diff --git a/docs/skinning thoughts.md b/docs/skinning thoughts.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bbaf18a284
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/skinning thoughts.md
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+== Skinning refactor ==
+
+matrix-react-sdk
+ - base images
+ - base CSS
+ - all the components needed to build a workable app (including the top layer)
+
+riot-web: the riot skin
+ - riot-specific classes (e.g. login header/footer)
+ - riot-specific themes
+ - light
+ - dark
+
+i.e. the only things which should go into riot-web are bits which apply vector-specific skinning
+specifically "Stuff that any other brand would not want to use. (e.g. riot logos, links, T&Cs)"
+ - Questions:
+ - Electron app? (should probably be a separate repo in its own right? but might as well go here for now)
+ - index.html & index.js? (should be in matrix-react-sdk, given the SDK is useless without them?)
+
+ideally matrix-react-sdk itself should ship with a default skin which actually works built in.
+
+status skin (can go in the same app for now)
+ - has status theme
+ - which inherits from riot light theme
+ - how do we share graphics between skins?
+ - shove them into react-sdk, or...
+ - guess we do ../../vector/img
+ - this means keeping the skin name in the images (unless /img is a shortcut to the right skin's images)
+
+out of scope:
+ - making the components more independent, so they can be used in isolation.
+ - that said, the bits which should probably be used by being embeded into a different app:
+ - login/reg
+ - RoomView + RoomSettings
+ - MessageComposer
+ - RoomList
+ - MemberList
+ - MemberInfo
+ - Voip UI
+ - UserSettings
+ - sharing different js-sdks between the different isolated modules
+
+other changes:
+ - how do we handle i18n?
+ - each skin should really be its own i18n project. As long as all the commonality stuff is in matrix-react-sdk this shouldn't be too bad.
+ - ability to associate components with a given skin
+ - skins/vector/src <-- components
+ - skins/vector/css
+ - skins/vector/img
+ - skins/vector/fonts
+ - gather together themes (per skin) into a single place too
+ - skins/vector/themes/foo/css
+ - skins/vector/themes/foo/img
+ - skins/vector/themes/foo/fonts
+ - ideally riot-web would contain almost nothing but skins/vector directory.
+ - ability to entirely replace CSS rather than override it for a given theme
+ - e.g. if we replace `Login.js` with `StatusLogin.js`, then we should similarly be able to replace `_Login.scss` with `_StatusLogin.scss`.
+
+random thoughts;
+ - should we be able to change the entire skin at runtime (more like wordpress) - to the extent of replacing entire components?
+ - might pose security issues if a theme can be swapped out to replace MatrixChat or other fundamental functionality at runtime
+ - if so, perhaps skins & themes should converge...
+
+-----------------
+
+Immediate plan for Status:
+ * Implement it as a theme for the riot skin
+ * Ideally move skins to a sensible level (possibly even including src?)
diff --git a/src/components/views/login/VectorLoginFooter.js b/src/components/views/login/VectorLoginFooter.js
index b04dcdb597..5a97f524df 100644
--- a/src/components/views/login/VectorLoginFooter.js
+++ b/src/components/views/login/VectorLoginFooter.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ limitations under the License.
var React = require('react');
import { _t } from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/languageHandler';
+import UserSettingsStore from 'matrix-react-sdk/lib/UserSettingsStore';
module.exports = React.createClass({
displayName: 'VectorLoginFooter',
@@ -26,6 +27,8 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
},
render: function() {
+ if (UserSettingsStore.getTheme() === 'status') return