What it is
- aimed at non-developers
- simple and quick hints for everyone
- discussion-starter (feel free to interrupt me)
What it isn't
- complete guide on choosing a theme
- technically detailed or perfectly exact on everything
- the "one right way" to do it
Found some themes? Test them!
What to test?
There is a whole lot that can be tested, but that is neither practical nor possible.
If you want to dive into this topic a lot deeper have a look at the WordPress Codex: Theme Review
What I'll focus on here
- for non-developers without looking at code
- quick & easy using tools
Resize your browser window.
Firefox: Ctrl+Shift+M
- horizontal scrollbars?
- anything broken?
- stuff disappearing?
Use different Browsers.
- Test with as many browsers as possible. (http://browsehappy.com/)
- Test with different devices. (Touch ready?)
- Test on old computers (especially Internet Explorer).
- Consider data you have. (http://dev.orf.at/)
What to look for?
- Do obvious layout glitches appear?
- Does special functionality like drop-down menus or tabs work?
Accessibility
This is often discarded with arguments like "not enough people to care", but who would say elevators or accessible pedestrian signals are optional, so please be considerate!
Navigating with the keyboard
- Can you get everywhere?
- Can you see where you are?
- Is the jump order reasonable?
Is information hidden in the design?
Disable Stylesheets to see "naked" HTML
ALT > Ansicht > Webseiten-Stil > Kein-Stil
... and if all else fails