrook

Re: Best features to look for

by Emma Richardson -
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The most important thing you want to look for is how well is the theme maintained - does it have frequent updates, do the developers regularly post on the forums etc....then it is just a matter of finding that you like and fits your needs...
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In reply to Emma Richardson

Re: Best features to look for

by Kevin Westbrook -
I agree completely Emma, and Rick's last response has pushed me in the direction of Fordson for precisely those reasons. Fingers crossed!
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