Lay Theme Workshops
17th February 2024
Why a LAY Theme Workshop?
Creatives need a professional portfolio to show their work to an international audience. Knowing which tools to use makes a significant difference in the quality of the presentation, and its effectiveness.
Often creative people come to us after building a website on another platform and getting ‘stuck’ with not being able to fully customize their portfolio.
LAY Theme was built for creatives and is one of the most powerful tools, technically and creatively. It’s easy to use, even for a complete beginner.
The main purpose of a LAY Theme workshop is to introduce the current best tools for creatives to build and update a portfolio website, which is essential for any career creative.
What is LAY Theme?
LAY theme runs on WordPress. There are about 800 million websites using WordPress, which is about 43% of all websites on the internet.
LAY Theme is a WordPress theme designed for creating professional portfolio websites for all creative professionals. It's known for its simplicity, flexibility, and focus on visual presentation. It is an ideal choice to create visually stunning portfolio websites with ease.
LAY Theme is currently being used on about 14,000 websites and growing rapidly since its release in 2015.
Key Features of LAY Theme
Drag and Drop Interface: LAY Theme provides a user-friendly interface for building websites using a drag-and-drop system.
Responsive Design: LAY Theme adapts smoothly to different screen sizes (desktops, tablets, and smartphones).
Grid Layouts: Fully customizable grid layout options allow users to easily create different aesthetics.
Portfolio Functionality: LAY Theme is optimized for creating portfolio websites, with features such as project pages, image galleries, and video integration.
Customization Options: Users can customize their websites extensively, including fonts, colors, backgrounds, and custom CSS for advanced styling options.
SEO-Friendly: LAY Theme is designed with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) best practices in mind, helping to improve visibility and rankings in search engine results.
Support and Updates: LAY Theme is regularly updated to ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress version and to introduce new features. Users also have access to support forums and complete documentation for assistance.
Online Shop Integration: LAY Theme integrates with WooCommerce, one of the biggest online shopping platforms in order to sell works or services easily.
Proprietary Plugins: LAY Theme’s plugins are built for use only with LAY theme and are regularly updated. The plugins are customizable (Carousel, Lightbox, Fullscreen Slider, Imagehover).
Features Videos
Gridder - The Layout Tool
Splitscreen Website
Shop
"About Me" Overlay
Imagehover Addon
Lightbox Addon
Carousel Addon
Fullscreen Slider Addon
LAY Theme Website Examples
Production Company Website, Madrid
https://newnewnew.studio/
Film Director Website, Madrid
https://hectorherce.com/
Graphic Design Agency Website, Germany
https://yence-studio.com/
Art Director Website, New York
https://sammiepurulak.com/
Photographer Website, Los Angeles
https://vinceaung.com/
Art Services Website, Paris
https://lelp.help/
Creative Studio Website, Portugal
https://aaltar.com/
Creative Studio Website, London
https://digital.nataal.com/
Benefits of a LAY Workshop for Universities and Students
Hosting a LAY Theme workshop at art universities can bring numerous benefits for both students and the university itself.
Benefits for workshop participants:
Practical, hands-on experience: This experience is valuable for students pursuing careers in creative fields where having an online portfolio is essential.
Skill Development: Students learn how to design and customize websites, improving their digital design skills, understanding of user experience, and proficiency in web development tools.
Creativity and Expression: LAY Theme's flexibility allows students to express their creativity and unique artistic style through their portfolio websites, encouraging experimentation and innovation.
Benefits for the University:
Enhanced Curriculum: Integrating LAY Theme workshops into the curriculum enriches the educational experience by providing practical skills relevant to contemporary creative practices. Hosting workshops with tools like LAY Theme demonstrates its commitment to providing students with cutting-edge resources and preparing them for successful careers.
Continued Education: Offering workshops for alumni or professionals in the community can provide ongoing education and professional development opportunities, fostering post-graduate learning and engagement with the university.
Overall, LAY Theme workshops can be mutually beneficial for students and universities, enriching learning experiences, enhancing skills, and preparing students for their professional careers.
Workshops
LAY workshops can be adapted to the requirements/schedule of the University. A workshop may differ depending on the teacher. The following is a suggested workshop outline:
- Day 1: Technical Setup
- Day 2: Learning Lay Theme
- Day3/4: Creating your Site
- Day 5: Refinement and Finishing
Requirements
- No prior knowledge of web design is necessary
- A laptop or school provided computer
- Internet connection
- Images/videos/texts for content
- The university needs to buy licenses, we can give a 20 percent discount
- The university needs to pay the workshop teacher
Instructors
Felix Rabe (Germany)
https://felixrabe.de
Felix Rabe is a MA Communication Designer and University Lecturer who found access to Webdesign via LAY Theme and since then has become a professional PHP Developer. His Workshops are complemented by insights in Branding and Storytelling that can be directly incorporated into the Websites. Felix speaks German and English.
Daniel Campbell (Japan)
https://danielcampbell.ca
Daniel Campbell is a qualified instructor with over 8 years of experience in developing LAY Theme websites for professional creatives. He has created more than 100 websites using LAY theme. His close collaboration with LAY Theme's developer, Armin Unruh, has provided him with a comprehensive understanding of LAY Theme’s development and evolution, allowing him to stay at the forefront of its capabilities.
Daniel's qualifications as a teacher are underscored by his passion for empowering others with digital skills, coupled with his effective communication and instructional abilities. He holds several teaching certificates. He aims to inspire and equip students with the knowledge and confidence to create impactful online portfolios using LAY Theme, bridging the gap between creativity and technology in the digital landscape.
Sasha Tamarin (Israel)
https://sashatamarin.com/
Sasha is a Designer who has done several Lay Theme Workshops in Israel.
Michael Taschinski (Germany)
https://michaeltaschinski.com/
Michael is a Designer who has done several Lay Theme Workshops in Germany.
Armin Unruh (Germany)
https://100k.studio
Armin Unruh is the creator of Lay Theme. In Germany, Armin has done more than 10 Lay Theme workshops so far.
Audrey Belaud (Germany)
https://cyberslayers.work
Audrey is a designer who has done many Lay Theme Workshops in Germany.
Valentina Rachiele (Italy)
https://isiaurbino.net/
Valentina is an Interface Design teacher at an Italian University.
Thomas Hanus (France)
https://thdg.info/
Thomas is a French designer who has done several Lay Theme workshops.
Contact
info@laytheme.com
Workshops are available in multiple languages depending on the instructor.