DotNetNuke® Websites: Problem — Design — Solution

Chapter 4. Preparing the Design and Creating an HTML-Based Skin Package

As you learned in the previous chapter, creating a website design for DNN is very similar to creating a traditional website design, while adding some special components that turn a static, lifeless web page into an intuitive, dynamic environment. Indeed, a feature-rich, dynamic environment takes the ability to edit and maintain a website to a whole new level. This type of web environment is becoming the standard type of website experience expected by many website owners today. While the final destination is entirely different, the path to prepare a finished website design for DNN remains the same. You start with an image editor, such as Photoshop, to develop a design/proof of concept. Then, you slice up the design to create the necessary individual images for use in HTML files and export them for coding in an HTML editor. Finally, you use an HTML editor, such as Dreamweaver, to create HTML-based code that represents the necessary files in a given skin package. This process requires various skills, but it is a process that can be learned efficiently with a little knowledge of Photoshop and Dreamweaver.