Details
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Type:
Improvement
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Status:
Closed
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Priority:
Trivial
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Resolution: Fixed
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Affects Version/s: 2.0
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Fix Version/s: None
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Component/s: Themes
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Labels:None
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Affected Branches:MOODLE_20_STABLE
Description
This is just a random idea.. please ignore if it's irrelevant, already implemented, or silly 
This came up because of a similar discussion about Mahara theming, by the way.
The default Mahara theme is nice and clean, but a bit heavy as a starting point for other themes.
The default Moodle theme is a good start for other themes, but is a bit simplistic for day-to-day use - and we know people do put a lot of emphasis on a good first impression.
The idea is: Why not make a "nice" default theme, that is based off the "raw" default them, and have the nice one be the Moodle default when the system is installed initially? This way people get a good impression, and theme developers also get their good starting point.
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Hi Gary - I think you've described how the "raw" default theme could work. My suggestion is that you'd build a theme on top of that, that isn't simply a basic-customised version of the raw theme, that is used as the default in Moodle for new accounts.
This "default" theme could be done by a graphic designer, and still have a simple clean look, but perhaps extend the raw theme in ways that aren't trivial. Inevitibly, when a designer gets involved, they're not going to be happy simply toggling the fonts on some key elements
closing this as its actually exactly what happened in 2.0
(Although more work required on a really slick default theme!)
(Although more work required on a really slick default theme!) 
Nigel:
My idea is similar, but it depends on how you define the work "nice".
It is possible, as I do in my software development class, to have a collection of about 10 groups of selectors in a single .css file that let you change the logo or color of the header and footer, put in a light custom background image, and change the colors and text styles of all the key display elements of Moodle. This would let sites, and perhaps their students or faculty within an institution, make themes that are very simple to construct, where as current styles are either too complicated, have special features, or just too simple.
This simple base would be fairly easy to customize and be much like the themes of iGoogle.
If by "nice", you would extend that to be "nice and simple", then I think this would be a very good idea. I am working through this unit with my class in the next few weeks and will then post a tutorial to the docs. But having such a theme be the default them in Moodle would make skinning much more assessible to the typical institution, in my opinion.
--Gary