Note: Creating a different homepage layout in the Flex Theme does NOT involve selecting a post template. A simple drag and drop of selected widgets should do the trick. Above is the screenshot of various widgets added in different widget areas to create the Flex Magazine layout.
Boxed width and Background Image
1. Background: In WordPress Dashboard, go to Appearance > Background. Select any background image and configure various options. Once a background image is selected, the full width layout will automatically switch to the boxed layout.
Header Area of the Flex Magazine layout
1. Logo: To add a logo image, go to Appearance > Header and then upload a logo image of your choice. Also, add a search widget to the ‘Header Right’ widget area.
2. Navigation: Go to Appearance > Menus and then select a menu as primary menu to display at this location. To display social icons next to the menu, enable ‘Primary Nav Extras’ widget by going to Appearance > Customize. Then add a’Simple Social Icons’ widget to this widget area. You must install Simple Social Icons plugin for this functionality.
Body Area Widgets of the Flex Magazine layout
1. Home Top: Add a ‘Home Page Banner’ widget to the ‘Home Top’ widget area and configure settings as per your requirement. Then add a ‘Genesis – enews extended’ widget to the ‘Home Top’ widget area. You must install Genesis enews extended plugin for this functionality.
2. Home Middle: Add a ‘Flex – Featured Post’ widget and make sure you select 4 columns layout option in this widget. Then add a text widget with call to action code. This is followed by: a Flex – Slider widget and a Flex – Featured Post (select 3 column option).
Home Bottom Left and Home Bottom Right widgets are left empty.
Footer Area of the Flex Magazine layout
1. Secondary Menu: Navigation bar displayed above the footer widgets is the ‘secondary menu’. Go to Appearance > Menus and select a menu as ‘Secondary Navigation Menu’.
2. Footer Widgets: Go to Appearance > Customize and change number of footer widgets to 3. Then add required widgets to footer widgets 1,2,3 areas.
3. Footer Credits: To change the default footer Credits, go to Appearance > Customize and make changes in the ‘Footer Info’ section.