Why did you choose your current blog design? What do you like most in other blogger's designs and what are your pet peeves (designs, layout, etc)?
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{Blog // Life With A Side Of Coffee}
When I was in the process of having a design made for my blog, I knew what I did and did not want. I knew that I wanted it to be easy enough to navigate, but not too simple to end up boring. I wanted it to be eye catching and to feel as if you were reading a journal. If only I could have found those words to tell my designer! We started out with color schemes and layouts. I wanted three columns, with the middle one significantly larger. I wanted the content of my blog to be the main thing that drew in attention because, hey, I'm writing daily posts, I want people to read them. For the color scheme, I wanted to stay with paler colors, not pastels, but lighter. I liked browns and greens and purples and blues. So, basically everything. After I came up with a few color palates, my designer came up with a brief sketch that I initially loved. The only thing that needed tweaking was the font. I didn't want it to look typed or computerized. I love fonts that look handwritten but I wanted it to be easy to read. The final result was better than anything I could have though of. My favorite part? The little cup of coffee at the end of my header.When I follow blogs, I like them to be easy to read and not crowded. That's why I keep mine relatively clean. If I wouldn't want to read my own blog, why would anyone else? I like the blogs I read to not be too crazy with the colors so that it's distracting and I don't like a thousand advertisements. I read blogs because I like the writers and because I like the content. If there is too much distracting me then I just pass it over or close the browser. My biggest pet peeve with blog designs and layouts is html! I wish I could design my own blog whenever I feel like it but I am so not good with html. It's so complicated to me that my eyes roll back into my head just thinking about it. I don't really have a pet peeve with other people's blog layouts and design though. It's your space so you should have the freedom to do what you want with it. I would just say to make sure it's relatively easy to read and that you don't have a bunch of glitz and glamour or advertisements that distract from your actual content. You're putting a great deal of work into your posts so why not let them have the spotlight?
{Blog // All That Glitters}
There are three things I wanted in my own blog design. I wanted it to be clean, easily readable, and easy to navigate. {Cleanliness}: I have heard from so many people that white backgrounds are the best & I'm glad I chose it. When I go to my blog I don't want anyone to be overwhelmed and immediately hit the red "X" button! I am thankful that my blog design incorporates two of my favorite things: pink & glitter without too much WHOA!{Readability}: Nothing is worse that really light fonts that you can't see or that crazy font that no one can read. I LOVE cursive handwriting, but I would never use it to write a blog post. Simplicity is better, and I have chosen Trebuchet for my font. It's not the the boring Times New Roman, but it's also readable.{Navigation}: Where is this person's about me section or sponsor page? Well, that question is why I chose the navigation bar right under my header. You can find my about me section & sponsor/PR page the second you go to my blog. Also, having the social media icons at the top is important to me. After all, that is how the blog world communicates.And finally, the pet peeves. I kind of touched on them in the above section. They would be the opposite of the three things I wanted in my blog design. I hate to say it, but if I can't read someone's blog based on color of font or actual font, I will not stay on the page. I think it's important in today's world to give readers' something that is going to benefit their time. None of us have time to navigate around the blog looking for a blog post on "spring fashion" for example; therefore, it's important to have a blog archive! If someone recommends a certain blog post on your page, I need the archive to find it quickly. Now don't get me wrong, my blog is NOT perfect by any means & that is not what I am saying. I have A LOT to learn & I'm always taking suggestions on ways to make my blog better!--------------------------------------------------So what do you guys think? What is important to you in blog design? What are major pet peeves you have when looking at the "face" of other blogs?
