help with switching to S2

[erilyn]

Ok, I'm a lazy idiot. After years and years of the same S1 layout to my lj, it's time to embrace S2 and start using various features that I like in other peoples' journals, but have never got around to using here.

I can find various styles/layouts I kind of like, but have no idea how to customise it to what I want (mostly - simple, uncluttered, fairly uncolourful, with useful things down the side), and I'm so intimidated and overwhelmed by what I'm reading.

Help? Is there an S2 expert who could hold my hand and walk me through this?

Comments

[turlough]

I'm definitely not an expert in S2 but I do know rather a lot about one style, Flexible Squares, since I started using that when I first got my LJ account and I've kept using it ever since. I love FS, it's so versatile! If you look here you can see examples of what I've done with it over the years. What do you want your layout to do?

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I like a really clean layout, it's one of the reasons I've stuck with my current one. For instance, I quite like isilya's layout, though I'd probably have a little bit more colour, and more things down the side column (like calendar, links etc).

I do like the look of your journal. Is it possible to make the central frame wider, have less space at the sides? I'd probably want the central frame to be white with black text, I find my current formatting easy to read in that respect.

Is it possible to have the username/icon on the left on the friendspage view?

So yes, boring white central frame with black text, slightly contrasting (but nothing too distracting) background colour/pattern, header picture (something else I suspect I'd be hitting people up for *g*), side column (either left or right) with links, tags and maybe a current month calendar - does this sound like a job for Flexible Squares? :)

[turlough]

I think isilya's layout is Expressive with some individual fiddlings but it's possible to get much the same effect with Flexible Squares, like in this layout I used for kevin_daily a wile ago.

Is it possible to make the central frame wider, have less space at the sides?

Oh yes! The one I'm using now is uncommonly narrow for me because the pic I'm using for the banner wasn't possible to enlarge without making it look even crappier than it did originally.

Is it possible to have the username/icon on the left on the friendspage view?

Yup. You can chose both which side you want the sidebar and which side you want the icons on.

All your requirements are easily accomplished with FS. In the sidebar you can get a linklist, a calendar, a taglist (or cloud if you prefer that), a page summary, and a blurb with the text of your choice. And with some code fiddling you can get even more things - like the comm buttons in my sidebar.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, that layout is very good! In a different colour scheme, that's pretty much what I'd want :D

Where do I start, o wise one?

[turlough]

Well, it depends on how much in a hurry you are :-) If you can wait until after Christmas I can make you a layout exactly the way you want it but I don't have the time this week. What colour scheme do you want and do you want to stick with the default comment pages, like this one, or the fancy ones like I have?

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

After Christmas became two months later, whoops...are you still able to make me a layout? :D

I prefer the default comment page (I'm a big user of style=mine and format=light on other peoples layouts to be honest). I like black text on white background, though a border around the outside could be nice.

I like blues, aqua and royal and navy, but am happy to experiment :)

[turlough]

Of course I am! I'll see what I can come up with and get back to you in a few days. It shouldn't take to long, you don't wanting customised entry pages eliminates some of the most time consuming colour code fiddling :-) Do you want me to make you a header too and in that case do you have a picture in mind?

Btw, are you going to use multi-level tags (like I do), or just ordinary plain tags?