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[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#163892

My idealized (optimized) Magento Template

As much as I gripe about Joomlart support and templating strategies sometimes, I consider Joomlart to be much better than the bunch, and comparable to the better higher quality template creators.

This brings me to Magento because we need a good e-commerce template, “like yesterday”. But, for now I am sticking with the tried and tested VirtueMart until I feel comfortable about Magento.

The optimized Magento template I have in mind has layout features and use extensions that are currently found in different Magento templates.

Header-Navigation-Main Image

I like the clean design of the JM Galaxie or JM Deco. Nothing is cluttering the top, except what should be there– Header-Navigation-Main Image. Preferrably, the Main Navigation should span the whole width (to allow room for text resizing).

By blending the background, as black for the Header-Navigation-Main Image, the top of the page of theof the JM Galaxie or JM Deco has a more integrated, not modularized, appearance. Slight differences in the widths or height of the spotlight images will not be as glaring. This effect is achieved also in the design of the “footer” spotlight in Teline IV series, if used properly.

Main Large Animated Image

My preference here is the layout of JM Deco, but preferrably with the “Read more” navigational tool integrated with each image found in JM Mozanis.

Another alternative is the main slide show spotlight image presentation of JM EasyShop. However, I find the “previous” and “next” arrows rather tacky from an aesthetic perspective. The arrows should appear only when the visitor points at the slideshow image.

Featured products or product categories.

Here, I like the three-position (full width span) shown in JM Sulfur (just below the Main Spotlight Image). The modules here have the features of the “Hot Topic” used in Teline II. Very compact. These three-position modules would be more useful if the images (or products) in each of these modules can be randomized.

A similar three-position modules (full width span) should also be placed at the bottom, just above the footer. See my proposed revisions in the JA Mesolite II forum. It will take time to create, but if the contents placed in such modules can be randomized, more stuff can be shown in a very compact real estate of a website.

Featured Products List.

This should be randomizable also, just like in JA Mesolite II to allow more products presented in the same number of rows-columns (and make the site more dynamic as opposed to static websites (until the webmaster replaces the contents fo the Featured Products List).

No more than three columns and three or four rows, anything more would be too crowded and appear cluttered.

Content (Position) Background

Among the JM templates, I like the large image format used in JM Deco but my preference is a white background for the Contents position. White text on white background strains the eyes. Moreover, one has less choices on what colors to use for text to make them easily readable in a black background. “White” background trumps anything else when there is a lot of text.

Framing. The Products list in JM Sulfur uses black text on white background. To minimize the glaring impact of differences in image sizes and text content for each product, one thing that could be done is to place borders to frame the image and text for each product. A good example of this is an old e-commerce template by GavickPro (in a salute to Joomlart, GavickPro uses the Joomlart T3 in their layout designs)

New Products List
This should be more compact, using for example the slider module used in JA Mesolite II. One of the JM templates has the same extension.

This thread focuses more in the layouting of my optimized e-commerce site. If I do decide to use Magento, I may have some ideas on what extensions I find useful, once I have more feel of Magento.

Cornelio

[rajteng Friend rajtengJoin date: May 2011Posts: 1Downloads:0Uploads:0]

#391282

Hi cgc0202,

It would be great if you can provide me with a link to download a similar template as what you have mentioned in your post. The features you have outlined in your post might be suitable for an ecommerce site that I am planning to put up in a few months time.

Thanks
Raj

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#391300

<em>@rajteng 240507 wrote:</em><blockquote>Hi cgc0202,

It would be great if you can provide me with a link to download a similar template as what you have mentioned in your post. The features you have outlined in your post might be suitable for an ecommerce site that I am planning to put up in a few months time.

Thanks
Raj</blockquote>

Hi Raj,

If you read the post, there is no such Magento template yet, Rather, it borrows features from different existing Magento templates — that is why, it is idealized or optimized. It will require quite a bit of customization on your part, and technical support from Joomlart.

