Hi Steve and all,

I’m new to both Piklist and theme development, but have worked with WordPress and setting up WP sites for years, and feel I have a fairly good handle on how to go about learning what I need to know to create and customize themes as needed (and Piklist seems like it can offer a major “leg up” to someone in my situation).

I want to build themes – initially for my own use – using Piklist as much as possible, though with logical balance with other tools (i.e. starter themes, other plugins).

My current approach is to take a bare-bones starter theme, i.e. Underscores, though I’m also looking at Bones, and to set up Piklist within that theme (plugin installed, folder structure in place; WP Helpers also installed).

With respect to initial set-up – i.e. customizing the header and front page – i.e. making sure it’s responsive, adding desired graphic capabilities (i.e. slider, customizing image dimensions, and so on) — does Piklist offer any advantages?

Or is it best and most efficient to just use a handful of related plugins, and utilize Piklist for the custom fields, taxonomies, etc. emphasized in the User Guide?

Alternately – would it make even more sense to fine a starter theme that’s basically set up as described above – and create a child theme, and use Piklist with that child theme?

My goal is to build sites as quickly and efficiently as possible, with the additional customization power Piklist offers in place – and so, I don’t want to code when I don’t have to, if plugins, or creating a child theme, in conjunction with Piklist makes more sense for certain tasks.

I’ve read through the User Guide extensively – and didn’t see clear answers to these questions – though being new, may have missed something.

Please advise – along with any guidelines that might help me get a bit clearer on where to use Piklist directly, and where to use other options.

Thanks very much,

Doug