Argo is a one-page portfolio PSD template sold on ThemeForest for $10, built by the developer DZOAN for designers who want a layered Photoshop source file rather than a finished WordPress theme. It ships as six PSD files covering three homepage layouts and a blog page, aimed at creative studios, agencies and freelancers who plan to hand the design to a developer or code it themselves. The listing has drawn 353 sales since its last update in October 2013.
That date matters more than any feature list. Argo creative work here means a static design asset, not a working website, and anyone expecting a drag-and-drop builder will be disappointed within minutes. The question worth answering is whether a decade-old layered mockup still earns its place in a modern workflow.
What the Argo creative PSD package actually contains
The bundle is small and clearly scoped. Six Photoshop documents hold three distinct homepage arrangements, a blog listing page, and the supporting screens that make up a single-page layout. Because everything is layered, a designer can move sections, swap colour fills and rebuild the grid without starting from a blank canvas.
The practical value sits in three areas:
- Three homepage directions in one purchase. Rather than committing to a single composition, the buyer gets three starting points and can pitch alternatives to a client without buying a second template.
- Editable layer structure. Text, shapes and imagery sit on separate layers, so recolouring a section or replacing a placeholder photo is a matter of minutes rather than a rebuild.
- Five additional colour variants. The vendor added these in a later revision, which widens the palette without requiring manual hue shifts across every layer group.
The visual language leans on flat surfaces, soft gradients, glass-like overlays and a metro-style block grid — the vocabulary that dominated portfolio design around 2013. Typography is set in Bebas Neue for headings and Open Sans for body copy, both free Google Fonts, which removes any licensing cost or font-hunting step. Icons come from the free Linecons set.
One detail the vendor states plainly and buyers routinely miss: the photographs in the preview are not included. They are sourced from stock wallpaper sites and used for demonstration only. Anyone budgeting for this template should add the cost of replacement imagery, or plan to shoot their own.
Where a one-page PSD template fits, and where it does not
The strongest fit is a designer or small studio that already has a front-end developer, or that codes its own builds. The PSD becomes the design contract — a shared reference that removes ambiguity about spacing, hierarchy and colour before a single line of markup is written. For a freelance designer pitching a creative agency or a photographer’s portfolio, three homepage options in one file is genuinely useful.
It also suits an agency producing a fast, low-budget marketing page for a client who needs something live within a fortnight. A single-page structure means fewer templates to build, fewer navigation decisions and a shorter review cycle.
It is the wrong choice in three specific situations. First, anyone who wants to launch without writing code should look at a WordPress theme instead — the vendor does offer Drupal and HTML versions separately, but those are different products at different prices. Second, a project with a strict modern accessibility requirement will struggle, because a 2013 flat-design mockup rarely accounts for contrast ratios, focus states or semantic heading order. Third, a content-heavy site with dozens of pages, a resource library or an e-commerce catalogue has no home here; one-page layouts collapse under that weight.
What is involved in putting Argo to work
Setup is straightforward but not instant, and it splits into two phases.
The design phase requires Adobe Photoshop, and the vendor does not state a minimum version. Opening six PSD files, auditing the layer groups, replacing placeholder imagery and applying brand colours realistically takes a competent designer two to four hours per homepage direction. Expect longer if the client wants the blog page restyled to match.
The build phase is where the real time goes. Converting a layered mockup into responsive HTML and CSS is developer work measured in days, not hours, and the template does not include any code, grid framework or style guide to accelerate it. There is no documentation beyond the files themselves, and no support channel described in the listing. Buyers are effectively purchasing artwork plus the right to use it.
Two prerequisites are worth stating outright: a Photoshop licence, and either development skill in-house or a developer on call. Without both, the $10 purchase sits unused.
Strengths and limitations of the Argo creative template
Strengths
- Low entry price at $10, which makes it a cheap way to test a design direction before committing budget.
- Six layered PSD files with three homepage variations, giving real choice rather than a single locked composition.
- Free fonts and a free icon set, so no additional licensing cost is hidden in the build.
- Five extra colour schemes added post-launch, which the vendor delivered at no extra charge.
- 353 sales and a public rating on ThemeForest give a reasonable signal that buyers got what they expected.
Limitations
- The last vendor update was 30 October 2013. The design reflects that era, and nothing suggests further revisions.
- No images are included. Every photograph in the preview must be replaced, and the vendor explicitly excludes them from the files.
- No HTML, CSS or WordPress output is bundled with this listing. The Drupal and HTML versions are separate products.
- No stated Photoshop version requirement, no documentation and no described support terms.
- A single-page structure limits how much content the design can carry before it becomes a long scroll with weak navigation.
How Argo compares with the wider PSD template category
PSD templates sit at the cheapest, most flexible end of the design market. A finished WordPress theme costs more but delivers something launchable. A UI kit costs similar money and usually includes components, style guides and sometimes code. Argo sits between those poles: more opinionated than a generic UI kit, far less complete than a theme.
Against a modern PSD template, the gap is mostly currency. Recent templates tend to ship with responsive breakpoints documented, a type scale, accessibility notes and often a Figma counterpart. Argo offers none of that. What it does offer is a coherent, self-consistent visual system for a specific style, at a price low enough that the risk is negligible.
Against a UI kit, the trade-off is reversed. A kit gives reusable components but no finished composition; Argo gives finished compositions but nothing reusable beyond the layers themselves. For a one-off portfolio build, finished compositions save more time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Argo a WordPress theme or a PSD template?
Argo is a PSD template, not a WordPress theme. The $10 listing contains six layered Photoshop files only. The vendor does link to separate Drupal and HTML versions, but those are distinct products sold elsewhere. Anyone wanting a ready-to-install WordPress site needs a different purchase entirely.
Can Argo be used without knowing how to code?
No. Argo provides design files, not a working website, so turning it into a live page requires HTML and CSS skills or a developer. A designer can restyle the PSDs without code, but nothing reaches a browser until someone builds it. Budget for that step before buying.
Are the images in the Argo preview included in the download?
No. The vendor states clearly that all preview images come from external wallpaper sites and are excluded from the PSD files. Buyers must supply their own photography or licence stock images separately. That is an additional cost worth factoring in alongside the purchase price.
Does Argo still hold up for a new project?
Only in narrow cases. The last update was October 2013, so the flat, gradient and metro styling reads as dated, and there are no responsive or accessibility specifications. It works best as a cheap starting point for a retro-styled brief or as a layer reference, not as a foundation for a modern client site.
Verdict
Argo creative template is worth buying for designers and small studios that want a cheap, layered starting point for a single-page portfolio and already have Photoshop plus development resource lined up. At $10 with 353 sales behind it, the downside is minimal and the three homepage options give genuine room to explore. It is not for anyone expecting a launchable website, and it is not for projects with modern accessibility or responsive requirements, because the 2013 vintage shows. Buy it as a design asset, not as a solution.
