Customizing the Custom Loop – Wordcamp NYC 2012

So this past weekend was my first Wordcamp.  Thanks again for everyone who attended.

As a recap, I’d like to compile all the information Jeff and I went over into one central location, for easy review.

Defining the problem

So, like many people first staring with WordPress, you’ve probably made it through the five minute install, and then look at your screen and think, “now what?”

WordPress is great in that it gives you 90% of what you need to create a fully manageable site, but for that 10 % more, you need to do some work if you want to do something custom.

In our example from Wordcamp, we ended up creating a Super Hero Gazette, showcasing upcoming super hero movies.  To that end, we created some interesting features.

• Featured Post sections
• Branded Category Boxes
• Alex’s Reviews (the most trusted name in comics)
• Picture of the Day
• Publisher Breakdown

• The Global Query
• Tools of the Trade
• Performance
• Try it at home