In the meantime, what you can do is look at the Magento templates mentioned in the post, and pick what would be best for your purpose. Then, customize the one you have chosen.

Cornelio

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#391575

To Joomlart Staff,

I hope I get satisfactory responses soon from Joomlart staff, if the outlined features above can be doable, starting with a single Magento template, and using the available extensions to make the changes — with much needed technical support from Joomlart staff of course.

I need to decide soon whether to stick with Joomla templates or try the new Magento platform. I barely have more than a month before the deadline of July 2011.

Cornelio

[skjuwel Friend skjuwelJoin date: May 2011Posts: 1Downloads:0Uploads:0]

#391582

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[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#392686

To Joomlart Staff,

In the “New Customer” forum, I inquired about the Magento templates, and my intent to buy one. The caveat is that the deal would allow me to achieve the

“Idealized (optimized) Magento Template”

in the original post in this thread. It has been almost TWO WEEKS already, and no official response from Joomlart yet. I am holding on buying a Magento template, until I get a positive (working) response — not just promises.

Cornelio

[Phill Moderator PhillJoin date: February 2014Posts: 7013Downloads:40Uploads:77 Thanks: 917 Thanked: 2206 times in 1818 posts]

#392716

Sorry Cornellio, I cannot help you as I do not know Magento.

However, your question is a bit long winded especially for someone who is not a native English speaker to read and digest. Maybe you will get a better response if you just stick to a few short key points at a time. Keep each one as short as possible.

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#392732

<em>@phill luckhurst 242367 wrote:</em><blockquote>Sorry Cornellio, I cannot help you as I do not know Magento.

However, your question is a bit long winded especially for someone who is not a native English speaker to read and digest. Maybe you will get a better response if you just stick to a few short key points at a time. Keep each one as short as possible.</blockquote>

Phil,

Very cryptic response (One liner):

“I want a Magento template that would include the best features of a number of the templates.”

Cornelio

N.B. And here comes the 20-question forum thread,

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#392733

So for short version Part 01. Visit:

Optimized Magento Template: Paer 01. Header-Navigation-Main Image

Cornelio

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#392735

For Part 02; visit and respond:

Optimized Magento Template: Part 02. Main Large Animated Image

Cornelio

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#392736

Possible JA Staff Response:

<em>@cgc0202 242398 wrote:</em><blockquote>CGC Response: First:

Header-Navigation-Main Image

I like the clean design of the JM Galaxie or JM Deco. Nothing is cluttering the top, except what should be there– Header-Navigation-Main Image. Preferrably, the Main Navigation should span the whole width (to allow room for text resizing).

By blending the background, as black for the Header-Navigation-Main Image, the top of the page of theof the JM Galaxie or JM Deco has a more integrated, not modularized, appearance. Slight differences in the widths or height of the spotlight images will not be as glaring. This effect is achieved also in the design of the “footer” spotlight in Teline IV series, if used properly.

Cornelio</blockquote>

Upload this JM Extension (name of extension here)…. and more detail.

Revise this JM Extension as follows … (detail provided here)

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#392746

The succeeding series of posts would include the text for these sub-topics:

1. Main Large Animated Image
2. Featured products or product categories.
3. Featured Products List.
4. Content (Position) Background
5. New Products List

OK. So, where will I post them. I am not a Magento subscriber yet. Heere in the Feedback? OK.

QED

[cgc0202 Friend cgc0202Join date: August 2007Posts: 2244Downloads:0Uploads:3 Thanks: 206 Thanked: 262 times in 1 posts]

#392748

And, for the rest, in short chunky versions:\

For Part 03:: [urlhttp://www.joomlart.com/forums/topic/optimized-magento-template-part-03-featured-products-or-product-categories/Optimized Magento Template: Part 03: Featured products or product categories.[/url]

Part 04-06. Links: TBIL.

Cornelio

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