Change the icon size of the user images
Design and Skin Customization
Yes I usually do your #2 process, though I do a whole lot of bumbling about due to my low skill level. But I can get it done that way about 50% of the time now... simple stuff like changing sizes, colors, number of things, or reversing order etc.
Can you briefly tell me where I would go to "do a search over the database code" ?
Do you mean somewhere within the Datastore Browser? (ACP/Core module/SystemCore/Tools/Datastorebrowser)