Blog Design

What IS blog design?

Maybe I should start with what blog design isn’t. It’s not coming up with a catchy header, although that can be part of it. It’snot dreaming up unusual layouts, although that can be part of it too.It’s not colour. It’s not choosing fonts. It’s certainly not ‘web design’ as practiced by 90% of the ‘designers’ out there. It’s not a cover for poor or inadequate content

Blog design (like all design) is the discipline of studying content, interpreting personality, anticipating needs, and translating unspoken hope and desire.

Blog design is about adding the gestures and modulation one would find in a face to face conversation.

Blog design supports and adds value to the text.

Blog design adds (or subtracts) credibility.

Blog design as information architecture

Blog design is also about organizing data. It’s about maximizing the value of the content, through unique content structures. It’s about designing the user experience.

Good blog design leverages archival content to become more useful and stickier (this site is a clear case of the cobbler’s kids).

Blog design as an extension of Brand You Perhaps most importantly, blog design is a very real extension of you. It shows how well (or poorly) you value your own words.

The colour, type, imagery and layout you choose speak volumes about who you are and what you do. There is a crushing volume of scientific evidence to support this. Blog design then, is both an extension of your corporate brand (if it exists), and brand you. (See my definition of a brand here and ready why I think blogging is so valuable for your brand here)

Blog design as ROI

Finally, blog design is a tool to help you maximize your return on the time and energy your blog will consume. Imagine giving a presentation in a flat monotone. Now give that same presentation with animation and passion. That difference is the role and responsibility of good blog design.